H2OMICS, the Calsense Podcast

Discover the incredible journey of Jeff Drongowski on this episode of the H2OMICS podcast. From his beginnings as a corporate photographer to his role as a sustainability advocate at Calsense, Jeff shares his inspiring story of finding purpose and making a career out of his passion for water conservation. Join host Julia Teske as she explores Jeff's path and the lessons learned along the way. Tune in now for insights into sustainability, smart irrigation, and the power of following your dreams.

Welcome to Season 3! Julia Teske takes the reins as our new host, bringing passion for smart irrigation and sustainability. Join her for engaging conversations, expert insights, and captivating stories. Subscribe for a season of water management exploration. Visit calsense.com/podcast or find H2OMICS on your favorite platform. 

In the heart of southwestern Riverside County, California, lies the thriving City of Murrieta. Over the past 32 years, this vibrant city has undergone remarkable growth, leading to a substantial surge in its water demands.In this episode, we sit down with Murrieta's Assistant City Manager, Ivan Holler. With a background as a landscape architect, Ivan offers valuable insights into the intricate dance of managing population growth while ensuring responsible water usage within the city.Discover the innovative strategies, challenges, and successes as Murrieta strives to strike a harmonious balance between its expanding community and its precious water resources. Tune in to gain a deeper understanding of the dynamic relationship between growth and sustainability in this captivating region of California.

U.S. Congressman John Duarte (CA-13) joined the H2OMICS podcast to discuss the  Water Infrastructure Modernization Act. This bipartisan bill was introduced with Arizona Congressman Ruben Gallego to boost water conservation infrastructure.  A 4th generation farmer and California Central Valley native, Congressman Duarte brings a personal perspective to this important issue. 

A year ago, during Smart Irrigation Month, we launched the H2OMICS podcast with Calsense Director of Commercial Operations Mike Haldane as a guest. We discussed Irrigation Management as a Service™ or IMaaS™ - a solution that makes irrigation management more accessible to organizations that need it.This year, Calsense is launching Smart Irrigation 2.0 an initiative leading the industry into a new era of smart irrigation; an era that embraces machine learning and human expertise to minimize water and labor waste and ensure our landscapes remain sustainably beautiful. Mike Haldane talks about how these technological advances will improve water conservation efforts.

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal, and the Inflation Reduction Act, in part aim to address our current environmental challenges, including the drought.U.S. Congressman Mike Levin, who represents the 49th District in California, discusses both bills and how our communities will directly benefit from them, specifically when it comes to water issues.

Our industry has been riding the recent economic uncertainty caused by supply chain issues, extreme weather events and inflation. Additionally, labor shortages triggered by record low unemployment continue to be a big challenge. Could smart irrigation technology be the solution to help address this and other issues? What is 2023 going to look like when it comes to landscape management? Hear from Territory Manager for the State of Texas at Irrigation Station - a Heritage Landscape Supply Group company - Scott Heidman, who discusses the state of the industry in Texas and beyond.

The Irrigation Association is the leading membership organization in the irrigation industry. Natasha Rankin, who has been leading the Irrigation Association as CEO since January of 2022, discusses the role of the organization when it comes to promoting efficient irrigation technologies, products and services. 

Technology has played an important role in the evolution of landscape architecture, as it has provided better tools to address the needs of end users. From central control to mobile capabilities, two landscape architects from Texas, Ray Sebastian and David Garrison,  discuss how they are better equipped than ever to face climate change, water scarcity and economic challenges.   

ECOLIFE Conservation is a nonprofit organization in North County San Diego with the clear mission to “protect wildlife, natural resources and the people who depend on them.”ECOLIFE Conservation Founder, Bill Toone, is an internationally recognized conservation biologist, who has traveled the world following his passion for wildlife. On this episode, he shares about his mission to  protect our planet, his recognition as a 2023 AARP Purpose Prize Winner and his book called “On the Wings of the Condor.”

October is Manufacturing Month! Director of Operations at Calsense, Ian Townsend, joined the H2OMICS podcast to share how his experience in the industry has helped him tackle the difficult challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

With kids going back to school, there’s a lot of preparation and maintenance that takes place in order to have sports fields in optimal and safe conditions for young athletes.  A big part of that, includes proper irrigation depending on the activity level of the field and the field’s specific needs. Director of Site Maintenance at Jefferson County Public Schools in Colorado, Noel Harryman, is a Colorado native and has been in the landscaping industry for twenty years. On this episode he shares insight into the challenges of upkeeping sports fields and how to overcome them. 

With record drought restrictions and climate trends indicating that water restrictions are likely to become an ongoing fact of life, there’s an urgent need for us to think about our water use differently: A holistic approach that considers all the factors contributing to how much water we need to use and how often we use it.Calsense President & CEO A.J. van de Ven, is a champion of water conservation and sustainability. He joins H2OMICS to share his thoughts on the drought and more. 

Calsense recently launched Irrigation Management as a Service™ (IMaaS™), a unique approach to irrigation management that eliminates the need for customers to secure capital funds to purchase smart irrigation controllers, sensors and/or software. On this episode, Calsense Director of Commercial Operations, Mike Haldane, who was one of the team members behind this innovative irrigation management model, talks about how water conservation can become a reality to those organizations that haven’t had easy access to smart irrigation solutions before.