As seen in the Tried & True Spring 2025 issue
The 2025 North American Conservation & Drainage Expo (NACADE) in Indianapolis, Indiana, brought together industry leaders, researchers and professionals to discuss the latest advancements in water management. This was the second biennial event, founded by Jason and Justin Brown, brothers and owners of Mid America Trenchers from Dexter, Iowa, along with Brad Baker with Springfield Plastics. Mid America produces the Buckeye line of wheel trenchers and Link drainage plows.
As third-generation drainage manufacturers with contractor backgrounds, Jason and Justin Brown have dedicated their lives to this industry since they could walk. Jason and Justin believed that their dedication came with a natural duty to steward the land to the best of their ability.
Jason and Justin’s dedication was the driving force behind founding this event. “It’s our turn to step up and devote the time so our industry can thrive,” Jason explains. They saw a need for a unique type of tradeshow that hadn’t been done before. There are several aspects of this event that make it one-of-a-kind.
Spacious Layout
Large, open booths allow sponsors and exhibitors to showcase anything and everything, enabling attendees to easily compare similar products from different vendors.
Quality Leads
The attendees at NACADE are serious, quality customers—you won’t find busloads of high schoolers, which can easily distract from promising sales.
Collaboration
Roundtable events initiate spontaneous speakers who take questions from the crowd. Everyone benefits from these open conversations.
Tangible
Large vendor booths let you see, touch and compare pipe, fittings and accessories—and even climb aboard four different trenchers in one afternoon.
Unstructured
A loose schedule allows attendees to leisurely chat, grab coffee, peruse or listen to a speaker on their own time. There are no rigid schedules or breakout sessions with forced participation.
Top-Level Education
Every industry expert comes together at NACADE to teach best practices, the most recent research and the newest equipment.
Vinayak Shedakar was one of our earliest supporters and runs the Overholt Drainage School. He helped get a lot of our academics on board, especially the first year. He spoke this year, too, along with experts like Dr. John McMaine (University of Kentucky) and Dr. Lindsay Pease (University of Minnesota) who shared research on nutrient loss in tile drainage and drainage system performance for various crops, offering valuable insights to improve water management strategies. Matt Helmers (Iowa State University) covered the engineering behind drainage coefficient and drain spacing, while Dr. Jane Frankenberger (Purdue University) introduced online tools to enhance drainage projects.
Conservation solutions took center stage, with Dr. Jill Kostel (Wetlands Initiative) and Keegan Kult (ADMC/ISAP) guiding attendees in selecting the best edge-of-field practices. Scott Wagner (USDA-NRCS) outlined how to navigate NRCS programs, and Purdue University Extension’s Angela Sorg, Abby Heidenreich and Jesi Davenport discussed the unique mental health challenges faced by farmers and ag professionals.
Drainage is more than just moving water off the field—it’s about managing it in a way that benefits both the farmer and the environment,
said Keegan Kult, executive director of ADMC. “NACADE gives us the opportunity to collaborate on solutions that make conservation drainage both practical and profitable.”
Doubling in size from the first event, NACADE is expected to grow exponentially as the drainage industry realizes the value of this unique experience. NACADE 2027 is projected to take place in Des Moines, Iowa. Justin speaks of the future of NACADE with excitement and pride, “We are standing on the shoulders of giants. Reflecting on the past, present and future of this industry, I’m honored to embrace the role and responsibility my brother and I share.”
A Note from Fratco
As Fratco continues to advance durable and efficient drainage solutions, events like NACADE reaffirm the importance of collaboration, education and innovation in shaping the future of our industry. Craig Douglass, Sales Manager, emphasized, “NACADE continues to prove how vital collaboration is in the drainage industry. Bringing together top industry experts helps push innovation forward, and Fratco is proud to be part of that progress.”
