AgEmerge Podcast 175 with Mike Hemman and Netafim

Discover how innovative drip irrigation technologies are transforming water management and boosting efficiency in farming. Mike Hemman, Netafim Senior Vice President of North America, shares his journey from crop protection to leading irrigation solutions, highlighting the challenges and opportunities in modern agriculture. Tune in to explore the future of precision farming and the vital role of water conservation across the globe.

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Show Notes:
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Chapters:
00:00:00 - Introduction to Drip Irrigation
00:06:00 - Mike Hemman's Journey
00:12:00 - Innovative Irrigation Solutions
00:18:00 - Water Conservation and Efficiency
00:24:00 - Future of Precision Farming
00:30:00 - Challenges in Water Management
00:36:00 - The Role of Technology in Agriculture
00:42:00 - Sustainable Farming Practices
00:48:00 - Netafim's Global Impact
00:54:00 - Closing Thoughts and Future Outlook
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Introducing the Ag Modernization Fund
Water basins are strained across the nation, and while modern irrigation remains one of the fastest and most proven ways to improve water use efficiency, many farmers still face barriers to accessing the financing for installing the latest systems.

To address this challenge, Orbia, Netafim USA along with California Water Resilience Initiative (CWRI), launched the Ag Modernization Fund, a first-of-its-kind investment vehicle that pools private-sector capital to directly fund irrigation upgrades for growers.

Backed by Keurig Dr Pepper, Gilead Sciences, and General Mills, the fund closed in 2025 with $300,000, already supporting five farms spanning 200 acres. These projects, to be completed within the year, are projected to reduce water use by 491 acre-feet — nearly 159 million gallons annually, enough to fill 241 Olympic-sized pools.

This fund is also listed on the UN-backed CEO Water Mandate’s Water Action Hub, aligning with global sustainability goals to address water stress across 100 priority basins worldwide — 8 of which are in the United States.

About Our Guest:
Mike Hemman - SVP, Netafim North America Division
Mike joined Netafim, Orbia Precision Agriculture business, in 2019 as the President of Netafim USA and was promoted to Senior Vice President of North America in 2024. He has been instrumental in driving strategic growth and expanding profit margins through innovative market strategies, customer segmentation, product lifecycle management, and improvements in supply chain and manufacturing efficiencies.

With multiple decades of experience in the crop protection and seed industry, Mike has held key commercial leadership positions at DuPont, Corteva, and Pioneer Seed. His extensive background in biologicals, fertility, crop protection, seed, and irrigation give him a unique cross-sector perspective on the agricultural industry.

Mike holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Plant Science from California State University, Fresno, where he also pursued Master of Science coursework in agronomy. He is currently a member of the Executive Board of the Irrigation Association and has previously served on the boards of the Agricultural Retailers Association, Western Plant Health Association, and California Association of Pest Control Advisers.