The Sprinkler Nerd Show

Andy Humphrey
  • 4.8 (21)
  • Home & Garden
  • Updated Weekly

If you are a Landscape Entrepreneur this show is for you. Andy, a former contestant on the ABC hit television series Shark Tank, irrigation technology expert, and multimillion-dollar eCommerce entrepreneur brings his curiosity & creativity to tease out the secrets of successful landscape influencers and business owners. Discover how to get a leg up on the competition, be the smartest person at the design table, and advance your career in the irrigation and landscape industry at any level. All stones will be unturned as Andy digs into the nerdy details of business, technology, and personal growth here on the Sprinkler Nerd show. To join the community of Sprinkler Nerds transforming the Green Industry visit www.SprinklerNerd.com.

  1. 1h ago

    #210 - Golf Course Data Layer

    This week, I'm in Palm Springs, California, helping build a LoRaWAN data layer across a private golf course. The first use case is simple: BLADE soil moisture sensors in the greens, giving the superintendent real-time insight without relying entirely on manual field scouting. But the bigger opportunity is the network itself. This isn't command and control. The irrigation controller already owns that job. This is a separate, open data layer — one that can support soil moisture, pressure, rainfall, water level, weather, flow, and whatever else we become curious enough to measure. Every golf course needs a data layer. And maybe every large landscape does too. Follow your curiosity. Try something. See what happens. Stay curious, my friends.

    #210 - Golf Course Data Layer

  2. 6d ago

    #209 - Technology Is Not The Answer

    Try MODURA for FREE: monitor.modura.app In this episode of the Sprinkler Nerd Show, Andy reflects on a lesson that has taken decades—and a whole lot of technology—to understand: technology is not the answer. Inspired by Jimmy Buffett's Life Is Just a Tire Swing, Andy goes back to where much of his curiosity began: riding in a truck with Paul Bassett, asking questions and getting honest answers about how irrigation really worked—and how it could work differently. After a career surrounded by controllers, sensors, flow meters, soil moisture, LoRaWAN, analytics, and AI, Andy is more convinced than ever that the future of irrigation starts with people first, simple mechanical solutions second, and digital technology third. Because information alone doesn't change anything. People do.

    #209 - Technology Is Not The Answer

  3. Aug 7

    #208 - IrriVoyeurism

    What if you could spy on an irrigation system without ever touching the controller? Welcome to Irrivoyeurism. In this quickie episode, Andy explores how a simple soil moisture sensor can reveal the hidden behavior of an irrigation system—from how often it waters and how long it runs to how quickly the soil dries down between irrigation events. For decades, if you wanted to understand an irrigation schedule, you went to the controller. Now you can go straight to the soil. Because every irrigation event leaves a signature. The soil becomes the diary of the irrigation system, recording what actually happened instead of what the controller says was supposed to happen. Drop in a sensor. Watch the data. Follow the evidence. The soil tells the story.

    #208 - IrriVoyeurism

  4. Jul 31

    #207 - Are You One Of Them?

    Every episode, Andy ends with the same invitation: "Reach out anytime." Thousands of people have heard those words. Only a handful have ever acted on them. What separates the people who send the email, make the phone call, introduce themselves, or ask the question? In this five-minute Quickie, Andy reflects on a story from Steve Jobs about calling Bill Hewlett at just 12 years old and how one simple question changed the course of his life. The biggest opportunities often begin with a single act of curiosity. Sometimes all it takes is the courage to ask. So... are you one of them?

    #207 - Are You One Of Them?

  5. Jul 24

    #206 - Be Real

    What does it really mean to be real? In this short solo episode, Andy shares why authenticity has become one of the most important ideas shaping his life, business, and leadership. From admitting you don't have all the answers to trusting data over assumptions, this episode is a reminder that curiosity and honesty often build more trust than certainty. Andy also reads a heartfelt message from a young irrigation professional whose journey perfectly captures the spirit of the Sprinkler Nerd community—a group of people committed to learning, improving, and raising the standard together. Whether you're leading a team, serving customers, or simply trying to become a little better every day, this episode is an invitation to show up as yourself. Sometimes the most powerful words we can say are: "I don't know... but I'll find out."

    #206 - Be Real

  6. Jul 17

    #205 - The Best Navigators

    What if the goal isn't to have your life perfectly mapped out? While listening to Jimmy Buffett's Don't Chu-Know, one lyric stopped me in my tracks: "The best navigators are not quite sure where they're going until they get there." Whether it's an old sailing saying or simply a brilliant lyric, the idea has stayed with me for years. In this short solo episode, I share why I believe the best leaders, entrepreneurs, and even the best versions of ourselves aren't defined by having the perfect plan. They're defined by their ability to pay attention. Life gives us new information every single day. Businesses evolve. Relationships change. Opportunities appear where we least expect them. The question is whether we're willing to adjust our course or stay committed to a destination that no longer makes sense. As someone who's built businesses, started this podcast, and experienced more than a few unexpected turns, I've learned that you rarely see the whole path ahead. You simply take the next step, learn something new, and keep navigating. If you've ever felt pressure to have everything figured out, I hope this episode reminds you that curiosity, awareness, and the willingness to change course may be the greatest navigation tools we have. Thanks for listening, and as always, keep learning, keep growing, and keep navigating.

    #205 - The Best Navigators

  7. Jul 10

    #204 - Professionalism Is the Smartest Irrigation Tool

    It's easy to focus on technology. Smart controllers. Sensors. Weather data. Flow meters. Soil moisture. Automation. All of that matters. But in this episode of The Sprinkler Nerd Show, Andy Humphrey and Dustin Nihsen bring the conversation back to the person behind the system. Because even the best irrigation technology in the world is only as good as the operator. Dustin Nihsen, owner of Sprinkler and Irrigation Services in Gretna, Nebraska, has spent more than 30 years in the irrigation industry. He started in the dirt, digging holes and learning the trade the hard way. Since then, he has designed thousands of sprinkler systems, earned multiple Irrigation Association certifications, helped lead one of the Midwest's largest sprinkler companies, and built a business focused on raising the standard of the profession. This conversation is about what it really means to put professionalism back into the irrigation profession. Dustin shares how irrigation contractors can stop competing as "just another sprinkler company" and start becoming the Purple Cow: the company that stands out, communicates better, trains harder, inspects deeper, and delivers a higher-value experience. He explains why professionalism shows up in the small details: how the truck is parked, what the technician wears, how the customer is greeted, how systems are tested, and how confidently a company communicates its value. Andy and Dustin also talk about smart irrigation from a field-level perspective. Sometimes the smartest thing a contractor can do is not install a new device. Sometimes it is reducing runtimes, fixing broken nozzles, understanding precipitation rates, checking pressure, using cycle-and-soak, and training technicians to ask better questions. The episode lands on a powerful challenge for every contractor, owner, technician, and irrigation professional: If you manage 100 clients with 10 zones each, that is 1,000 zones of irrigation under management. Reducing each zone by just one minute could potentially save over 1 million gallons of water per year. That is the power of a smart operator. And Dustin's advice says it all: "In order to make our industry more professional, it has to start with you." This episode is a reminder that Smart Irrigation Month is not only about smarter products. It is about smarter people, smarter standards, smarter service, and smarter leadership.

    #204 - Professionalism Is the Smartest Irrigation Tool

  8. Jul 3

    #203 - Beyond Sprinkler Repair, Conserva Irrigation: Scott Bowen

    In this episode of The Sprinkler Nerd Show, Andy talks with Scott Bowen, Commercial Irrigation Manager for Conserva Irrigation, about what happens when irrigation becomes more than service calls and sprinkler repair. Scott shares his 30-year journey through golf irrigation, sports turf, distribution, manufacturing, consulting, design, and commercial water management — and explains how that background shapes the way he sees irrigation today. The conversation explores Conserva's move into commercial irrigation, water management, training, site assessments, flow sensing, smart controllers, high-efficiency components, and the growing need for irrigation professionals to think beyond repairs and toward long-term system performance. Andy and Scott also dig into the future of the irrigation technician, the difference between fixing sprinklers and managing water, why soil health matters, how commercial clients think about water use, and why training, certifications, and networking are essential for contractors who want to become more professional and more valuable. This episode is a great reminder that the future of irrigation is not just about putting water on the ground. It is about understanding the system, the soil, the technology, the client, and the bigger responsibility of managing water well.

    #203 - Beyond Sprinkler Repair, Conserva Irrigation: Scott Bowen
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About

If you are a Landscape Entrepreneur this show is for you. Andy, a former contestant on the ABC hit television series Shark Tank, irrigation technology expert, and multimillion-dollar eCommerce entrepreneur brings his curiosity & creativity to tease out the secrets of successful landscape influencers and business owners. Discover how to get a leg up on the competition, be the smartest person at the design table, and advance your career in the irrigation and landscape industry at any level. All stones will be unturned as Andy digs into the nerdy details of business, technology, and personal growth here on the Sprinkler Nerd show. To join the community of Sprinkler Nerds transforming the Green Industry visit www.SprinklerNerd.com.

Information

  • Creator
    Andy Humphrey
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2026
  • Episodes
    211
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    Copyright © 2022, Sprinkler Nerd
  • Show Website
    The Sprinkler Nerd Show