Daugherty Water for Food Podcast

DWFI executive director Peter McCornick co-hosts with Gus Hurwitz, the Menard director of the Nebraska governance and technology center at the University of Nebraska. Law is a key focus of the conversation. Water regulations, and the subsidies and penalties that follow them, are not easy to change when a major weather event impacts water storage and use. As more and more weather events occur due to climate change, some advocates are suggesting that laws need to be more flexible and adaptable to promote equity. Guests: Rob Cifelli Felicia Marcus Francisco Muñoz-Arriola Anthony Schutz

Meghan Sittler is Director of the Spring Creek Prairie Audubon Center, located about 15 minutes from downtown Lincoln, which focuses on conservation of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem and the birds that rely on it. Meghan joined the center two years ago with a background that included eight years as the Coordinator of the Lower Platte River Corridor Alliance, and most recently she served as the Domestic Water/Wastewater Management Educator with UNL Extension where she helped to facilitate and coordinate a statewide partnership focused on the protection of Nebraska's water resources. Meghan also has close family ties to Spring Creek Prairie as her parents Lyle and Alice farmed land nearby and her sister and brother-in-law currently farm there. Her father was a member of Spring Creek Prairie's stewardship advisory board and her parents received much recognition over the years for their conservation ethic they passed on to her.

Felicia Marcus has been making waves in California water management and regulation for more than three decades. She most recently served as Chair of the State Water Resources Control Board, with responsibility for drinking water, water quality, and water rights. Prior to that, as Regional Administrator of the U.S. EPA Region IX she was responsible for the range of environmental issues under EPA's jurisdiction. Earlier, Marcus headed the Los Angeles Department of Public Works dealing with wastewater, water and solid waste recycling, stormwater management, and other environmental issues. She is currently the Landreth Visiting Fellow at Stanford University's Water in the West Program. In addition, she is active on numerous volunteer boards, including the Daugherty Global Water for Food Institute and the Sustainable Conservation Advisory Board, and has received many awards for her work and approach. Learn more about Felicia Marcus and her work with farmers in California on water issues in this podcast in episode three.

Welcome to the second episode of the Daugherty Water for Food Podcast This episode spotlights another amazing woman making waves in the food and water space. Lizz Ellis, CEO of International Development Enterprises (iDE), recently participated in the recent Women Leaders in Water for Food webinar focused on empowering women in ag and water management. She is interviewed by Naisargi (Naisi) Dave, who is Program Coordinator at the Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute at the University of Nebraska.

Welcome to the Daugherty Water for Food Podcast! Since 2010, the Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute at the University of Nebraska has worked toward one goal: a food and water secure world — one in which global food security is ensured without compromising the use of water to meet other essential human and environmental needs. It's a daunting vision, but one that is vitally important. This podcast amplifies the voices of those making waves in this space. Our host, Cindy Zimmerman, will be bringing those voices to you. In this first episode, we are excited to hear from award-winning chef, entrepreneur, and agriculture advocate, Louise Mabulo, as she discusses youth and sustainable solutions to food security. Mabulo promotes sustainable agriculture and farm-to-table cuisine and was recently awarded as a Young Champion of the Earth by United Nations Environment Programme.