Drainage was achieved by hand digging ditches and canals allowing surface moisture to escape. This brought many idle acres into production that were too wet to produce in the past, prior to having drained soils. This led to the discovery that if the subsoil could be drained, those acres were even more productive.

Three discoveries were made that would change the drainage water industry forever. The first was the advent of plastic corrugated tile; making tile more cost effective, easier to transport, and to install. The next was the use of lasers and automatic controls on ditching machines to maintain the proper grade; making tile drains much easier to install. The last was the development of the Tile Plow; which could be pulled into the ground and at the correct grade, with the poly tile being strung through a boot to the bottom of that trench to install the tile drains.​

The Micro-Drainage Concept

Mark Martin, a farmer in North Central Ohio had utilized subsurface drainage for many years on his farm. He knew the benefits of proper drainage and the effects of poorly drained fields, but the cost of buying and installing 4" tile on 40' to 100' laterals was becoming very costly.

Then he heard something that made sense; in Europe, the farmers were using 2" tile installed on 20' laterals. The cost of the tile was less, the installation was easier. The result? More responsive water drainage at cheaper price.

Mark Martin needed a plow engineered specifically to install the 2" tile, so he reached out Elton Zimmerman, and the Micro-Plow and Richland Micro-Drainage was born!

Richland Micro-Drainage has since partnered with Advanced Geo Positioning Solutions for Grade Control, and are now providing everything you need to purchase and install your micro-drainage system!