The 2nd annual class of Shortline Legends Hall of Fame inductees has been announced by Farm Equipment. And is equally impressive as the 5 recipients inducted in the industry’s first class in September 2023.
The program was initiated by Farm Equipment editors to properly record — for posterity — the individuals whose innovations most impacted the ag machinery and dealer distribution industry in North America over the last 55 years. It honors the innovators and inventions of the independent ag equipment manufacturer.
This year’s Farm Equipment’s Shortline Legend Hall of Fame recipients are … In order of appearance:
Howard Martin
"Credited with inventing the first mechanical no-till row cleaner, Howard Martin left a wide swath of planter innovations throughout his career. Passing away in February 2024 at the age of 79. I’m confident Howard knew the lasting impact he’d made on no-till planting technology for generations to come." —Frank Lessiter
Richard Unverferth
Richard Unverferth’s entry into the ag equipment manufacturing space started like many of his contemporaries — finding a solution to a problem on the family farm. A deep thinker, you can rest assured that all the decisions Unverferth made were well thought out and analyzed.
Al Myers
The 1992 release of Yield Monitor 2000 — the first commercially successful on-the-go yield monitor — was a historic moment in the emerging world of precision agriculture. It was the brainchild of Al Myers, Ag Leader founder and president, who never imagined the company would become what it is today when he spent years tinkering with the prototype in his basement.
Cyril & Louis Keller
According to David Meyer, co-founder and chairman of the Titan Machinery equipment dealership group based in Fargo, N.D., the most important innovations originating from the Red River Valley region include 4WD equipment, the air seeder, tracks on tractors, combines and the skid steer.
Wilf Degelman
Despite having little formal education in design and drafting, Wilf Degelman was a confident implement innovator. To hear from his sons, contemporaries and distributors, there was one way. And it was “Wilf’s Way.” Like most of the other Shortline Legend Hall of Famers to date, Wilf was not an engineer. And like many others, he was a rare breed of designer and inventor.
This program, along with other Farm Equipment award programs (Dealership of the Year, Most Valuable Precision Dealer, etc.), accomplishes three important goals. First is to point out the benchmark-worthy operations from which the entire industry can learn. Second is to remind all, and especially the newcomers, of what is possible in a mature industry, despite the often daunting challenges. And third, to remember the shoulders on whom we all stand today.
This class will be recognized during the 2024 Farm Equipment Manufacturers Assn. (F EMA) and Equipment Marketing Distribution Assn. (EMDA) Joint Convention Oct. 22-24, in Dallas, Texas.
If you would like to nominate a deserving shortline equipment pioneer that made a lasting and game-changing impact on the North American ag equipment industry, visit FarmEquiment.com/HOFNominate.
