AG CONNECT Expo & Summit and the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE) announce that a distinguished panel of judges has been selected for the new Gold and Silver innovation awards to be presented at the opening ceremonies of AG CONNECT on January 29, 2013, in Kansas City, Missouri.

The Gold and Silver innovation awards are a new level of recognition for ASABE’s AE50 awards, which recognize vital contributions to the industry. Beginning in 2013, ASABE is partnering with AG CONNECT and its owner, the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM), to honor the “best of the best” from among the products selected for the annual AE50 awards.

Judges for the Gold and Silver awards include seven agricultural equipment editors from leading farm publications. They are:

• Ken Anderson, Nebraska farm director, Brownfield
• Margy Fischer, machinery editor, Farm Journal Media
• Lynn Henderson, publisher/editorial director, Agri Marketing
• Frank Lessiter, chairman, Lessiter Publications
• Dave Mowitz, machinery director, Successful Farming
• Manfred Neunaber, editorial director, Profi (a leading German agricultural machinery journal)
• Jim Patrico, senior editor, DTN/Progressive Farmer

In addition, the panel includes two ASABE member engineers. They are:

• Roger Hoy, professor of biological systems engineering at the University of Nebraska and director of the Nebraska Tractor Test Laboratory (NTTL) in Lincoln, Nebraska.
• Reed Turner, senior engineer at Turner Consulting. Turner spent 14 years in agricultural machinery design and testing and 18 years at the Alberta Farm Machinery Research Centre (now the Agricultural Technology Centre).

Judges will select winners of the Gold and Silver awards from the previous two years of AE50 award winners. To qualify for a Gold or Silver award, entrants must be AG CONNECT Expo & Summit 2013 exhibitors. The special awards will be presented every two years in conjunction with AG CONNECT and will be highlighted in a special display at the event.

Registration is now open for AG CONNECT Expo & Summit, scheduled for January 29-31, 2013, at the Kansas City Convention Center in Kansas City, Missouri. Preview Day is January 29 by special admission.

AG CONNECT Expo & Summit offers a preview of coming developments in agriculture through new technologies, advanced practices and operating efficiencies to make farm operations stronger, faster and more profitable. For more information, visit the show website: www.agconnect.com.

The AE50 awards are officially part of the Agricultural Equipment Technology Conference (AETC), ASABE’s annual conference, which is co-located with AG CONNECT and will be held January 28, 2013.