From the Executive Director
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As the year comes to a close, it’s only natural to look back on past accomplishments and milestone events. Well, I’m not going to do that. . . at least not yet. You may recall this past summer I announced my plans to retire, and I’m told the process is going well, with a number of highly qualified candidates currently being vetted by the selection committee. It looks like my replacement will come onboard in the next several months. So, I’ve been asked to write the “Last Word” for the March/April issue of Resource magazine, and it’s there that I’ll share my reflections on being with ASABE the past 14+ years.
While on the subject of retirement. . . just before Christmas we had an outstanding staff holiday luncheon and tribute to Mark Zielke, who is retiring at the end of 2024. A big thanks to President Doug Otto for making a special trip to St. Joe and giving heartfelt remarks recognizing Mark, whose 38 ½ years of service to both ASABE and the Foundation have been tremendous. He is our longest-tenured employee, and his negotiating prowess, especially when it came to negotiating major hotel contracts, saved us hundreds of thousands of dollars. All the best to Mark and his wife, Janet, as they plan to spend the cold months enjoying retirement in Florida.
Looking ahead to the New Year, I encourage you to start perusing the candidates on the leadership ballot, which will open January 9. What an excellent and diverse collection of individuals looking to serve ASABE. I’m especially proud of President-Elect Designee Travis Tsunemori, who, prior to joining Kubota, worked as an ASABE staff member for 15 years. Travis will do an outstanding job.
In closing, I wish everyone a relaxing and wonderful holiday season, and all the very best in the New Year!
Darrin J. Drollinger
Executive Director
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Society Leadership Candidates Announced
 Travis Tsunemori, nominated for president, leads the list of candidates on the ballot for the 2025 election of Society officers. Review the full slate and get acquainted with the candidates.
Members with a valid email address will be sent balloting instructions on January 7 from Intelliscan. Voting will open electronically beginning January 9 with a personalized secure link sent to your email, again from Intelliscan.
If you need special accommodations, please contact Joann McQuone email or by phone (269/932-7022). Balloting will close March 1, 2025.
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Celebrating Innovation: 2025 AE50 Award Winners
 ASABE and Resource magazine are pleased to announce the winners of the 2025 AE50 Awards, celebrating companies and their technological innovations in agricultural, food, and biological systems.
The wide scope of the profession is represented by this year’s awards, from the laboratory to livestock facilities, and from seed technology to crop-water management. Innovations in off-road equipment, including vehicles, components, and towed equipment are also recognized among this year’s class of winners.
With six AE50 Awards apiece, Case IH and Deere & Company top the list of companies with multiple honors. Others with more than one award include Agco, Claas, MacDon, and the Salford Group.
“This year’s batch of AE50 winners is another excellent mix of full machines, major systems, software and never-seen-before technological solutions, all significantly advancing agriculture into the future,” says ASABE Executive Director Darrin Drollinger. “Great examples of the breadth of AE50 products include the all new Case IH AF series of combines with innovation from ‘header to spreader’ to Indigo Ag’s biotrinsic CLIPS device, which provides an eloquent hands-free method for uniform coating of seeds with biologicals.”
The complete list of winners, along with video introductions for each, is available at asabe.org/AE50awardwinners. The awards will be presented at ASABE's 2025 Agricultural Equipment Technology Conference, being held February 9–12 in Louisville. Winners will be featured in the January/February issue of Resource, available later this month.
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Donate Now!
Just a few days remain to double your gift
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Giving Back Fund Proposals Due December 31
ASABE members have servants' hearts and can often be found sharing their engineering expertise with vulnerable communities. The University of Minnesota's Engineers Without Borders team, shown above, is just one example: The team established a community-building urban garden in St. Paul. And they earned valuable support for their project from ASABE's Giving Back Fund. Established in 2013, the Giving Back Fund supports and showcases the expertise and impact of agricultural and biological engineers.
If you're engaged in or considering a humanitarian engineering project that could use a financial boost, the Giving Back Fund can help. Submissions are due to ASABE headquarters by December 31 of each year.
Learn more, and contact Dolores Landeck for additional information.
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ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL MEETING
July 13 –16, 2025
Toronto, Ontario
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The call for abstracts is open for the 2025 AIM! The decennial joint CSBE/ASABE Annual International Meeting is in Toronto July 13–16.
Submit your abstract now through January 18 to one of over 100 oral and poster sessions. A complete list of all of the technical sessions is available on the AIM website. |
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Links to submit your CPD, social, or networking event are also available now. If you are interested in hosting a breakfast or evening social, perhaps a business meeting for your community, now is the time to submit your request! Go to the agenda page for details. Prepare now!
Do you need a visa? Is your passport up to date? Find out what traveling to Canada will require.
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February 9–12, 2025
Louisville, Kentucky
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Celebrate 30 years of the Agricultural Equipment Technology Conference!
Registration for AETC is open now through January 5 at the early bird rates. Watch asabe.org/AETC2025 for details on sessions and courses that will be offered.
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There is one month left to submit your poster! Students have the unique position of being able to compete for 1st thru 3rd place to win visa gift cards on Monday during the Student Poster Session and Competition, but you must submit your poster by the deadline of January 31. Find the submission form and requirements online.
Interested in becoming a sponsor or exhibitor? There are many options to get involved. As always, feel free to let us know if you have something in mind that you don't see on the form. Contact Liz Metts with questions.
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January 11-17, 2026
Aguadilla, Puerto Rico
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The Global Symposium on Sustainable Microirrigation Advances: Drop to Boom abstract portal is still open. The weeks are counting down to get your abstract submitted—February 15 is the deadline! This will be held January 11-17, 2026, at the Punta Borinquen Resort in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico. |
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Share your expertise at this specialty conference by submitting an abstract before the deadline of February 15, 2025. The submission portal is now open. The symposium invites research on five main themes:
- Challenges to Sustaining Microirrigation into the Future
- Technological Advancements in Microirrigation Systems
- Role of Microirrigation Systems in Land, Water, Energy, & Food Security
- Stakeholder & Community Engagement & Education Microirrigation Design, Innovations
- New Techniques for Increased Crop Productivity
The expanded list of themes is available in the symposium brochure. Bookmark the symposium website, where updates will be posted for full schedule details, registration, sponsorship options, and more.
This symposium is supported by ASABE Initiative Funds.
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RESOURCE MAGAZINE
Leaning on Young Professionals to Transform African Agrifood Systems
 The agricultural landscape in Africa is undergoing a significant transformation, shaped by technological advances, entrepreneurial initiatives, and the growing involvement of young professionals. And there is no one-size-fits-all approach to success: The evolving nature of the sector demands flexibility, adaptability, and creativity, all of which were central themes in the discussion.
In the current issue of Resource, ASABE members Taisha Venort, Roselle Baretto, Jaden Tatum, and Senorpe Hiablie summarize an important panel discussion they organized for ASABE's Alliance for Modernizing African Agrifood Systems Conference and Technology Showcase,
The session focused on gathering perspectives of the professional landscape in African agrifood systems and current challenges in career development for young professionals. It brought together a panel of experts with diverse backgrounds, including academia, industry, and international development.
Read the full story and learn how you can get involved.
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ASABE JOURNALS
Call for Papers: Constructed Wetlands, Climate Change Impacts, and Regenerative Agriculture
We invite you to contribute to our scholarly community by submitting manuscripts to our new all-open-access Journal of Natural Resources and Agricultural Ecosystems and our other hybrid journals. Just follow our step-by-step submission instructions.
Note the due dates for the following special collections:
12/30/2024 Climate Change Impacts on Natural Resource and Agricultural Systems
12/31/2024 Regenerative Agriculture
4/15/2025 Ecosystem Evapotranspiration: Advances, Challenges, and Future Needs in Measurement, Modeling, and Application
9/15/2025 Water Quality Monitoring: Technologies and Data Stewardship for Low Cost, High-Frequency, and In Situ Data Collection
11/1/2025 Sustainable Groundwater in Agriculture
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New from ASABE Publications
Open Access Articles, Special Collection Articles, New Journal Issues
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New Podcasts from The Lead with ASABE
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 Enjoy the latest from The Lead with ASABE. Recently dropped episodes include:
- "AETC Celebrates 30 Years of Innovation," with guests Mike Sama and Cale Boriack
- "Regeneration, Sustainability, and Syntropic Farming in South America," with guest Claudiane Ouellet-Plamondon
- "Benefits & Drawbacks of Agrivoltaics," with Scott Shearer
Plus! Episodes on a centennial and ag-tech education at North Dakota State, and the Rising Scholar program at Purdue University.
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MEMBER BENEFITS
Cutting-Edge Research, Delivered to Your Desktop
 Did you know that ASABE's Technical Library contains more than 35,000 documents, with more added every month? And that your ASABE membership grants you access to all of them? That includes in-press documents and our portfolio of 200-plus standards, as well as textbooks, proceedings, and more—all at your fingertips, 24/7.
And an additional tool, exclusively for ASABE members: We'll send an email alert when content of interest to you is added to the site. Just log in and select the key words of interest.
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Students! Help Us Serve You Better
 Are you a student member? We'd love to ensure we're meeting your needs.
Let us know how we're doing by filling out this quick student survey.
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Check out the ASABE Shop for Great Gift Ideas!
Looking for some a unique gift? Need recognition items for your section or university chapter? Check out the ASABE Shop for some great logo merchandise. |
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Looking for something special? If you don't see what you need, let us help.
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 Charles Thomas (Tom) Haan
ASABE Fellow Charles Thomas (Tom) Haan passed away November 29, 2024. at the age of 83.
Born in1941, in Randolph County, Indiana, Haan earned a BS and an MS in agricultural engineering from Purdue University and a PhD from Iowa State University, all in agricultural engineering. He moved to Lexington, Kentucky, where he was on the faculty at the University of Kentucky until relocating, in 1978, to Oklahoma State University. At OSU he served as head of the Department of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering through 1984. He was a Sarkeys Distinguished Professor, an ASABE Fellow, and member of the National Academy of Engineering. In 2001, he retired from Oklahoma State.
Haan was admired and respected by all who knew him. His counsel was sought by extended family, colleagues, and church members. A devout Catholic, he was ordained as a permanent deacon of the Catholic Church and served the parishes in Stillwater, and also in Bryan, Texas. He was an avid fisherman and natural athlete, hiking the Grand Canyon—and outpacing his companions—at age 70.
He is survived by his wife, Janice, and three children, including daughter Patricia Smith, head of the department of biological and agricultural engineering at Texas A&M University. A service will be held in early spring 2025.
Haan joined ASABE in 1964 and was elected a Fellow in 1986.
Full obituary
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