Chris Biddle, the founder of TurfPro and its sister title, Service Dealer, has been announced as the recipient of the 2020 IAgrE (Institution of Agricultural Engineers) Award for Contribution to the Landbased Sector.

The Award was due to have been presented at the IAgrE AGM and Awards to be held at the headquarters of Amazone UK on 30 April. The event has been provisionally rescheduled for October, but may now be included with 2021 Awards next April.

Chris, a Fellow of the Institution of Agricultural Engineers, had edited Landwards, IAgrE’s professional journal for 12 years before stepping down from the role last December.

He was proposed for the Award by Alastair Taylor, former Chief Executive of IAgrE who retired last summer who said “This Award is made to those who have made a sustained contribution to the Landbased industry throughout their career”

“Editing Landwards is a challenging role. It demands a keen eye on the shifting sands of the Agricultural Engineering and allied industries. Chris was always keen to keep the journal ahead of the curve in terms of content and editorial and as such, it pushed at the boundaries and viewed by members as a useful account of the developments of the IAgrE community.”

He added, “IAgrE's association with Chris has been highly beneficial and opened doors to new people and new themes. His work has enhanced the reputation of the institution and introduced us to new audiences.

“Chris has spent his career within Landbased industries, and was able to draw on his wide experience and contacts across Agricultural Engineering, which allowed for an interesting range of article and editorial, linking his experience with modern day and innovative thinking.”

The Institution of Agricultural Engineers, based on the campus of Cranfield University, was founded in 1938. It is a registered charity, working to promote professionalism amongst academic, practitioner and industry members from across the landbased sector. It also provides professional qualifications through the Engineering Council and the Society for the Environment.

Chris Biddle was succeeded as Editor of Landwards by Andy Newbold, of Cumbria-based FarmSmart Events, a former President of IAgrE.