Monty Teeter named recipient of IA’s 2019 Innovator Award
FAIRFAX, VIRGINIA (July 9, 2019) — The Irrigation Association is excited to announce that Monty Teeter of Ulysses, Kansas, has been named the recipient of the 2019 Innovator Award. The IA’s Innovator Award honors individuals who have made significant, tangible contributions to the irrigation industry within the past five years.
Monty Teeter started Teeter Irrigation in 1977 and continues to innovate today, culminating in the development of Dragon-Line, a mobile drip irrigation system that combines the benefits of center pivot and drip irrigation into one system. This innovation primarily focused on overcoming hurdles that had slowed the adoption of mobile drip irrigation over the years. Teeter’s innovation and devotion to efficient irrigation created solutions to address these hurdles, including how to firmly attach the driplines on a center pivot or linear move system for different crop heights, the ability to reverse the center pivot without kinking the dripline, and designing/determining which system to adopt for different plant crops.
“Monty embodies the spirit of the Innovator Award in the way he approaches his business every day,” said IA CEO Deborah Hamlin, CAE, FASAE. “The development of Dragon-Line and its global adoption are changing the way farmers efficiently irrigate their crops. Monty’s leadership in this development and adoption are allowing farmers to grow more, while using less water.”
Even after the development of Dragon-Line, Teeter continues to innovate the technology through designing a dual application system, which maintained the sprinkler package while adding driplines for activities such as germination or herbicide application.
“I’d like to thank my family, friends, everyone at Teeter Irrigation and the Irrigation Association for this recognition,” Teeter said. “I could not be prouder of the work everyone has put into making Dragon-Line what it is today. I’m honored to accept this award on behalf of everyone involved in this innovation.”
The Innovator Award will be presented to Teeter during the general session of the Irrigation Show and Education Week in Las Vegas on Thursday, Dec. 5. More information about this and other IA awards and past recipients can be found at www.irrigation.org/awards.