By: Michael Booth | The Colorado Sun
The agreement with the federal government and five states to allow more access to fix agricultural equipment is a win for farmers and consumer advocates.
Major farm equipment dealer John Deere has agreed to a “right to repair” that Colorado farm and consumer advocates were key in launching, settling with the federal government and five states to give access to diagnostics and fixes for crucial agricultural equipment.
Colorado in 2023 became the first state to pass a law guaranteeing right to repair, and now industry leader John Deere has acknowledged that right should exist across the country, said Tyler Garrett, chief executive of the trade group Rocky Mountain Farmers Union.
The farmers union and CoPIRG, consumer advocacy nonprofit Colorado Public Interest Research Group, helped lead the fight in the legislature.
“We should be able to fix our own stuff,” said U.S. PIRG Right to Repair Campaign senior director Nathan Proctor. “This settlement from the Federal Trade Commission gives farmers more and better options to repair their equipment. It is a win for farmers and all of us who want a more fixable world.”
READ THE FULL ARTICLE AT THE COLORADO SUN