AG Ellison talks to farmers about John Deere settlement

GILFILLAN ESTATE -- Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison talked to farmers at Farmfest Aug. 5 about how he helped Minnesota and several other states reach a settlement with John Deere to help farmers save on repair costs.

Ellison sued John Deere to end their unlawful repair monopoly that made it difficult for farmers and other small businesses repair their equipment, forcing them to rely on their network of authorized repair dealers.

The dealers were usually costly, slow, and based far from where farmers live and work.

The practice helped John Deere boost its multi-billion dollar profits on farm equipment, parts and repair, leaving farmers stuck with the bill.

Not only did John Deere's unfair practices drive up equipment repair costs, but they also deprive Minnesotans of the ability to make timely repairs on equipment that they rely on daily to operate their farms.

In July 2026, Ellison reached a settlement with John Deere requiring the company to make its current and future repair resources -- most of which it only provided to authorized Deer dealers -- available to farmers and independent repair providers for 10 years.

"What I try to do daily is help all Minnesotans afford their lives and live with dignity and respect, so for that reason, I sued John Deere on Jan. 15, 2025 for that exact reason," Ellison said. "Because they had a strong market position, John Deere was making it too difficult for Minnesota farmers to afford farming. For decades, John Deere refused to provide farmers and independent repair shops with the software needed to fully repair Deere equipment. As the equipment got more advanced, specific software was needed to diagnose what was wrong with it. The company only gave that software to dealerships and authorized repair shops that forced farmers to go to them. There's a name for that -- monopoly. In America, that's a problem."

Ellison said John Deere operated an illegal monopoly that hit farmers pocketbooks.

Ellison said John Deere authorized repair shops were usually far more costly than independent shops with more costly labor and parts.

"Here's the thing. If it's more expensive for farmers to produce food, it's probably more expensive to buy food. Keep that in mind," he said. "In Minnesota, we love and respect farmers that are the backbone of our state. They help feed the world. I seen enough of the world to hear people talk about that. Our farmers deserve better than to be pushed around by a giant monopoly."

A little less than a month ago, John Deere agreed to settle the lawsuit filed by Ellison. He said John Deere must now make its repair software available to all repairs shops.