Ag consolidation and 'Right To Repair' Town Hall coming to Donnelly on March 4

Consolidation in agriculture and restrictions on farmers’ rights when it comes to repairing their own equipment will be the focus of a Land Stewardship Project (LSP) town hall meeting featuring Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison on Tuesday, March 4, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., at 57002 180th Street in rural Donnelly. Farmers and other rural residents are invited to take part in this discussion, but space is limited. To reserve a spot, see https://bit.ly/Ellisontownhall or contact LSP western Minnesota organizer Matthew Sheets at msheets@landstewardshipproject.org.

Note: this location is directly in the geographic center between the towns of Chokio and Donnelly "as the crow flies" southwest of Donnelly. The location is adjacent to the Sprouls Waterfowl Production Area.

About the meeting:

The Attorney General wants to use this meeting as an opportunity to hear directly from farmers affected by unfair practices and to learn firsthand about the negative impacts that have resulted in rural communities, said Sheets. For the past few years, LSP members have been in discussions with the Minnesota Attorney General’s office about the negative impacts unprecedented consolidation is having on the ability of farmers to get a fair price for their production and compete on a level playing field. Ellison’s office has made it clear that to take legal action related to unfair practices in agriculture, its attorneys require firsthand evidence that can be documented.

“This is your opportunity to talk about issues such as consolidation and to learn what the Attorney General’s office is doing in these areas and how people can help them pursue legal action,” said Sheets.

In addition, LSP and its allies have sounded the alarm over the so-called “right to repair” issue — implement manufacturers such as John Deere are restricting the ability of farmers to work on their own equipment. This often forces farmers to rely on Deere’s network of authorized dealers for necessary repairs, a situation that can be time-consuming and expensive. On January 15, Ellison, alongside Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul and the Federal Trade Commission, sued agricultural equipment manufacturer John Deere over its use of unfair practices when it comes to repairing of equipment.

“LSP’s members and allies believe our economy exists to support all of us, not just a few large corporations,” said Sheets. “It’s critical that we share with the Attorney General how these unfair practices are decimating our farms and preventing us from having vibrant, rural communities.”