, Columnist
U.S. Farmers Are Being Bled by the Tractor Monopoly
Forcing them to use authorized repair centers hurts rural America.
Farm equipment isn’t what it used to be.
Photographer: Patrick T. Fallon/Bloomberg
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The unpredictable weather in southern Minnesota means that spring planting season is brief and often frantic, sometimes requiring 24-hour shifts if the weather requires it. Farmers who want to get their crops in the ground can’t afford to waste an hour.
So when John Nauerth III, a farmer in remote Jackson, had trouble with his tractor last spring, he was worried. In years past, he told me over the phone, he might’ve diagnosed and fixed the problem with a screwdriver, or called a local mechanic.