Minnesota farmers who've long pushed for the right to independently repair their own agricultural equipment are celebrating a lawsuit filed against John Deere, in which the company is accused of instituting illegal repair policies that drive up costs for farmers. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) along with Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison and Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul have brought the lawsuit, alleging violations of federal antitrust laws. The lawsuit alleges John Deere's longstanding policies limiting the ability of farmers and independent technicians to repair Deere equipment unlawfully boosts the company's profits while raising repair costs for farmers. Farmers are also deprived of the ability to make timely repairs on critical equipment as Deere's policies force farmers to rely on the company's network of authorized dealers, the lawsuit alleges. Gary Wertish, president of the Minnesota Farmers Union (MFU) said the legal action represents a "critical step" in creating a more competitive market for farm equipment repair, which will in turn benefit both farmers and independent repair technicians. In a news release, MFU said members have advocated for the "Right to Repair" for years and have been working with lawmakers to remove a provision exempting farm equipment from the state's Digital Fair Repair Act passed in 2023.