In my June 24 blog on the Right to Repair class action lawsuit, “Where’s the Class in Class-Action?,” there was “another blog topic for another day …”

A recent phone call with an executive from a multi-store John Deere dealer group confirmed the chatter. That is, that John Deere called mandatory regional leadership meetings the same week as Farm Equipment’s 12th Annual Dealership Minds Summit (DMS) in Springfield, Ill., on August 4-5, 2026.

For the record, we announced the DMS date and location on July 30 – of 2025. We do so at dealers’ own requests, so they can protect the dates on their calendars a full year in advance. 

I’m reminded that I should know better by now – disappointed but not surprised. 

This isn’t the first time John Deere has interfered with gatherings like ours or that of others, including the dealer trade associations. Several say the recent development looks deliberate. Another exec said not to take it personally; that they “just don’t give a damn.” Another summed it up as “Classic Deere.” 

John Deere called mandatory regional leadership meetings the same week as Farm Equipment’s 12th Annual Dealership Minds Summit (DMS) in Springfield, Ill., on August 4-5, 2026.

Running three mandatory meetings in cities far from Springfield, Ill., where the DMS will be held, makes it nearly impossible for the execs to be in two places at once. Leadership among green dealers will instead need to divide staff already skinny due to vacations and other matters. This news will prove more difficult for the smaller-sized dealers who can arguably benefit the most.

At a minimum, our experienced event staff might’ve been able to secure meeting space in Springfield that could've hosted the Midwestern regional meetings to make it easier for green dealers to attend both events on one trip. We’ve cooperated in similar ways with AGCO and Case IH at our dealer events, and as recently as this year. They’re in contact with us on these things because they care about their dealers’ needs, learning and travel synergies.

A History of Interference

In his new book that covers a variety of topics between OEMs, dealers and the associations, If Boardrooms Could Talk: The Pivotal Work No One Sees, John Schmeiser writes: "The message was clear: this manufacturer did not appreciate dealers meeting without them.”

One might ask why Deere would try to thwart the effectiveness of the one remaining dedicated trade magazine in the equipment sales and service business. Why would they NOT want their dealer leaders to learn best practices and pitfalls from other dealers, both inside and outside of the brand? Doesn’t a well-informed and experienced dealer industry solve more of its own problems, and with greater efficiency? Doesn’t better decision-making raise the tide for all?

Our Relationship with Deere Since 2004

Before my dad, Frank, and I acquired the shuddered Farm Equipment in 2004, we collected some pre-closing guidance amidst our research. It was clear that the magazine needed to serve the interests of the independent dealer – above all else. Thus, anything that affected dealers would be covered by our business journalists. 

That content model meant our team first had to understand the dealer’s perspective, and then “call it like we see it.” That approach was seen on paper mere months. The times called for it, especially with the rapid consolidation, location rationing and brand purity demands.

This isn’t the first time John Deere has interfered with gatherings like ours or that of others, including the dealer trade associations. Several say the recent development looks deliberate. Another executive said not to take it personally; that they “just don’t give a damn.” Another summed it up as “Classic Deere.”

By that time, few in the media were willing to report on the doings of Mother Deere. The other ag publishers, I’m guessing, saw the promise of big advertising budgets or custom-publishing projects and didn’t want to jeopardize a perceived meal ticket. 

There was little margin of error and no timetable made for getting the newly acquired magazine into the black. We were going to learn the business and do business journalism right (delivering what dealers said they needed) whether survival came or not.

That meant letting the chips fall where they may. And we’ve always been “equal-opportunity” in that regard, having angered each of the major-lines for things they wished hadn’t been shared with us nor reported upon. 

But Deere apparently wasn’t used to being told no or longer felt it had to tolerate anything other than rosy press. Sometimes they were direct and sometimes it was a Cold War silence. 

One can imagine internal communications calling out our personnel, saying that maybe they should “stick to their knitting” in reporting on how farmers are making the management transitions to conservation ag. Certainly, not boldly stepping out of that box, getting close with dealers and then “airing out” the news and actions affecting the machinery business from the dealer’s perspective – when the audience needed to know.

We’ve cooperated in similar ways with AGCO and Case IH at our dealer events, and as recently as this year. They’re in contact with us on these things because they care about their dealers’ needs, learning and travel synergies.

Deere didn’t like any of it. Once a PR official called on Deere’s behalf to say they’d consider advertising with us if we’d stop reporting on topics sensitive to Deere headquarters, especially in our Ag Equipment Intelligence (AEI) trends and data newsletter. 

Since advertising pages for periodicals are public record, you’d find less than 8 ad pages from John Deere in our 22 years of owning Farm Equipment. John Deere does invest in an annual AEI site license so it can monitor what is being reported without running afoul of copyright law. 

Cool Relations Continue 

We’ve long known Deere didn’t like the dealer-only conference model upon which the DMS was launched in 2013. There were specific reasons behind that model that dealers supported and cited as a differentiator from other association- or vendor-required events. It was our decision to ensure open discussion without worries about who was listening. We made that decision. 

Deere, as I understand it, has decided to remain miffed about it for 13 years.

Since its launch, the DMS drew 2,300 attendees and sells out in most years. One could say the dealers have voted with their own pocketbooks. 

Ag Equipment Intelligence Summit. Deere executives were expressly invited to participate in the first-ever AEI Summit held May 19-20 in Chicago. The meeting was intended for strategic-minded senior leadership and executives of all business types, including the major-line OEMs. Deere execs ignored every personally mailed and emailed invites – and personal calls – for months. The O’Hare DoubleTree venue meant hundreds of qualified attendees from Deere were within a half-day’s travel time. None showed and most invitations went un-replied at what was a highly successful event.

The AEI Summit was primarily an open discussion of thoughtful industry perspective and for about 22 hours, rolled up their sleeves and behaved like “one team.”

And many noted that Deere should’ve also been in the room if they cared to know what the real-world conditions were like for dealers, manufacturers and supplies, and what the best strategies were in response.

Why would they NOT want their dealer leaders to learn best practices and pitfalls from other dealers, both inside and outside of the brand? Doesn’t a well-informed and experienced dealer industry solve more of its own problems, and with greater efficiency? Doesn’t it raise the tide for all?

And last month, our editors and I reached out several times to Deere officials to collect perspective (and a modest level of support) for our annual Dealership of the Year program. After weeks of trying, a terse email directed us not to call any territory managers, even for context on what one of their own dealers was “doing right.”

Deere may not be excited about the company earning this recognition, but the rest of the industry is, including dealers of other brands. 

Best Practice Learning: Not a Zero-Sum Game

The dealer exec I spoke to on the phone praised our team for this year’s agenda. The theme of the conference (“Maximizing Operational ROI”) and the individual presentations, he says, are among the best he’s ever seen. And though others from his company will be present at DMS, he regretfully asked us to apply his registration to next year’s event as he had to attend the Deere meeting.

For those of you making the trip to Springfield, Ill., in early August, we’re doubling down. Not only are we guaranteeing your satisfaction (you have 6 months to decide if it ROIs for you) but we’ve also added more presentations and answer-getting time, including the just-added roundtable discussion. Click here to the see the newly updated agenda. 

DMS Program

I’ve been told to give up with regard to engaging Deere to support the industry via Farm Equipment and its events. We’re not ready to stop the attempts, because we know what and why we’re attempting to do all this. To raise the understanding, best acumen and best practices: it’s good, it’s right and it’s best for the broader industry, even if it includes ideas not invented in Chicago, Moline, Ill., or Olathe, Kan. 

Hope you’ll join us – we’re in this together. Click here to register today.

DMS

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