“AFBF is pleased to announce this agreement with John Deere,” said AFBF President Zippy Duvall. “It addresses a long-running issue for farmers and ranchers when it comes to accessing tools, information, and resources, while protecting John Deere’s intellectual property rights and ensuring equipment safety. A piece of equipment is a major investment. Farmers must have the freedom to choose where equipment is repaired, or to repair it themselves, to help control costs. The MOU commits John Deere to ensuring farmers and independent repair facilities have access to many of the tools and software needed to grow the food, fuel, and fiber America’s families rely on.”

“This agreement reaffirms the longstanding commitment Deere has made to ensure our customers have the diagnostic tools and information they need to make many repairs to their machines. We look forward to working alongside the American Farm Bureau and our customers in the months and years ahead to ensure farmers continue to have the tools and resources to diagnose, maintain, and repair their equipment,” said David Gilmore, SVP of ag and turf sales and marketing at John Deere.

Can we just stop for a minute and note that the President of the American Farm Bureau Federation’s first name is Zippy. Not his nickname or middle name, his first name. That’s awesome.