Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/1546085
Here is the fascinating part. Both proposed settlements sit before the same judge, Judge Johnston, and he has asked all the parties to compare and contrast the two agreements. Picture two term papers on the same subject, graded against each other. One settlement offers some money for past harm and is less clear about the tools required. The other offers structural change with regula- tors watching for a decade. Do they fit together? Where does one fall short? The parties must now answer, on the record. The comparison is no longer academic. Wilson Farms, one of the named plaintiffs, has filed a detailed 53 page objection in the MDL case, arguing that many harms remain "unlitigated and uncompensated" and that "fair and reasonable" pricing may give farmers little practical power to challenge Deere's pric- ing. It deserves a careful read. Farmers in the class have a decision to make. You can accept the terms and file a claim for your share of the fund, stay in and object by September 14, 2026, or opt out and preserve your own claims. The fairness hearing is October 29, 2026 in Rockford. I am not a lawyer, so those affected should talk with their own counsel. Step back and this is about something bigger: Ownership, with a capital O. When you buy a machine, you should own all of it, including the freedom to choose who repairs it. You, your neighbor, an independent shop, or yes, the dealer. Your choice. This is everyone's opportunity to take that Ownership back. And the story keeps growing! A third lawsuit is now in the courts. In May, Christy Webber filed a class action over Deere's repair restrictions on construction and forestry equip- ment. Agriculture was only the beginning. We fight on, because the law is the law, and we need a genu- ine Right to Repair! Thoughts or experiences worth sharing? Write me at willie@graceful.solutions. Comparing the Two Agreements Objections and What Farmers Should Know Ownership Is the Bigger Issue pic 14 IDA Universal Q3 2026 Source: Alfo Medeiros @www.pexels.com Source: Andres Alaniz @www.pexels.com