SQUARING OFF ON RIGHT 2 REPAIR. Farm Equipment Executive Editor Kim Schmidt (representing the farm equipment dealer and manufacturing perspective) “steals the wrench” from Lessiter Media Founder and Grower Division Editorial Director (representing the company’s grower audiences). Lessiter Media is the only ag trade publisher in North America with distinct content properties for dealers/manufacturers (Farm Equipment, Ag Equipment Intelligence, Precision Farming Dealer and Rural Lifestyle Dealer) AND growers (No-Till Farmer, Strip-Till Farmer, Cover Crop Strategies and Farm Innovations).
Photo: Jeff Lazewski
Farm Equipment's Editors Debate Right to Repair
Editor’s Note: Lessiter Media Inc., now in its 42nd year of independent and family ownership, is uniquely positioned in the Right to Repair (R2R) debate. Company Founder and Editorial Chairman Frank Lessiter has a 62-year career as an ag journalist.
The company’s farmer-facing properties include the flagship No-Till Farmer (Lessiter has served as editor in chief on each monthly edition in the title’s 51-year history), Strip-Till Farmer, Cover Crop Strategies and Farm Innovations for Today’s Top Farm Operator (a pictorial guide to the newest independent, or shortline, product innovations each year).
Also, since 2004, Lessiter Media has owned and operated a separate business-to-business Farm Equipment Division, consisting today of Farm Equipment, Rural Lifestyle Dealer, Precision Farming Dealer and Ag Equipment Intelligence.
The content that follows presents a unique vantage point in all of agricultural media. Here, the content leaders of the two divisions – and on each side of the chasm – express their respective audience’s arguments on this R2R debate.
NOTE: The argument was civil. No punches thrown. And the H.R. director only called into the room 3 times.
– Mike Lessiter, President, Lessiter Media Inc., March 2023
Related Content:
- Right-to-Repair Battle Heats Up: R2R is a controversial topic we felt needed extensive coverage and a subject that the general ag media doesn’t appear to have the courage to report on due to worries about picking sides with the big equipment makers and their advertising budgets. Frank Lessiter breaks down the controversy in this staff column. Read more...
- Growers Speak Up on Right-to-Repair Concerns: The content that follows presents a unique vantage point in all of agricultural media. Here, the content leaders of the two divisions – and on each side of the chasm – express their respective audience’s arguments on this R2R debate. Read more...
