Jake Lieb News Today : Breaking News, Live Updates & Top Stories | Vimarsana

By Jennifer Bamberg for Investigate Midwest.Broadcast version by Terri Dee for Illinois News Connection reporting for the Investigate Midwest-Public News Service Collaboration During the 2023 harvest season, one of Jake Lieb’s tractors quit working. A week later, his combine stopped working, too. Both were new — and he was locked out from making any repairs himself because of software restrictions embedded in the machines.  Instead, a technician from John Deere was dispatched to diagnose and repair the problems. ...

During the 2023 harvest season, one of Jake Lieb’s tractors quit working. A week later, his combine stopped working, too. Both were new — and he was locked out from

Farmers have clamored for the Right to Repair for years. It's getting little traction in John Deere's home state.

“It’s about leaving something for tomorrow,” says Jake Lieb, 41, who is among a small but growing percentage of central Illinois farmers experimenting with soil conservation.

Drought, dust storms and sediment piles the size of skyscrapers are wreaking havoc on central Illinois farms. Can the next generation innovate fast enough?