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Iowa Farmer Campaigns For Ag Lemon Law
"After your report in FARM SHOW, I found myself in a unique position to make a change for the better," says Iowa farmer Melroy Buhr, who has become a "lightning rod" for farmers and farm groups interested in campaigning for a so-called "lemon law" for farm equipment.
Buhr is the farmer featured in a recent issue
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Iowa Farmer Campaigns For Ag Lemon Law HAY & FORAGE HARVESTING Balers (6) 21-3-5 "After your report in FARM SHOW, I found myself in a unique position to make a change for the better," says Iowa farmer Melroy Buhr, who has become a "lightning rod" for farmers and farm groups interested in campaigning for a so-called "lemon law" for farm equipment.
Buhr is the farmer featured in a recent issue (Vol. 21, No. 1) who won a lawsuit against Deere & Company over a defective 535 baler. He and his lawyer convinced a jury to reimburse him for the cost of the baler, which he was never able to get to work satisfactorily, even though he had previously owned a 535 baler that worked fine.
Buhr still has possession of the baler and has painted a yellow lemon on the side of the baler along with the words "Lemon Baler - Court Documented". It naturally draws a crowd wherever he goes.
"Since your report, I've heard from many farmers all over North America who have had experiences similar to mine. They have equipment that will not work and their dealers or manufacturers will not take care of the problems. I truly believe that most dealers do take care of problem equipment but I've discovered that there are cases where nothing is done. In those cases, I think we need a lemon law so manufacturers will be forced to take back expensive pieces of equipment that just cannot be fixed," says Buhr.
Since he is one of the few farmers who has ever been able to win a defective equipment lawsuit against a major farm equipment manufacturer, Buhr feels he's got a moral obligation to make lawmakers aware of the need for an ag lemon law.
Buhr has been working with state legislators in Iowa, and in March he towed his "lemon baler" to the Minnesota State Capitol in St. Paul and met with legislators there. Wherever he goes the baler draws a crowd and he ends up on the TV news and in the local newspapers.
"I'm not a rabble rouser and I'm not trying to make trouble. I just want to make people aware of the problem. Most lawmakers I've talked to are surprised there's no lemon law for farm equipment," says Buhr. "I just want to get the ball rolling and then I'll stay home on the farm."
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Melroy Buhr, 13727 Howard Ave., Elma, Iowa 50628 (ph 515 393-2675).
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