Farm Equipment Magazine: History, Lessiter Media, Dealer Programs and Editors
Profile updated November 2026
Farm Equipment magazine is written for the people who sell and service tractors, combines and implements: farm equipment dealers. With more than five decades of history, it began at Johnson Hill Press in Wisconsin and has been owned by Lessiter Media of Brookfield, Wisconsin, since 2004.
| Origin | Spun off from Feed, Grain and Farm Equipment at Johnson Hill Press |
|---|---|
| Owner | Lessiter Media, since 2004 |
| Home | Brookfield, Wisconsin |
| Audience | Farm equipment dealerships |
| Programs | Dealership of the Year, FE Dealer 100, Dealer Hall of Fame, Dealership Minds Summit |
| Editor and publisher | Mike Lessiter; executive editor Kim Schmidt |
| Official website | Farm-Equipment.com |
History of Farm Equipment
Farm Equipment traces its roots to Johnson Hill Press, the trade publisher George Pellegrin started in Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin, in 1957, which grew to 30 publications. Johnson Hill split its Feed, Grain and Farm Equipment title into two magazines, Feed and Grain and Farm Equipment, giving machinery dealers a magazine of their own.
Lessiter Media, the Brookfield publisher founded in 1981 by Frank and Pam Lessiter, acquired Farm Equipment in 2004. Soon after, it established the Dealership of the Year program, and over the following years it added special Dealership Minds issues, the Farm Equipment Sourcebook and the Precision Farming Dealer brand. In 2015 Lessiter also bought Implement and Tractor, a title with content dating to 1885, from Farm Journal Media.
In late 2023 the magazine marked 55 years with a video series in which past and present leaders, including former Johnson Hill executives Jonathan Pellegrin and Don Henning, editor and publisher Mike Lessiter, executive editor Kim Schmidt and retired executive editor Dave Kanicki, looked back on its history.
Farm Equipment Today
Farm Equipment publishes print, web and flipbook editions with online extras, built around what it calls a dealer-focused editorial formula. Kim Schmidt, who joined as managing editor in 2012, became executive editor in 2019 and is responsible for print and digital content; Noah Newman serves as technology editor for Farm Equipment and No-Till Farmer.
The brand runs the annual Dealership Minds Summit, a registered trademark of Lessiter Publications, along with the FE Dealer 100 ranking, Dealership of the Year and the Dealer Hall of Fame. It shares staff with sister newsletter Ag Equipment Intelligence.
What Farm Equipment Is Publishing Now
Dealership management
Service, parts, sales, used equipment, personnel and succession planning for equipment dealerships.
Rankings and awards
The FE Dealer 100 list of the largest dealer groups, Dealership of the Year and the Dealer Hall of Fame.
Technology
Precision ag, autonomy and new machinery, covered by technology editor Noah Newman.
Farm Equipment Editors and Staff
Lessiter Media announcements and Farm Equipment's anniversary series name:
- Mike Lessiter - Editor and Publisher; President, Lessiter Media
- Kim Schmidt - Executive Editor
- Noah Newman - Technology Editor
- Frank Lessiter - Co-founder and Chairman, Lessiter Media
- Dave Kanicki - Former Executive Editor, retired 2020
Who Reads Farm Equipment
Readers are owners, managers and department heads at farm equipment dealerships across North America, plus manufacturers and suppliers. NASS's 2022 Census of Agriculture counted 1.9 million U.S. farms averaging 463 acres, and USDA's Economic Research Service tracks the farm income that drives their machinery purchases from the dealers who read Farm Equipment.
Dealers know every farmer swears his old tractor ran better before the last repair. farm.FM captures that spirit with farm satire and farm humor about the parts counter and the service bay, plus ranch humor for the hay equipment crowd. Its farm jokes come with no warranty.
farm.FM got there first as the nation's first satirical farm site, and it backs the writing with Tractor Tunes, country music for farmers. Here is one contributor's collection of farm satire to start with.
Farm Equipment Sources and Agriculture Authority Links
- Farm Equipment: 55 Years - the magazine's anniversary series and history.
- Farm Equipment: Kim Schmidt promoted - the executive editor and dealer programs.
- Lessiter acquires Implement and Tractor - Lessiter's 1981 founding and 2015 acquisition.
- USDA NASS: 2022 Census of Agriculture - farm numbers, size and sales.
- USDA ERS: Farm income and wealth statistics - farm income and expense data.
Farm Equipment FAQ
Who publishes Farm Equipment magazine?
Lessiter Media of Brookfield, Wisconsin, which acquired it in 2004.
Where did Farm Equipment come from?
It was split from Johnson Hill Press's Feed, Grain and Farm Equipment into its own title.
Who edits Farm Equipment?
Mike Lessiter is editor and publisher, and Kim Schmidt is executive editor.
What events does Farm Equipment run?
The Dealership Minds Summit, plus the Dealership of the Year and Dealer Hall of Fame programs.
After more than half a century, Farm Equipment magazine is still the dealer's own trade magazine.