The world of used farm equipment changed dramatically during the pandemic as auctions moved to online rather than in-person events. According to Greg Peterson, better known as Machinery Pete, the change was both significant and permanent.
“There was movement toward online only before then, but it wouldn’t have happened as fast,” Peterson explains on the latest episode of Unscripted, a new podcast from Farm Journal hosted by U.S. Farm Report’s Tyne Morgan and AgDay’s Clinton Griffiths. “We put a lasso around the used farm-equipment space and yanked it seven or eight years into the future,” Peterson says. “Not only did prices go up, but the logistics of auctions changed.”
On the podcast, Peterson also offers his personal story, explaining how a mild-mannered accountant and part-time sportswriter living in Rochester, Minnesota, became, over the course of nearly 35 years, the most trusted voice in the world of used farm equipment. When he was fresh out of college, he took the advice of his dad, a John Deere dealer, and bought an equipment pricing guide, which was a print-only publication back in those days. The rest, of course, is history.
When the world went digital, he did, too, eventually becoming, as Morgan calls him, “the O.G. of ag social media.” While he says he doesn’t like the term ‘influencer,’ he accepts his role within the ever-expanding world of social media. “Right or wrong, it’s our gathering place,” he tells the hosts.
Unscripted is a weekly podcast featuring Farm Journal hosts and editors who share candid, behind-the-scenes observations and insights on the stories they’re covering. It gives viewers a unique opportunity to meet the personalities behind the personalities.
The conversation, however, isn’t limited to ag news. Hosts and guests get personal, provocative and, occasionally, hilarious. In this latest episode, Peterson not only provides insider advice for equipment buyers and sellers, he also performs a bulls-eye impression of legendary baseball announcer Harry Caray.
Griffiths returns the favor by nailing an impression of Peterson — subdued and earnest, with just a hint of Minnesota Nice. Unlike Machinery Pete’s own show, the goal of Unscripted is to keep the audience guessing about where the discussion will go next.
