John Deere arrived in Grand Detour, Illinois, in 1837. An experienced blacksmith, his skills were immediately in demand. The prairie's sticky soil clung to cast-iron ploughs, forcing farmers to scrape dirt every few yards. Using a broken steel saw blade, Deere forged a polished ploughshare that sliced cleanly through mucky earth. Recognising the potential of his invention, Deere became a plough maker, and by the end of the nineteenth century, his company was one of the pre-eminent farm equipment companies in America. The tractor era tested Deere's adaptability. Henry Ford and International Harvester initially dominated the tractor market, leaving Deere as a marginal player. However, the company persisted. During the Great Depression, Deere extended payment plans rather than repossessing equipment, creating fierce loyalty among farmers. By 1960, Deere had overtaken International Harvester to become the biggest tractor maker. Farm mechanisation dramatically increased productivity, but it also triggered social upheaval and environmental challenges. Today, food production accounts for 25 per cent of global emissions. Deere’s solution is precision agriculture. Using sensors, software, and automation, Deere helps farmers to grow more crop while reducing the need for pesticides and fertilisers, aligning farmer economics with environmental stewardship.