Archery range, workshop and beer: Massive Princess Auto flagship does more than tools and equipment

Hundreds of people crowded together and cheered Tuesday morning for the grand opening of Princess Auto’s massive new flagship in Winnipeg — a store the company says marks “a significant evolution” in the shopping experience. The celebration began with a chain cutting ceremony before the shoppers — some spent all night waiting — were invited through the doors at 7 a.m. The 105,000-square-foot store at 500 Panet Rd. is the biggest of Princess Auto’s 59 stores across the country. It’s been under construction for 18 months and based on Tuesday’s turnout, a lot of people have been anxious for it. Chris Pellerin showed up at 6:40 a.m. and estimated there were 500 people in front of him. “I’m [at Princess Auto] almost every week, resupplying tools for our shop. So, you know, this is kind of a pivotal moment in time for me and for the company. It’s great to see it.” The first person in line arrived at 8 p.m. Monday night, said senior vice-president Heather Turnbull-Smith, who pulled in at
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US Lowers Tariffs on Farm, Industrial Equipment as Costs Soar

The White House announced it will reduce tariffs on imported farm and construction equipment such as harvesters and forklifts, an effort to boost the industrial economy and provide relief for American farmers. Under a proclamation issued late Monday, those duties would drop to 15% from 25%. Foreign companies could qualify for a lower 10% levy rate if capital equipment contains at least 85% US steel or aluminum, according to a White House fact sheet. President Donald Trump cited rising costs as a justification for the move. The changes take effect June 8 and would run through the end of 2027. The temporary relief will “spur near-term investments that will rebuild the Nation’s industrial base,” the fact sheet said. The directive comes as Trump has been courting US farmers, who have been wrestling with soaring fuel and fertilizer prices, and comparatively smaller gains in crop prices. The low-margin environment has intensified with the war in Iran, further delaying purchases of larger
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Trump slashes tariffs on farm, other equipment

US President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday a 10-percentage-point reduction in tariffs on a range of agricultural and industrial equipment, lowering duties from 25% to 15% until next year-end. Under the changes, tariffs on agricultural machinery such as combines, harvesters and other farm equipment will fall to 15% from the current 25%. The Republican administration said the reduction is intended to ease costs for producers while supporting investment in America’s agricultural sector. The proclamation also broadens the scope of industrial equipment eligible for the lower 15% tariff rate. Mobile industrial machinery, including bulldozers, forklifts and similar equipment imported from countries covered by US trade agreements, will now qualify for the reduced duty treatment. In a further incentive designed to strengthen domestic metals production, foreign manufacturers will be able to access an even lower 10% tariff rate if their imported capital equipment contains at least 85% US-
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Ep. 69 The Magic of Sharing Seeds – Petra Page-Mann, Fruition Community Seed Farm

Petra stewards Fruition Community Seed Farm with Matthew Goldfarb in the Finger Lakes region of New York. Petra’s seed journey began at a young age in her father’s garden, harvesting seeds and packing them into homemade seed packets to then share them with others. This early love for the magic of sharing seeds eventually led to founding Fruition.

In this episode, Petra shares the evolution of Fruition from a commercial regional seed company to a community seed farm. We discuss the structural pivot away from running a commercial online business toward a non-commercial gift economy model. Petra shares how they use interactive community storytelling, theater, and Seed Feasts to move past simple transaction-based seed swaps and cultivate collaborative relational seed stewardship instead.

In the deep dive, Petra and I get into two seed crops. First, we talk about breeding the Dulcinea carrot for uniformity and reliability in a market farm. Then, we talk about crossing collards and cabbage to develop Mermaid’s Aurora, a gorgeous gene pool of tender greens with kaleidoscopic diversity. We also get into the technical seed production of each crop: growing second year carrots in high tunnels, harvesting seed umbels by hand, and how to thresh carrot seeds. For the brassica cross, we talk about how they harvest first year plants, how they overwinter in a root cellar, and of course how they clean the seeds.

Enjoy the conversation!

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