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A group of agricultural producers in Manitoba has banded together to offer a hefty financial reward following a targeted string of copper wire thefts that left local operations facing tens of thousands of dollars in damages just before the spring seeding season. Six local farms, including Verwey Farms near Portage la Prairie, jointly issued a $10,000 reward for information leading to an arrest. The decision to involve the RCMP came after multiple producers discovered their irrigation pivots had been systematically stripped of copper wiring. Rachael Proden, a farmer with Verwey Farms, said her family discovered the vandalism in early May. In addition to the ruined pivot, thieves stripped the electrical wiring off a corn planter stored in one of their storage yards north of Portage la Prairie. The combined damage to the two pieces of machinery totals more than $70,000. “It was kind of a shock to the system and frustrating,” Proden said, adding that the thefts have caused months of de

Minneapolis-Moline dates back to the Candee & Swan Plow Company of Moline, Illinois, founded in 1865. It became Moline Plow Company (later, Moline Implement Company), a major Midwestern producer of tilling equipment: plows, harrows and other tools for sowing grain crops.  The Minneapolis Threshing Company began in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, in 1874, and settled in Hopkins, Minnesota, in 1887. It concentrated on equipment for the last stage of small grain production: threshing.  Minneapolis Steel and Machinery Company, founded in 1902, began by making heavy construction equipment and steam engines, then moved into vehicles, including tractors (the Twin City line, 1912) and buses. Its chief executive, Warren C. MacFarlane, engineered the 1929 merger of the three companies and became president. The merger produced a company that served farming tasks year-round: tilling, planting, weeding, harvesting and processing. Such integration was needed to compete with industrial giants like John De

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

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

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-

The base rate is now 15 percent with opportunities for lower tariffs if certain thresholds are met

New Holland’s updated T7 Standard Wheelbase tractor features advanced dual-clutch and CVT options, a quieter 6.7L engine, and enhanced cab technology for mixed farming operations.

Farm organizations across North America are urging governments to reinforce CUSMA/USMCA, warning that stability in cross-border trade is essential to producers in all three countries.

The U.S. is reducing tariffs on farm equipment imports, a move expected to ease cost pressures for farmers and support equipment investment.

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.

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