By Julie Tesch, President The weather is hot and steamy in Minnesota, so that must mean it’s county fair time. Growing up, the county fair was my favorite place on earth. It was the place where I got to see my friends, who I hadn’t seen since school let out, ride some rides at the ...

By Marnie Werner, Vice President, Research & Operations The beating heart of what we do here at the Center for Rural Policy and Development is our research—research pure and simple on policy issues that matter to rural Minnesota. It’s the beginning of the fiscal year for us, which means a new start to not just ...

EXCERPT: “A pair of Minnesota business development leaders shared with members of Congress effective efforts they’d taken to boost broadband access in their communities and urged the panel build out the infrastructure that helps people connect to the internet. The comments came as the U.S. House Subcommittee on Commodity Exchanges, Energy and Credit discussed broadband ...

EXCERPT: “In 2014, Minnesota was abuzz with broadband. The state’s newly created Office of Broadband Development had opened its doors, and the legislature was poised to give it an invaluable new tool to extend critical access: the Border to Border Broadband state grant fund. Five years later, the competitive matching grants have connected more than 40,000 ...

EXCERPT: “Have you ever had a great idea for a business or nonprofit that would make a difference? The Initiative Foundation of Little Falls wants to hear from you. It has teamed up with the Southwest Initiative Foundation, which is headquartered in Hutchinson, and the West Central Initiative to search 41 Greater Minnesota counties for ...