Big support for Minnesota’s small towns

Minnesota’s small towns are home to some of the state’s most beloved gems. Along with breathtaking and subtly beautiful landscapes, friendly faces, and a strong sense of place, lower-population areas can also have limited resources. This makes funding projects and long-term planning difficult.

That’s where the University of Minnesota's Empowering Small Minnesota Communities (ESMC) initiative comes in. Harnessing expertise from across the University of Minnesota, ESMC brings together the University of Minnesota Extension Regional Sustainable Development Partnerships (RSDP), Center for Transportation Studies, Minnesota Design Center, Humphrey School of Public Affairs, and Center for Urban and Regional Affairs. Together, these teams provide the tools, guidance, and partnerships that help communities turn vision into reality.

Designed to put small Minnesota communities in the driver's seat, the initiative focuses on populations under 15,000, with special attention given to populations under 5,000. Since launching in early 2024, 75 Minnesota communities have benefited.

As a statewide organization built upon local leadership, RSDP is playing a key role in building ESMC’s place in rural Minnesota communities. Here’s a brief look at three ESMC projects to date.

Southwest Minnesota: A resource for local food producers

Southwest Minnesota is an area rich in farmland and agricultural production. ESMC has partnered with a multi-county community group working together to help the area’s local industries flourish. With representation from Big Stone, Chippewa, Lac qui Parle, Swift, and Yellow Medicine counties, the Upper Minnesota Valley Regional Development Commission sought out ESMC to create an informational resource for local food producers. 

With support from Humphrey School students, the organization developed a one-page handout that compiled funding opportunities, training programs, and key contacts for food-related businesses and institutions that buy locally. 

“This short-term project created access to time-sensitive resources for farmers and food producers,” says Anne Dybsetter, Southwest RSDP’s executive director. “This ultimately helps grow their businesses and support our regional food system.”

Southeast Minnesota: ‘Forever chemicals’ and the environment

Bridgewater Township is home to Rice County’s landfill, which handles waste for 68,000 people across 14 townships and 7 cities. Like many landfills, the Bridgewater landfill is challenged with the presence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), also known as "forever chemicals." PFAS exposure has been shown to negatively affect human health. 

Rice County and Bridgewater Township leaders chose to work with the University of Minnesota to find a solution to this high-priority environmental challenge. Roger Ruan, a bioproducts and biosystems engineering professor, had an innovative solution: algae-based PFAS removal and pyrolysis—a high-heat process that isolates and extracts harmful contaminants.

He’s joined by Bill Lazarus, an Extension professor in applied economics, who is assessing the cost of implementation. While Rice County is the focus of this collaboration, the project plans to develop a process that could be applied to landfills across the state. 

Northwest Minnesota: Environmental resilience

With support from ESMC, the city of Crookston is taking steps to revitalize its downtown and enhance local sustainability. Several projects are underway, including improving energy efficiency in hundreds of older homes; transitioning the University of Minnesota Crookston’s coal-fired heating plant to electric; exploring a wind, solar, and battery hybrid system; and developing a citywide marketing plan. 

One major component of the partnership is the Crookston Ash Tree Initiative. Crookston’s urban forest is primarily composed of ash trees, and while emerald ash borer has not been detected, it has been found nearby, making proactive planning essential.

Since launching in early 2024, 75 Minnesota communities have benefited from the ESMC initiative.

The University of Minnesota Crookston team has developed a tree inventory tool to assess the community’s ash population and guide a phased removal and replacement plan. Healthy ash trees selected for removal will be repurposed for public space enhancements, while thousands of trees from a diverse selection of species will be planted to strengthen the local ecosystem.

“ESMC has really mobilized citizens,” says Shannon Stassen, Northwest RSDP’s executive director. “The people see the University is here to help and that’s created ripples of hope in the community. As a result, more people and organizations have joined in these efforts. Now there's a whole number of things that are happening simultaneously and ESMC is the spark behind it.”