Northwest Blog

Sen. Matt Schmit, DFL- Red Wing The Northwest Minnesota Foundation and the Blandin Foundation teamed up to help move Minnesota forward in reaching its broadband goal. The goal is to have 10 Mbps to every home in Minnesota by 2015. Senator Matt Schmit of Red Wing is behind the initiative and he has successfully led efforts to create the Office of Broadband within DEED. His intent is to move additional broadband legislation forward by the 2015 legislative session. The public was invited to help set the legislative agenda by joining in on the broadband discussion at the Northwest Minnesota Foundation, November 11th. Senator Schmit addressed local leadership perspective and gave background on local broadband initiatives. He also addressed how broadband and the lack thereof is affecting healthcare providers, educators, local government and business.

Northwest Minnesota Foundation’s Early Childhood Initiative (ECI) program is celebrating its 10th anniversary in October. The Governor of the State of Minnesota, Mark Dayton has proclaimed October 24th as Minnesota Early Childhood Initiative Day. The twelve northwest Minnesota coalitions join in celebrating this achievement and recognizing the important partners who work with local leaders to ensure that the quality care and education of our youngest children is a top priority. The purpose of Minnesota Early Childhood Initiative (MECI) is to promote high-quality early care and education for children from birth to age five, while supporting parents in their important work. Since 2003, the Initiative has grown to include 86 local early childhood coalitions covering over 200 greater Minnesota communities. Investing in early childhood care and learning pays big dividends for communities and businesses. Scientific research confirms that a child’s earliest experiences dramat...

This year 76 families from throughout Minnesota will be honored as a 2013 Farm Family of theYear by the University of Minnesota. The families will be recognized in ceremonies set for 1:30 to 3 p.m., Thursday, August 8 at the annual Minnesota Farmfest near Redwood Falls. Tom and Corrinne Anderson of Clearbrook, Minnesota were chosen as the Clearwater County Farm Family of the Year for 2013. They are currently involved in a fanning partnership with their son Scott. They raise soybeans, wheat, alfalfa, hay, and beef cattle. In addition to Scott, Tom and Corrinne have two other sons and two grandchildren. Son Ryan is an electrician in Grand Junction, Colo.; son Jonathon lives in Clearbrook and works as a LPN at the Pioneer Nursing Home in Erskine. The Andersons attend Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Clearbook where Tom is a member of the church council. Tom is also a cemetery sextant, American Legion member, Clearwater County FSA Committee member, and a member of the N...

The White Earth Land Recovery Project (WELRP) was awarded a $20,000 grant by the Northwest Minnesota Foundation (NMF) to study the market and potential building needs for a fish-based fertilizer product. The fertilizer would use fish waste produced at the Red Lake Fisheries facility in Redby. Each year about 200,000 to 300,000 pounds of organic waste is created from the fisheries. Nitrogen and other nutrients from the decaying fish are, in fact, traditional fertilizers used by native peoples. The grant will help determine how this fish waste can be processed, assess the nutrient makeup of the product, what type of facility is needed and what type of market exists for the product. “The hope is to get a plant fertilizer product ready for market in the next year or so,” said Winona LaDuke, project coordinator. “We have been hauling fish waste from Red Lake for our own use as we plant different varieties of heritage corn. With this funding, we can now test this...

The Girl Scouts are partnering with Bemidji State University to hold a 3 day “college sampler” for area girls in grades 4 through 12.   It is open to all girls from northern and central Minnesota. Along with valuable information and exciting activities, it will be a great opportunity for girls to simply get a feel for what it is like to be part of a campus community.   We are including girls at a relatively young age, because we feel it is important for them to be able to imagine themselves at a college or university. The College  Sampler runs July 30th to August 1st at Bemidji State University’s  beautiful campus on the lake. College Challenge: International student cultural exchange, robotics  workshop and service learning project. College Fun: Campfire with s’mores, movie night, recycled art project,  scavenger hunt, get to know college students and go swimming. Adult supervision is provided to girls attending without an adult. ...

The city of Warren is actively seeking change in their community. Members of city council are hoping to update a comprehensive plan which includes zoning ordinances and growth planning. The Northwest Minnesota Foundation (NMF) is eager to see the outcome from the grant dollars awarded. “This funding will help Warren develop their top priorities for the future,” said Nate Dorr, program officer for grants. “Warren has wonderful potential now to define its destiny, and build off the great work they are already doing. We are excited to be a part of their future. Projects like this keep our small towns vibrant.” The grant is part of NMF’s Growth Management Program. Community forums will be held to involve residents in the planning process. The hope is to revitalize the downtown area and residential spaces. The city parks will also be included in the planning process. The city of Warren will engage the public for input. The Northwest Minnesota Foundation is a public, charitabl...

Dave West served NMF for 23 years CHANGES IN BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT Change is underway at the Northwest Minnesota Foundation (NMF) as Senior Program Officer of Business Finance, Dave West will retire June 30. West began working for NMF, then the Northwest Initiative Fund, in 1990. His experience in banking helped ease the way toward developing a strong business development program. As the senior officer for the Business Finance Program, West had an integral part in building a loan portfolio that began with three loans and today is at $20 million. “We’ve helped people achieve their dream of owning a business,” said West. “My work has been very rewarding – knowing that I was a little piece of the puzzle that helped create nearly 2,500 jobs in northwest Minnesota.” Agricultural related projects were the most fun to work on throughout the years according to West because agricultural processing is a benefit to business and labor. He also enjoyed the nuts and bolts projec...