Northwest Blog

Michelle Landsverk grew up on a farm where her Dad made it clear that the girls could do any work that the boys were doing, and that she could be anything she wanted to be when she grew up. She had an innate entrepreneurial spirit from a young age, “Farmers are natural entrepreneurs – they’re the biggest risk takers out there,” she said. Michelle Landsverk Born in Mahnomen, MN, Landsverk has always loved living and working in Northwest Minnesota. She attended Concordia College in Moorhead where she received a degree in English Writing. When she had an opportunity to leave Minnesota and venture off somewhere new, she couldn’t bring herself to do it. “I just thought about it for a long time and came to the conclusion that this region is where I’m meant to be. It’s who I am,” she said. From 1991 to 2001, she was a partner in a retail business in Fosston. From 2001 to 2005, she took a position as Director of the Minnesota Women’s Business Center, where she worked with w...

Native American Youth Council Everyone knows that today’s youth are the future, and based on the compassion and talent that Mahnomen area youth have displayed, Northwest Minnesota’s future is in good hands. The Mahnomen Area Community Fund (MACF) held its first annual Pay It Forward fundraising event on the evening of April 24, 2019. This event was an opportunity for the 2019 grant recipients to showcase the work they did in the community with the support of the Mahnomen Area Community Fund. The evening included a social hour, dinner, program, and award ceremony. Tina Starkey and Pete Haddeland were recognized for their volunteer contributions to the Mahnomen Community. The Native American Youth Council received $500 for their Mitten Tree project. The youth that were involved collected mittens, gloves, hats, and scarves and made them available to any community members who were in need of warm clothes to get them through the harsh winter we experienced this year. The Council al...

Manufacturing is an industry that has seen a major boost across the United States in the past decade. According to the 2018 Minnesota State of Manufacturing survey results, 65% of manufacturers statewide are anticipating an economic expansion in the coming year. Northwest Minnesota is home to a number of major manufacturing companies, such as Polaris, Marvin Windows and Doors, AirCorp Aviation and many more. One young entrepreneur with years of industry experience has decided to join the ranks and bring his new manufacturing company to the region – Mike Block, Principal and Founder of Elite Additive. Mike Block, Principal and Founder of Elite Additive Block was born and raised in Grand Rapids, Minnesota. He attended Bemidji State University (BSU) and graduated in 2006 with a degree in Design Technology with an emphasis in model design. “I always had an interest in designing new or improving current products and how we bring those to market, and the Design Technology progr...

NMF has been working with a coalition of organizations that serve those who are facing poverty and homelessness since October 2018. This group has come together to collaborate on an effort to provide more shelter and services to those who may otherwise be stuck outside to brave this extremely cold Minnesota winter. To learn more about that effort, click here. The following story is a firsthand account from a woman whose life seemed picture perfect, until her marriage took an unfortunate turn. We thank Sara for being brave and sharing her experience with our community. Sara's situation is not uncommon, and a great example of how homelessness can affect anyone at any time, without warning. We hope this story can begin to change the narrative around those who experience homelessness. ______________________________________________________ I would like to start by saying I never considered that I would end up in a homeless situation in my life.  I have always been a har...

As this blog post is being written, the temperature in Bemidji is -51 with windchill in January. Each winter in northern Minnesota, we can anticipate extreme cold weather to a certain extent, but it hasn't dipped this low since 1996. Knowing that the threat of cold temperatures would find their way back to Northwest Minnesota, NMF hosted a meeting in October of 2018 to bring together agencies, organizations, and community leaders who serve those facing poverty and homelessness. The goal was to bring these groups together to form a coalition where they can share ideas and identify needs in order to get more people out of the cold and connected to services this winter. "We're still seeing significant numbers of homeless," Nancy Vyskocil, NMF president was quoted saying in a Bemidji Pioneer article. "We cannot afford to go into this winter as unprepared as we really are without having the additional resources we need, because we'll have deaths." An...

Take a moment to think back on your grade school days. Many of us can think of our childhood friends, our favorite classes, our least favorite classes, books that we read. We can also remember the teachers. The ones who were funny, the ones who were strict. But even more importantly, we remember the ones who made a difference in our lives and made our educational experience more than just a memory. For many students who attended Red Lake Falls schools, that teacher was Lois Ludwig. On March 14, 2018, Lois Ludwig passed away at age 98. She was never married and had no children of her own, but she kept a number of dear friends close throughout her life. She spent of the majority of her professional career as a 4th Grade Teacher at Red Lake Falls school. When the news of her passing came, several former students reflected on their memories of Miss Ludwig: “ Miss Ludwig was my 4th grade teacher and I became a teacher because of her. She was a very good teacher.” “ Miss Ludwig...

Staff from the Northwest Minnesota Foundation hit the road in October to hold Lunch & Learn events in five communities around the region. The goal of these public forums was to engage with community leaders and long-time partners of the Foundation about the changes that are coming to the organization. For those who were unable to attend, we’ve provided excerpts from the Lunch & Learn presentation to give you a better idea of what you can expect from the organization moving forward: Our new strategic framework will take NMF boldly into the next decade and will position us to help address the many challenges facing our region. We do not do this work alone. We value all of our partners throughout the region that support the foundation and are passionate about where we live. For 15 years now—the Northwest Minnesota Foundation has worked tirelessly to transform our region into a better place to live and work. It’s what we call Quality of Place. Over the years we’ve invested to...

A Message from NMF Senior Development Officer, Dawn Ganje I grew up on a farm, where we planted seeds each year. We were anxious to see the seedlings pop, and the fields turn beautiful and varied shades of green. We knew then the promise and potential of what was coming. It is always exciting this time of year to see the outcomes of those planted seeds in the harvest of the crops. The potential is being realized and promise of what was to come, is here! Just as harvest is an important time around our region, sharing one’s time, talent and resources with your community is important too. Sharing resources can build the bridges necessary to address the challenges that communities face. During these times of growth, transition, and need in our region and state, there is an opportunity to plant seeds of sharing, generosity and philanthropy – so our future can be more prosperous for the generations to come. A donor advised fund is a great way to seize this opportunity. A donor advis...

Golden Sun food truck trailer It’s a beautiful Friday in September and the Golden Sun food truck is parked on the sidewalk next to Bemidji Downtown Meats. Four people are already standing in line for food at 11:30 AM. One man is in his scrubs and has a number of to-go orders he’s bringing back to his colleagues. Two women in jeans wait for their lunch order, one who ordered beef egg rolls, one who opted for the veggie egg rolls. Inside the trailer, Renzo Alia and Dennice Permites are hard at work cooking each meal fresh to order. The couple opened Golden Sun in the spring of 2018, just in time to get in front of northern Minnesota’s hungry tourists. Golden Sun beef egg rolls Golden Sun is a one of a kind food truck that is catching many people’s attention around Bemidji and surrounding communities. They specialize in Filipino egg rolls, and a menu that rotates a variety of Filipino dishes depending on the day. “Filipino Comfort Food” is what they use to describe their offerin...

Dawn Ganje (Senior Development Officer, center) and Nancy Vyskocil (President, right) present Keith and Sandra Fontaine (left)  with the Circle of Vision award. On Monday, August 6th the newest members of NMF's Circle of Vision were recognized at the Red Lake Falls American Legion. The Circle of Vision was established to recognize those people who see the possibilities of tomorrow; who believe in their communities, and, who have chosen to share of themselves and their resources. This award is presented in recognition for gifts of $100,000 or more made in direct support of the Northwest Minnesota Foundation or any of its component funds. Neen Lillquist - Neen's Future in Space Scholarship Anita “Neen” Lillquist was the director of Northwest Minnesota Community Health Education Council in Bemidji in the mid-70s, advocating for and providing health education and disease prevention services. During her lifetime she was the director of Ah-Gwah-Ching State Nursing Home, d...

John Szurpicki is no stranger to back breaking work. He has been in the landscaping industry for over 27 years, currently owning two businesses and working as a minister in Bemidji. At one time he managed as many as 350 properties a week. With so many homes in need of his landscaping services, time was of the essence. In 2002, Szurpicki came up with an idea to make his job a little easier; he invented the Bed Raptor. The biggest landscaping problem in creating a garden border with bed edging is finding blades that truly work. Szurpicki realized the need for a durable bed edging blade for both residential and commercial applications. He went into his shop and designed a bed edging blade which not only cuts a clean edge, but also cultivates the soil, taking bed redefining to whole new level. The Bed Raptor blade is a unique one-of-a-kind universal laser cut accessory for tiller machine applications. “It took a long time to find the right manufacturer, but it was worth the wait!” s...

It was a busy Spring in the NMF office. We were lucky to have a few extra hands around to help us out, and to enhance the work we do throughout the Northwest region. Tyler Boyer was an intern in our Entrepreneur Development Program, and Kathryn was an intern with the Small Business Development Center (SBDC). We enjoy having the opportunity to interact with students who come to us from area colleges and help them learn new skills that will help them in their future careers. Tyler is a Bemidji native and he will graduate from Bemidji State University with a bachelor's degree in Economics once he completes his last class this summer. After graduation he hopes to sell his house and relocate somewhere new for a change of scenery. Tyler said about his time at NMF, "After spending some time reviewing loan portfolios for a project I was working on, I gained some perspective on how impactful the foundation has been in creating real opportunities for local businesses and communi...

Written by: Steve Booth, 4th grade teacher at Laporte Public School Alex Kingbird, Abe Tusler and Dayne Nielsen built their own fire  in the Winter Survival Skills class at Deep Portage. "Best ever field trip!" and "I can't wait to go back!" were some of the reactions from students after a recent overnight field trip to the Deep Portage Environmental Learning Center near Hackensack. Teachers accompanied the students along with several volunteer parents and a grandparents. The April trip was planned last fall and archery and canoeing were originally on the schedule, but with the extension of snow and winter this season, the trip was modified to include winter survival skills and a group snow chase game. Fourth graders were outdoors in 10 degree temperatures building shelters in small groups from natural materials and collecting combustible materials and learning the best way to build a one match fire. Later in the day all 34 students were o...

L to R: Nate Dorr, Raelene Baker, Erica Gerrity, Jenny Greenleaf, and Emily Lindell Each woman experiences pregnancy differently. It’s a time of physiological changes and months of anticipation, planning, and preparation. However, for women who are serving time behind bars, it can be a very isolating experience. There is a stigma around women who have been convicted of crimes, and their needs are often overlooked while they are serving a sentence. Luckily, women of the Minnesota Prison Doula Project are here to advocate for and support this underserved population. The Minnesota Prison Doula Project started in 2008 with a mission to provide pregnancy and parenting support for incarcerated women. Trained doulas provide birth support as well as group-based and individual education to pregnant women and mothers. The goal is to nurture healthy mother-child relationships and increase parenting confidence and skills. Currently the project is operating in seven facilities in Minnesota....

L to R: Tim Flathers, Missy Okeson, Nancy Vyskocil, Mike St. Onge, Karen White, and Craig Nathan Members of IMPACT 20/20 recently spent the day at the State Capitol engaging lawmakers about the issues impacting economic prosperity and growth in Northwest Minnesota. IMPACT 20/20 is an influential group of Northwest Minnesota leaders representing diverse interests and working together for the region’s economic success. Established in 2008, IMPACT 20/20 members have worked collaboratively to improve economic conditions in the region by focusing on four key areas: education, workforce, broadband, and housing. The goal of the visit was to highlight issues in these key areas and offer legislative solutions to help grow the economy of Northwest Minnesota. IMPACT 20/20 raised awareness and discussed policy statements around access to high speed broadband and its importance in rural communities, the critical shortage of child care in our region and the impact it is having on families an...

Minneapolis was a focal point for thousands of fans, celebrities, and media from all over the country during the Super Bowl LII activities. Nicollet Mall was lit up with vendors, kids’ activities, concerts and special appearances. The Minneapolis/St. Paul Airport saw record numbers of flights coming in and out of the city. But the Super Bowl had a greater impact on our state than just a week of economic boom for the metro. The Super Bowl Legacy Fund is a 501C3, community advised fund of the Minnesota Community Foundation. Working in partnership with the Minnesota Department of Health’s Statewide Health Improvement Program (SHIP) and based on the recommendations of SHIP’s community health boards, the Legacy Fund provided 52 grants to 52 community projects across the state over the 52 weeks leading up to Super Bowl LII. The work of the Legacy Fund is made possible by Minnesota’s philanthropic community, including foundations, corporations, and individual donors. The Northwest Minnes...