University of Minnesota’s big support for 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.

Each community project falls under one of three pathways:

• Short-Term: This path provides communities with focused support for tasks like mapping, data analysis, or visual rendering, helping to strengthen future funding opportunities.
• Tactical Action: In this pathway, communities collaborate with University experts to refine and advance specific projects, such as building trails or improving stormwater drainage, to enhance local infrastructure and sustainability.
• Community Futures: Communities work with University of Minnesota experts to assess their assets, plans, and goals, creating practical and achievable visions for their future infrastructure.

As a statewide organization built upon local leadership, RSDP is playing a key role in building ESMC’s place in rural Minnesota communities. In each of RSDP’s five regions, RSDP’s teams of local leadership and regional University representatives are integral to the ESMC application process. The teams review project proposals and provide feedback through a local lens. When projects launch, RSDP’s local teams continue to support collaboration between rural communities and ESMC faculty, staff and students, helping to bring ideas to life. Among ESMC’s powerful ensemble of University support, RSDP serves as the doorway to Greater Minnesota.

Short-term: A resource for local food producers

The southwest region of 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. Made up of 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. The flyer was distributed at the 2024 Local Food Forum in Montevideo. 

Anne Dybsetter, Southwest RSDP Executive Director says the flyer was a success because it made a difference to the community. “This short-term project created access to time-sensitive resources for farmers and food producers,” she said. “This ultimately helps grow their businesses and support our regional food system.”

Tactical Actions: “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. It also serves businesses, schools, and industrial sites throughout the county, making it a vital part of southeast Minnesota’s waste management system. Local leaders initially approached ESMC with a specific concern: capturing methane from the landfill to prevent fires. However, the project has evolved into something much bigger.

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. With regulations from Minnesota’s Pollution Control Agency targeting PFAS newly emerging, Rice County and Bridgewater Township leaders chose to work with UMN to find a solution to that high-priority environmental challenge. UMN’s 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. By Spring 2025, the team aims to provide Bridgewater with a path forward: a robust treatment strategy, cost estimates, and a potential roadmap for piloting and executing the solution.

Southeast RSDP Executive Director Andi Sutton says, "This is a critical, exciting model of what’s possible with community-university partnerships. Bridgewater came forward with a problem, and the University didn’t just offer a solution, they offered a way to rethink what’s possible."

Community Futures: Environmental resilience

One of northwest Minnesota’s most well-known communities, Crookston, has a lot to be proud of. Located in the Red River Valley, the city is home to a historic downtown, over 100 acres of parkland, and a population of around 7,500. With support from ESMC, the city is taking steps to revitalize the downtown and enhance local sustainability. 

Working in collaboration with the Empower Crookston initiative, several projects are underway. This includes 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; pursuing large grant opportunities; planning several community-wide gatherings and events and developing a citywide marketing plan. By combining research, engagement, and strategic planning, the project aims to position Crookston for future funding and long-term community and environmental resilience.

One major component of the partnership is the Crookston Ash Tree Initiative. The Minnesota Department of Agriculture has confirmed that there are now 53 counties in the state with known emerald ash borer (EAB) infestation. Crookston’s urban forest is primarily composed of ash trees. While EAB has not been detected, it has been found nearby, making proactive planning essential.

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. 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,” says Shannon Stassen, Northwest RSDP’s executive director. “Now there's a whole number of things that are happening simultaneously and ESMC is the spark behind it.”

New projects ahead

With the first round of projects in motion, ESMC is already making a difference in small towns across Minnesota. As the next phase moves forward, the initiative’s focus remains on supporting the people who need it most—ensuring that small communities have the tools, resources, and partnerships to build on their strengths, grow their local economies, and create lasting change for generations to come.