Southeast RSDP
Southeast RSDP
The University of Minnesota Extension Southeast Regional Sustainable Development Partnership (Southeast RSDP) works with residents of Southeast Minnesota to create and sustain healthy ecosystems, strong local economies and vibrant, self-reliant communities. Community members named this partnership the "Experiment in Rural Cooperation" to signify that the goal of our work is to promote forward-thinking experiments in sustainable development.
The Southeast RSDP covers a range of Minnesota ecological land classifications. Our service areas includes the Mississippi River Blufflands, the Rochester Plateau, the Oak Savanna, and portions of the Big Woods and Minnesota River Prairie.
The Southeast region generally includes, but is not strictly limited to, the following counties: Blue Earth, Faribault, Dodge, Freeborn, Goodhue, Houston, LeSueur, Mower, Nicollet, Olmsted, Fillmore, Rice, Steele, Wabasha, Waseca and Winona. It also includes the sovereign Native Nation of Prairie Island Indian Community (Dakota).
Mankato farmers market
SE RSDP partnered with University of Minnesota students and staff to bolster the planning process for a permanent farmers market location in Mankato. The Mankato Farmers Market currently operates in the parking lot of a retail store, which is only accessible by car and has limited space for the market’s growth.
Farmers and vendors wanted a permanent location with protection from the weather, better parking, and accessibility that would also allow them to increase the number of vendors.
The group spent the year visiting other locations, polling current members of the Mankato farmers market, and collecting data on existing use and possible locations for the proposed permanent site. They came up with a possible location and recommendations on what kind of structure may work.
Hillcrest Village
Three years ago, Northfield Community Action Center and SE RSDP began partnering on an exciting project to create affordable, eco-friendly housing. The work has been supported by the SE RSDP Call for Ideas, a CERTs Seed Grant, and an Institute on the Environment Impact Goals Grant.
Hillcrest Village, a 17-unit net-zero affordable housing complex, was recently completed in Northfield, and the designs are currently being duplicated in Rochester.
Team members have worked with Daniel Handeen and Rolf Jacobson, research fellows at the University’s Center for Sustainable Building Research (CSBR). The Rochester Area Foundation First Homes is now breaking ground on five units they’ve designed using the information from the original Hillcrest Village partnership.
New board members
Dale Buendorf
Dale lives on and operates a family farm near Walters in Faribault County. After earning his BS in Mathematics from U of MN in Duluth, he joined his brother on the corn/soybean farm. Together, they transitioned the operation to 100% strip-till/no-till and have added cover crops to enhance the sustainability and soil resiliency on the land they farm.
Dale currently serves on the Faribault County Farm Service Agency board and the Grace Foundation Board at his church in Albert Lea.
In addition to farming, Dale enjoys time with his family and raising a small flock of chickens.
- Pam Bishop, [email protected] - Owatonna
- Dale Buendorf [email protected] - Walter
- Steven Carlson, [email protected] - Albert Lea
- Abby Gold, [email protected] - Ramsey
- Lauren Jensen, [email protected] - Chatfield
- Cathy Liebowitz, [email protected] - Rochester
- Nibi Ogichidaa Ikwe [email protected] - Welch
- Rachel Olson, [email protected] - Rochester
- Anna Pollock, [email protected] - Waseca
- Angelica Walton, [email protected] - Minneapolis
- Rachel Morin, [email protected] - Apple Valley
