Southwest RSDP

Three adults facing each other with one holding a tray of fresh produce.

A group of youth standing in a circle with the light from a round skylight shining in the center of the circle.

Banner photo credit: Kernza by Sara Gronfeld, Circle of children by John White.

Southwest RSDP

The University of Minnesota Extension Southwest Regional Sustainable Development Partnership (Southwest RSDP) is a community-driven board of directors working with community members across the region to create and sustain healthy ecosystems, strong local economies and vibrant, self-reliant rural towns.

Southwest RSDP launches education and research that help people understand and achieve sustainability across southwestern Minnesota. We support projects that demonstrate public purpose and build partnerships with residents of the region, and link these projects to local assets and University of Minnesota research and educational resources.

More information

Southwest Minnesota

map of Minnesota with circle over southwest region of the state

The Southwest region includes the counties of Big Stone, Brown, Chippewa, Cottonwood, Douglas, Grant, Jackson, Kandiyohi, Lac qui Parle, Lincoln, Lyon, Martin, McLeod, Meeker, Murray, Nobles, Pipestone, Pope, Redwood, Sibley, Renville, Rock, Stevens, Swift, Traverse, Watonwan and Yellow Medicine, and shares geography with the Upper Sioux and Lower Sioux sovereign Native nations.

Southwest RSDP has been serving rural Minnesota for two decades. From 1998 through 2011, the West Central RSDP operated as a 12-county region. The geographic region was expanded in 2012 to include all counties in the southwest part of Minnesota, and the program renamed Southwest RSDP. New members of the board of directors were elected to represent the newly included counties.

The Mary J. Page Community-University Partnerships Fund honors former Olivia Mayor, Renville County Commissioner and University of Minnesota Regent Mary Page for her contributions to community-driven sustainability projects across Southwest Minnesota and beyond. Mary helped create, and then served on, the founding board of the West Central RSDP from 1999-2007, and gave statewide leadership to RSDP until 2009.

Project highlights

Two women handing our energy efficiency tool kits.

Reducing the burden of energy costs for food shelf shoppers

Neighbors United Resource Center in Granite Falls has been working with volunteers and shoppers to reduce the burden of energy costs. In partnership with the City of Granite Falls Municipal Utilities, Neighbors United ordered home energy conservation kits to distribute to shoppers. The kits include items like energy efficient light bulbs, low-flow sink kits to reduce hot water consumption, and more.

What's new

Man standing in a long trench soil pit in a field talking to a group of adults standing on the ground above the pit.

In August, Southwest RSDP's work groups hit the road to visit interesting places, have engaging conversations, and meet passionate community members around the region. In Madison, the Local Food Systems work group learned about the community-building space at the Madison Mercantile. In Morris, the Natural Resources work group saw oil-seeds interplanted with crops at the USDA soils lab. In Worthington, the Resilient Communities work group enjoyed an Ethiopian coffee ceremony at World Mart and met with community members working on justice, inclusion, arts, and mental health efforts.

We are grateful for the committed and passionate community members throughout our region!

At right, Carmen Fernholz of A-Frame farms talks with the Local Food Systems work group about the root-depth of emerging perennial crops.

Meet the board

Southwest RSDP board members

Sara Gronfeld, sara.gronfeld@mn.nacdnet.net - Johnson, MN
Michele Huggins, doughpcreations@outlook.com - Granite Falls, MN
Eric L'Abbé, eric@ericrathman.com - Worthington, MN
David Lieser, kada@charter.net - Montevideo, MN
Cheyanne St. John, cheyanne.stjohn@lowersioux.com - Morton, MN
Becky Yust, byust@umn.edu - St. Paul, MN
Beth Labenz, bmlabenz@umn.edu - Mankato, MN
Charlene Graff, cgraff@2harvest.org - Lamberton, MN
Clement Loo, cloo@morris.umn.edu - Morris, MN
Knute Oldre, knute.oldre@bankwithssb.com - Luverne, MN

A map of Minnesota with locations marked with numbers. The numbers correspond to projects with pictures of people, wildlife, and communities.

Learn more about Southwest RSDP projects

Explore our projects