RSDP Happenings

Doctors Mike Overend and Lucy Grina, co-owners of Lake County Veterinary Clinic in Two Harbors and Grand Marais, have been caring for animals since 1987. To care for the environment and the bottom line of their business, they recently decided to add solar.

Southeast Minnesota’s economy continues to grow, with an increasing need for workers to fill jobs. Southeast Minnesota Together is convening conversations to address the worker shortage and support the collective well-being of communities in the region.

Morris, Minnesota, is home to a community that strives for clean energy and sustainable solutions. A recent energy feasibility study is helping the community lower energy costs and its carbon footprint.

In a special addition to RSDP Happenings, we share with you the remarkable story of Extension colleague Anna Peterson’s journey back from an accident that nearly cost her life. It is a story of rural resilience and the depths that lie within.

The Roseau River is an international watershed traversing Minnesota and Manitoba, and a travel route used by Ojibwe for generations. Community members came to the Northwest RSDP for support in developing recreational sites along the river that are inclusive of diverse populations and accessible for a range of physical abilities.

LiDAR uses rapid pulses of light to gather information about surrounding shapes and surfaces and generate detailed digital maps. The technique is enhancing everything from floodplain mapping and natural resource planning to emergency management and public utilities work. Upcoming training opportunities are being supported by the Southwest and Southeast RSDPs.

RSDP is pleased to welcome Swan Ray to the Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems team. Ray will support projects in RSDP’s five Greater Minnesota regions and advance emerging food systems issues that impact the entire state.

A food forest combines trees, shrubs, vines, perennials and self-seeding annuals to provide edible fruits and nuts. Rather than individually maintained parcels, the entire food forest is open to the public for harvest. The idea is to create an ecosystem that protects the soil, provides healthy foods, and requires minimal labor to be productive.

Consumer interest in experiencing closer connections to their food is contributing to a growth in agritourism offerings in Minnesota. Events like the Central RSDP-supported Salsa Fest provide opportunities to connect with growers and makers of value-added products such as salsa.

More than 40 years after the first Hmong arrived in Minnesota, the state boasts the nation’s second-largest Hmong population (Minnesota Historical Society).