Economic Development Archive
A Public Role in Rail’s Big Battles?
It's been a while since an oil train exploded anywhere in America, so the red-hot controversy over shipping North Dakota crude by rail has…
The Sun Drives Economic Development in Minnesota
Minnesotans are squinting up at the sun and leaning into the wind in efforts to link their pocketbooks and the natural environment to benefit…
VIDEO: Bringing Fresh Produce to the Community
Fresh fruits and vegetables can be very expensive, especially in many low-income areas. Expense along with access to local grocery stores in North Minneapolis…
What’s the Buzz on Bees?
Honey bees are in trouble and fifth graders in the Minneapolis public school’s S.T.E.M. program are learning what to do to help them. Honey…
Naming Rights Reveal Importance of Farms, Food in Minnesota
Minnesotans were reminded recently that food and agriculture remain huge drivers of the state’s economy when two of the largest home-based companies stepped forward…
VIDEO: Tech Crawl
Budding entrepreneurs and innovators seeking strategic advice, resources and networking opportunities had the opportunity to join in a series of 20 events across the…
VIDEO: Minnesota Apple Harvest
Minnesota's apple harvest is underway and early word is that this year's crop is bountiful. There are 116 apple orchards across the state with…
College Debts Hold Back Economic Recovery; Need Assistance
Rising college debts are holding back recovery in the housing markets while housing costs converge with college debts to also hold back recovery for…
The Cooperative Response to Living on the Edge, and Frontier
Cooperative business leaders and community development activists will study the almost invisible but 230-year history of African American experiences with co-ops, including credit unions…
VIDEO: Remembering the Labor in Labor day
Today, we honor and celebrate American workers who came before us as we continue to fight for those who will come after us. In…
Green Research Needed for Minnesota Bats and Bridges
Minnesota is ripe for a bridge building industry that would revive lumber production in the state, put northern Minnesota mills and mill workers back…
Voter ID is Bad Public Policy
This past week, the Wisconsin Supreme Court voted to uphold Governor Scott Walker’s Voter ID law, which will require Wisconsinites to present a photo…
Finding New Keys to Land Ownership, Careers in Farming
At a creative farm south of St. Paul near the town of Coates, two things about fruit, vegetable and horticultural growing are immediately clear.…
VIDEO: Exploring a Hmong Land Cooperative
Minnesota is home to a large Hmong community of which many farm. One complication is that many do not have access to land that…
Lessons Not Learned, Forgotten from Watergate
At the urging of daughters and a few friends, I’m looking back 40 years to the historic night of Aug. 8, 1974 in Washington.…
VIDEO: Feeding the Community Through Community Gardening
A community garden flourishes and a St. Paul food shelf enjoys its harvest. This summer, the St. Anthony Community Garden and Keystone Community Services…
Conservative Excuses Aside, Minnesota Still Outperforms Wisconsin
Since the 2010 election of progressive Governor Mark Dayton in Minnesota and conservative Governor Scott Walker in Wisconsin, the Gopher State has outperformed the…
VIDEO: Farmers Marketing Cooperative
The Latino Economic Development Center (LECD) is a nonprofit business development organization that offers support to Latino entrepreneurs who want to create their own…
Local Food Marketing within a ‘Stone’s Throw’
(First in an occasional series) Jose Garcia, a former Long Prairie meatpacker turned farmer, and Rodrigo Cala, of Lino Lakes who farms nearby in…
VIDEO: How Minnesota Raised the Minimum Wage
We've seen great progress this year. Governor Mark Dayton signed the state minimum wage increase into law which will now be reflected in the…
A Cold Shoulder or Welcoming Arms for Children in Danger
Minnesota political leaders and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) are pondering what the state’s response should be to the children of Central America gathering at the…
VIDEO: Vision of a Minnesota World’s Fair
Could Minnesota host the first World's Fair in the United States in a generation? Secretary of State Mark Ritchie leads a committee to bring…
Improved Jobs Numbers Tell Only Part of the Story
The lifeguards at the swimming pool and the Parks and Rec summer employees, home from college, who are teaching four-year-olds to play t-ball are…
VIDEO: Hotel Workers Deserve Better
Major sporting events such as the All-Star Game pump millions of dollars into our local economy as well as attract thousands of visitors who…
Applied Science Builds Minnesota from the Ground Up
When a farmer named Thomas Jefferson was helping design buildings, grounds and curricula for the University of Virginia, he argued emphatically that there should…