This month’s newsletter is our Resource Issue, highlighting funding opportunities and upcoming events designed to support communities and organizations across south central Minnesota.

In this edition, you’ll find information on available funding to help prevent food waste, support brownfield redevelopment, and boost sales of Minnesota agricultural products. We’re also sharing details on several upcoming events, including a regional housing forum and a community resource event featuring services related to childcare, housing, employment, disabilities, and more.

We hope these resources help you connect with opportunities, strengthen your work, and continue building vibrant, resilient communities throughout the region.


RNDC is here to help navigate funding opportunities, assist with grant writing, and provide technical expertise. Contact us today to learn how we can help your community at www.rndc.org/contact-us/#contact or call 507-387-5643!

Making New Spaces Out of Old Places: Brownfield Redevelopment in South Central Minnesota

Across south central Minnesota, many communities are familiar with properties that have sat vacant for years, former gas stations, dry cleaners, or aging industrial sites that no longer serve their original purpose. These properties, known as brownfields, can present real challenges for redevelopment due to the risk or perception of environmental contamination. They can contribute to neighborhood decline, pose safety concerns, and limit a community’s potential for growth.

However, these sites also represent an important opportunity.

With the right resources and support, brownfields can be transformed into valuable community assets by creating spaces for new housing, businesses, and public amenities that strengthen local economies and improve the quality of life.

Why Brownfield Redevelopment Matters Locally

For communities across Region Nine, redevelopment of underutilized properties is often more than a clean-up effort, it’s a strategic investment in the future.

Revitalizing brownfield sites can:

• Improve public health by addressing environmental hazards
• Reduce pressure to develop farmland and open spaces by reusing existing sites
• Enhance neighborhood livability and community pride
• Create new business opportunities and jobs
• Expand the local tax base, supporting public services and infrastructure

In smaller communities, even a single redeveloped site can have a ripple effect that encourages additional investment, increases property values, and signals that the community is ready for growth.

Increasing Community Appeal

As communities across south central Minnesota work to attract new residents, workforce talent, and business investment, the condition and availability of developable land plays a critical role.

Brownfield redevelopment helps communities:

• Showcase readiness for new housing and commercial development
• Eliminate blighted or unsafe structures that may deter investment
• Make better use of centrally located infrastructure like roads, utilities, and transit access

For prospective homeowners and entrepreneurs, a revitalized site can represent opportunity—whether it’s a new storefront on Main Street, workforce housing near job centers, or mixed-use developments that bring energy back into downtown areas.

Support from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency

Redeveloping brownfields can feel complex, but communities and property owners don’t have to navigate it alone. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) offers a range of resources to support successful redevelopment efforts.

Their assistance includes:

• Investigating properties for potential contamination before purchase or development
• Helping clarify liability concerns during property transfers such as tax forfeiture, inheritance, sales, or donations
• Providing access to funding for environmental investigations
• Offering technical guidance to bring underutilized properties back into productive use

These resources can significantly reduce uncertainty and financial risk, making redevelopment more feasible for local governments, developers, and community partners.

Moving Forward

Brownfield redevelopment is a practical and impactful way for south central Minnesota communities to build on what already exists, turning overlooked or underused spaces into drivers of economic growth and community vitality.

Communities interested in exploring brownfield opportunities or learning more about available support are encouraged to contact the MPCA at 651-757-2904 or brownfieldgrants.mpca@state.mn.us.

Contact us today to learn how we can help your community at www.rndc.org/contact-us/#contact or call (507) 387–5643.

Funding Available to Prevent Wasted Food and Support Food Rescue in Minnesota

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) is now accepting applications for $12.5 million in funding to support projects that prevent wasted food and strengthen food rescue efforts across Minnesota.

This funding opportunity is open to businesses, nonprofits, educational institutions, and local and Tribal governments. The program aims to reduce food waste while improving access to nutritious food and lowering environmental impacts.

Eligible projects include:

• Training, technical, and financial assistance focused on preventing wasted food
• Purchase of equipment to safely store and transport surplus food
• Initiatives that rescue and distribute edible food to people in need
• Upcycling wasted food and food scraps into new edible products
• Projects that prevent food waste on farms or help farmers participate in food rescue programs

Wasted food remains a significant challenge in Minnesota. When food is discarded before it can be consumed, valuable resources—such as water, energy, and labor—are lost. Additionally, food waste contributes to landfill volume and generates greenhouse gas emissions as it decomposes. Expanding food rescue and waste prevention efforts helps ensure that more food reaches people while reducing environmental impacts.

Applications must be submitted by 4 p.m. CT on Tuesday, April 28, 2026.

This funding is part of Minnesota’s broader $200 million climate-smart food systems initiative, which supports growers, processors, nonprofits, and communities in building a more sustainable food system that reduces waste, lowers climate pollution, and nourishes Minnesotans statewide.

GreenSeam's State of the Agricultural Ecosystem Report Now Available!

Built from insights across Minnesota’s food and agriculture industries, the report outlines the challenges, priorities, and opportunities shaping agribusiness today. It's designed to help business leaders and policymakers better understand the current landscape and make more informed decisions moving forward.

Drawing on insights from more than 300 businesses, the report highlights rising costs, workforce challenges, and policy pressures as key factors influencing decision-making across the sector. 

View the report at greenseam.org/sae/ or click the button below.

Grants Available to Boost Sales

of Minnesota Ag Products

Up to $2.25 million available through MDA’s AGRI Program

Agricultural businesses in south-central Minnesota have an opportunity to invest in growth and innovation through new funding from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA).

The MDA is now accepting applications for its Agricultural Growth, Research, and Innovation (AGRI) Value-Added Grant and Meat, Poultry, Egg, and Milk Processing (MPEM) Grant programs. Together, these reimbursement-based programs are expected to award up to $2.25 million to support projects that expand processing capacity, improve efficiency, and increase market access for Minnesota agricultural products.

For businesses and producers across the Region Nine Development Commission region, these grants present a valuable opportunity to strengthen local supply chains, add value to agricultural products, and reach new markets—both within Minnesota and beyond.

Eligible applicants may request between $1,000 and $150,000 per project, with a required cash match. Because these are reimbursement grants, awardees receive funding after project expenses have been paid and documented.

“These investments help businesses expand, innovate, and reach new markets,” said MDA Commissioner Thom Petersen. “They continue to deliver strong returns by building a more diverse and resilient agricultural economy in our state.”

Projects will be evaluated based on several criteria, with priority given to those that:

• Improve food safety
• Expand hemp fiber processing capacity
• Increase access to kosher or halal markets
• Are led by, serve, or positively impact Native American Tribal communities

Eligible expenses include a wide range of equipment and facility upgrades, such as:

• Equipment for producing value-added agricultural products
• Grading, packing, labeling, and packaging systems
• Refrigeration units and cooler infrastructure
• Livestock slaughter and processing equipment
• Dairy and egg processing equipment
• Technology that enhances product traceability and identity preservation

These grants are part of the MDA’s AGRI Program, which supports farmers, agribusinesses, and partners across Minnesota—including those in Region Nine—in advancing innovation and long-term economic resilience in the agricultural sector.

Applications must be submitted by 4 p.m. on Wednesday, June 17, 2026. Full eligibility requirements and application details are available on the AGRI Program website.

Contact RNDC if you need grant writing assistance or technical assistance at www.rndc.org/contact-us/#contact.

RNDC is continuing work on its five-year update to the Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS), a regional plan that sets priorities and guides investments across South Central Minnesota. The CEDS helps shape decisions around jobs, education, infrastructure, housing, childcare, broadband, and overall quality of life throughout the region’s nine counties.

Community engagement is central to this process. RNDC is calling on residents, workers, educators, and students to share their perspectives to ensure the plan reflects the real needs and opportunities across the region.

Listening to the Region Matters

A strong CEDS is built on the voices of the people it serves. Input gathered through surveys and engagement activities helps RNDC identify emerging challenges, understand local priorities, and make informed recommendations that benefit the entire region. By hearing directly from community members, RNDC can better align resources to support workforce development, access to childcare, housing availability, or economic growth.

Every response contributes to a clearer, more accurate picture of South Central Minnesota. When more people participate, the final plan becomes more representative and actionable. RNDC encourages individuals from all backgrounds, industries, and communities to take part so the CEDS reflects the strengths and opportunities in the region.

Survey are available at www.rndc.org/ceds.

RNDC is currently seeking input through the following surveys:



• Human Capital Survey — for anyone living or working in the region
• Education Survey — for teachers, counselors, workforce development professionals, and education staff
• Student Survey — for all local students

Responses are anonymous unless participants choose to provide contact information. Surveys are offered in both English and Spanish.

Engaging the Next Generation

RNDC is placing special emphasis on hearing from students across the region. The Student Survey is a critical opportunity to understand the perspectives, goals, and concerns of younger generations who will shape the future workforce and communities of South Central Minnesota.

Students experience the region in unique ways, through education systems, early career exploration, and decisions about whether to stay in or leave the area after graduation. Their insights can inform strategies around career pathways, workforce retention, housing, and quality of life.

RNDC encourages parents, educators, mentors, and community members to share the Student Survey with high school and college students in their lives. Increasing student participation ensures that the CEDS reflects not only current needs but also future opportunities and challenges.

Questions or Ideas?

For more information or to share additional input, contact Alejandra Bejarano at alejandra@rndc.org.