NCEDA is the non-profit lending arm of R5DC. Sharing news, resources, events, and opportunities. | |
| NCEDA Announces New Members | | |
STAPLES, MN – North Central Economic Development Association (NCEDA) announces its 2026 new full corporation members: Ryan Damlo, representing Wadena County, and Leah Wolkow and Candace Bruder, representing Todd County.
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| | Regional Survey Invitation | | Mission Township Invites Community Members to Shape the Future of Their Community | | |
MERRIFIELD, MN – Mission Township is updating its Comprehensive Plan, and community members are invited to help shape what comes next.
Join us for a Community Visioning Session on Monday, May 11, from 5:30 - 6:30 p.m. at Mission Town Hall, 29474 County Road 3 in Merrifield. This is your chance to share ideas, talk about what’s important to you, and help guide future decisions. Reserve your spot.
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| Aerial image of the community of Remer. Photo credit: Kevin Behrens, Region Five Development Commission. | Community Survey is Open for Remer Residents | | |
Help Shape the Future of Remer! Your voice matters. From jobs and housing to parks, healthcare, safety, and more — we’re planning for a stronger, healthier, and more connected community.
Take a few minutes to share your thoughts and help guide the future of Remer. Every response counts!
Take the survey at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/Remer
The survey is open through May 25, 2026.
| | The interior of Grindstone Laundry, a commercial laundry facility in Hinckley, Minn., owned by the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe. Like nearly half of the tribes in the Minneapolis Fed’s Native Entity Enterprises Dataset, the Mille Lacs Band owns businesses in gaming and federal contracting. And like many tribes, its portfolio also includes businesses like Grindstone that fall outside those two industries. (Image courtesy of Mille Lacs Corporate Ventures). | | |
New analysis of Center for Indian Country Development dataset yields insights on tribal business diversification in gaming, federal contracting, and beyond
A new analysis of the Center for Indian Country Development’s (CICD’s) Native Entity Enterprises Dataset (NEED) finds that tribes with gaming operations and federal contracts tend to own more businesses than those without a footprint in those industries. But despite the importance of gaming and federal contracting to tribal revenue streams, tribes operate a majority of their businesses in other industries.
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| | Events, Training, and Webinars | | Photo courtesy Jake MacDonald/Minneapolis Fed; Getty Images | The Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis surveys farm lenders across the Ninth District quarterly to check the pulse of agriculture in this heavily rural region. | | |
Join regional economist Joe Mahon for a live webinar to discuss the latest results—gathered as spring planting was underway—on farm incomes, land values, and the impacts of interest rates on farm finances.
EVENT DETAILS
May 18, 2026
10:00–10:45 a.m. CT
Virtual video event
| | Business Education Through SCORE | |
The wealth of content available when starting or growing a business can be overwhelming, especially as you deal with so many areas of development, from finance to marketing to legal and business formation issues. Here are some excellent resources to help alleviate the overwhelm.
• May 7, 11 A.M. EDT | Building a Business Plan That Works: Key Elements Every Entrepreneur Needs
• May 7, 12:15 P.M. EDT | How to Design Your Website to Attract, Engage, and Convert More Customers
• May 7, 1:30 P.M. EDT | AI in 2026: What's Changing and What it Means for Small Business
• May 7, 2:45 P.M. EDT | How to Turn Your Side Hustle into A Full-Time Business
• May 7, 4 P.M. EDT | Finding Grants and Scholarships—Locate Opportunities, Apply Confidently, Stand Out to Funders
• May 19, 1 P.M EDT | Amplify Your Brand: Creating Marketing Strategies Around Major Events
| | NCEDA is the non-profit lending arm of R5DC. As of April 1st, we have a new location in Staples. Please update your records. Read more about it here. | | | | |
