After several busy months of taking advantage of warm weather, the leaves start to drop from the trees in preparation for winter and I am reminded of the importance of slowing down and connecting with others. At Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation (SMIF) we are spending this season connecting with many of our partners in our 20-county region at several major events. We … [Read more...]
Approaches to the child care shortage
In 2016 Minnesotans were alerted to a serious lack of child care by the Center for Rural Policy and Development. Since then, there have been many efforts to work toward solutions. At Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation (SMIF), we have been supporting the communities in our 20-county region through various programs and trainings. In SMIF’s region alone, we have a … [Read more...]
Growing the local foods economy
This time of year, the farmers’ markets are rich with local vegetables, berries, meats, breads and jams. It’s a visual testament to the abundance of our region and the ever-growing local foods economy that is sustained by consumers who want to buy directly from area farmers. At Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation (SMIF), we have been supporting the local foods economy in … [Read more...]
SMIF Stakeholders on the Bus – Regional bus tour visits Mower, Fillmore and Houston Counties
Every summer I look forward to Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation’s (SMIF) annual bus tour. For the fifth year, SMIF staff and board spent the day visiting partners who are making a difference in their community. This year we traveled to the eastern part of our 20-county region – Mower, Fillmore and Houston counties. We started out the tour by enjoying a meal from SMIF … [Read more...]
Working together for greater impact
At Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation (SMIF), our tagline is “Collaborating for Regional Vitality.” Whether we are working with partners in early childhood, economic development or community vitality, we do our best to complement what others are doing in those arenas so that collectively we can have more results than we would have separately. This spirit of collaboration … [Read more...]