Archives for October 2026

Funded through the Greater Twin Cities United Way: Building a Movement Grant, the United South Central and Madelia School Districts are redeveloping their high school course registration guides. The updates will reimagine career pathways in an easy-to-read booklet that is designed to be replicable across rural districts and used by students, teachers, and staff . CEDA Staff members Jack Wheeler and Hallie Raimann presented the project at the Career Connected Learning – Community of Practice at Owatonna High School in October

Both districts received $20,000 to integrate and implement the program. The funds are being used to hire a graphic designer, meet with school leaders, and work with industries to design personalized career pathways. Currently, many school districts rely on a black and white document that is lengthy, outdated, and does not represent the community well. Using this funding we will produce a visually-appealing booklet that is integrated with the school website, existing course registration process, and is easy to update for future classes.

The feedback from school principals, counselors, and staff has been incredibly strong, and many are eager to take the finished product into their communities. The project is expected to be completed by the end of the 26-27 school year in time for student registration.

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The Pelican Rapids Food Shelf is moving forward with plans for a community greenhouse at the Pelican Rapids Community Gardens, thanks to nearly $20,000 in funding secured by CEDA consultant, Katie Gehring, through partnerships with organizations including- Ag Country Farm Credit Services, Lake Region Electric Cooperative, and Arvig.

The project received a $10,000 Working Here Grant from AgCountry, providing a strong foundation for the greenhouse initiative. Located on city property near the water tower, the Community Gardens are managed by the Pelican Rapids Food Shelf and have served residents for 20 years, offering 47 plots for growing fresh produce and flowers.

The proposed greenhouse will expand the gardens’ impact by extending Minnesota’s growing season, increasing access to fresh, healthy food, and creating opportunities for education and community involvement. Plans also include educational workshops, opportunities to learn about gardening and healthy cooking, and rentable bench space for residents to start seedlings for their own gardens.

A project steering committee—including representatives from University of Minnesota Extension, Partnership4Health, local Master Gardeners, city staff , and community members—will meet November 19 to advance planning and move the project into the construction phase, with the goal of preparing for spring.

This collaborative effort demonstrates how partnerships and community investment can turn ideas into lasting resources. The greenhouse will build on the success of the Community Gardens while creating new opportunities for residents to grow food, learn new skills, and connect with their community.

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At CEDA, we believe collaboration is at the heart of thriving local economies. We are proud to have partnered with the 504 Corporation to present the 2026 Regional Impact Roundtable: Connecting Communities, Business and Capital.

The event, which took place at the beautiful Black Frost Distilling in New Ulm, MN, was designed to bridge the gap between vision and resources. Bringing together community leaders, business owners, and regional capital partners to collaborate and focus on driving sustainable economic progress in the region.

Rural and regional communities thrive when leaders work together with funding partners and business owners. The event dove into practical, actionable strategies for: fostering business expansion through identifying resources and pathways for existing businesses to scale, accessing capital by connecting business and community leaders with lenders, funding programs and strategic partners, and strengthening communities by sharing best practices and collaborative models that help to increase economic vitality.

Following the event where speakers from Black Frost Distilling, Bank Midwest, Citizens Bank Minnesota, Region 9, SMIF, 504 Corporation and CEDA spoke, attendees enjoyed a delicious meal by Lola and partook in a distillery tour or an afternoon golf outing.

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Child Care Is Economic Development:
Building Stronger Communities Through Collaboration CEDA participates in statewide conversation on child care, workforce development, and the future of rural communities.

Access to quality, affordable child care is about more than helping families. It’s an important part of building strong communities, supporting our workforce, and creating opportunities for businesses and families to succeed.

On October 20–21, CEDA Community and Business Development Specialist Allison Whalen participated as a panelist at First Children’s Finance’s 2026 Foundations of the Future: Child Care Is Economic Development conference in Willmar, Minnesota.

Whalen’s presentation focused on the importance of recognizing child care as essential community infrastructure, much like housing, transportation, and utilities. When families don’t have access to dependable child care, the impacts reach far beyond the household. Parents may struggle to remain in the workforce, employers face challenges attracting and retaining employees, and communities miss opportunities for growth.

Another important part of the conversation was understanding the financial challenges facing child care providers. While families are paying significant amounts for care, that doesn’t necessarily mean providers are making a profit. Between staffing, facilities, insurance, food, and other operating expenses, many providers are working with very narrow margins. Finding solutions means understanding the challenges on both sides and recognizing that quality, affordable child care needs to be sustainable for everyone involved.

The presentation also explored how local governments and economic development organizations can help. Whether it’s connecting providers with resources, addressing facility challenges, bringing partners together, or identifying opportunities for funding, there are ways communities can support child care without having to become child care providers themselves.

One of the highlights of the conference was the opportunity to connect with other professionals from across Minnesota who are working on many of these same challenges.

“One of the most valuable parts of this experience was meeting other professionals who are doing this important work in their own communities,” Whalen shared. “While our communities may be different, we’re facing many of the same challenges. Having those connections means we can share what’s working, learn from each other’s experiences, and help each other be more successful. We don’t all need to reinvent the wheel.”

Turning Conversations into Action in Fillmore County

This opportunity to learn from others comes at an important time as CEDA continues working with Fillmore County through First Children’s Finance’s Rural Child Care Innovation Program (RCCIP).

Since joining the program in 2025, Fillmore County has completed the first phase of the initiative, which focused on taking a closer look at the county’s child care landscape, identifying gaps in services, and better understanding the challenges facing families and providers. The county has since moved into goal setting and planning, bringing community members and stakeholders together to identify priorities and begin developing solutions.

One of the primary goals is to reduce Fillmore County’s child care slot deficit, closing the gap between the number of children needing care and the number of available child care spaces. Other priorities include improving communication about child care efforts and developing a centralized resource base to help families and providers find the information and support they need.

The next phase of RCCIP will focus on putting these goals into action. This includes identifying specific projects, building partnerships, and bringing additional volunteers and community members into the process.

The connections made at the conference will be valuable as this work continues. Learning what other communities have tried, what has worked, and even what hasn’t worked can help us make better decisions and use our resources more effectively.

Looking Ahead

“We can’t have a conversation about housing or attracting workforce without including child care in that conversation,” Whalen emphasized. “If we want families to move to our communities, put down roots, and contribute to our local economies, we need to make sure they have access to the services that make that possible.”

Child care is connected to housing, workforce development, business growth, and the overall quality of life in our communities. It deserves a place in our economic development discussions and planning efforts, rather than being treated as a separate issue.

There isn’t one solution that will work for every community, and addressing child care challenges won’t happen overnight. But by working together, sharing ideas, and taking a thoughtful approach to identifying and reducing barriers, we can make meaningful progress.

Through programs like RCCIP and partnerships with organizations and professionals across Minnesota, CEDA is helping communities move beyond identifying the challenges and toward finding solutions that work for the people who live and work there.

As we discuss new housing developments, workforce recruitment, and business expansion, we should all be asking ourselves: Does our community have the child care capacity to support that growth?

That’s a question worth asking at every economic development table.

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