EXCERPT: “Minnesota exports of agricultural, mining and manufactured products continued to grow, increasing by 19% to $5.7 billion in the third quarter of 2021, according to a report released today by the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED). State exports increased $916 million over the third quarter of 2020, continuing their strong recovery ...

January 2022 Whitney Oachs, Research Associate For a printable version of this report, click here. In 2007, Minnesota set a goal of reducing the state’s carbon emissions by 80% by 2050. Since then, electric utilities have been making significant progress, but not enough to meet the state’s interim carbon-reduction goals. The MN Department of Commerce’s ...

Whitney Oachs, Research Associate Tomorrow, I publish a new report, “Shifting Energy Infrastructure and Rural Minnesota,” which outlines the progress and barriers associated with a shift toward renewable energy. In conducting the research for this report, I heard many different perspectives on renewables, ranging from support for 100% green energy to a desire to continue ...

In this episode, hear from Kelly Asche and Ben Winchester as they discuss the narrative myths surrounding rural Minnesota, from population statistics, to workforce and housing. 

EXCERPT: “The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) announced Tuesday that eight construction projects in different areas of the state will receive a total of $18 million to improve transportation infrastructure that supports economic growth. According to MnDOT, the funding comes from the state’s competitive Transportation Economic Development (TED) program. The TED program targets transportation infrastructure projects that ...

Each year, the Center for Rural Policy and Development provides a brief update on various economic and demographic data pertaining to rural Minnesota. As policy discussions concerning rural Minnesota unfold, it is important to understand the past, present, and potential futures of rural regions. This report provides historical data points that illustrate how rural conditions ...

Minnesota has had some of the highest vaccination rates in the United States, but has still struggled among the nation’s highest COVID case rates in recent weeks. This webinar, hosted by CRPD and the COVID Collaborative, is a  conversation about how the pandemic has unfolded in rural Minnesota, what can be done to keep more ...

EXCERPT: “The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) awarded grants totaling $2,425,000 to 14 organizations representing communities throughout Minnesota to increase the supply of quality child care providers in order to support regional economic development. These grants authorize $5 million over the next two fiscal years for grants to local communities to increase ...

Every year the Center publishes the “State of Rural” report—a brief overview of demographic and economic trends from a rural perspective. This year’s report will be published in December 2021. Over the next few months, we will be writing here on our blog about some of the trends we’re looking at, taking a deeper dive into the data ...

EXCERPT: “The last two years have been pivotal ones for the future of high-speed internet access in Minnesota. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted and exacerbated the lack of broadband in many parts of the state as people shifted to remote work and school. Congress poured unprecedented amounts of money into subsidizing construction of new infrastructure like fiber-optic ...