Southwest RSDP
Southwest RSDP
The University of Minnesota Extension Southwest Regional Sustainable Development Partnership (Southwest RSDP) works with community members across the region to create and sustain healthy ecosystems, strong local economies and vibrant, self-reliant rural towns. We launch education and research that help people understand and achieve sustainability across southwestern Minnesota. We support projects that demonstrate public purpose and build partnerships with residents of the region.
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The Southwest region includes the counties of Big Stone, Brown, Chippewa, Cottonwood, Douglas, Grant, Jackson, Kandiyohi, Lac qui Parle, Lincoln, Lyon, Martin, McLeod, Meeker, Murray, Nobles, Pipestone, Pope, Redwood, Sibley, Renville, Rock, Stevens, Swift, Traverse, Watonwan and Yellow Medicine, and shares geography with the Upper Sioux and Lower Sioux sovereign Native nations.
Southwest RSDP has been serving rural Minnesota for two decades. From 1998 through 2011, the West Central RSDP operated as a 12-county region. The geographic region was expanded in 2012 to include all counties in the southwest part of Minnesota, and the program renamed Southwest RSDP. New members of the board of directors were elected to represent the newly included counties.
The Mary J. Page Community-University Partnerships Fund honors former Olivia Mayor, Renville County Commissioner and University of Minnesota Regent Mary Page for her contributions to community-driven sustainability projects across Southwest Minnesota and beyond. Mary helped create, and then served on, the founding board of the West Central RSDP from 1999-2007, and gave statewide leadership to RSDP until 2009.
Reducing the burden of energy costs for food shelf shoppers
Neighbors United Resource Center in Granite Falls has been working with volunteers and shoppers to reduce the burden of energy costs. In partnership with the City of Granite Falls Municipal Utilities, Neighbors United ordered home energy conservation kits to distribute to shoppers. The kits include items like energy efficient light bulbs, low-flow sink kits to reduce hot water consumption, and more.
World Mart project team and electrical engineering students visit the WCROC and University of Minnesota Morris campus
Southwest RSDP board members
- Laura DeBeer, laura.debeer@state.mn.us - Marshall, MN
- Sara Gronfeld, sara.gronfeld@mn.nacdnet.net - Johnson, MN
- Michele Huggins, doughpcreations@outlook.com - Granite Falls, MN
- Eric L'Abbé, eric@ericrathman.com - Worthington, MN
- David Lieser, kada@charter.net - Montevideo, MN
- Sara Sietsema, ssietsema@willmarmn.gov - Willmar, MN
- Becky Yust, byust@umn.edu - St. Paul, MN
- Charlene Graff, cgraff@2harvest.org - Lamberton, MN
- Clement Loo, cloo@morris.umn.edu - Morris, MN
- Knute Oldre, knute.oldre@bankwithssb.com - Luverne, MN