The University of Minnesota
Southeast Regional Sustainable Development Partnership
Experiment in Rural Cooperation

Rural areas in southeast Minnesota are experiencing changes resulting from large-scale shifts in America's economy and social character. New technologies, global trade, changing demographics and land use pressures present difficult challenges to sustaining rural life and enhancing rural vitality. Addressing these challenges necessitates that the region's citizens work together in focused ways on new solutions. The Experiment in Rural Cooperation (ERC) is designed to facilitate this process by making available University resources to support community-based initiatives in agriculture, natural resources, tourism and community development.

ERC is the University of Minnesota Southeast Minnesota Regional Sustainable Development Partnership. It encompasses the Mississippi River Blufflands and the Rochester Plateau - an area that includes Goodhue, Wabasha, Winona, Houston, Olmsted, Fillmore, Dodge and Mower counties, and portions of Rice, Steele and Freeborn counties.

ERC works with citizens in southeast Minnesota to create and sustain healthy ecosystems, strong local economies and vibrant, self-reliant communities. We envision people working together for a sustainable future.  ERC supports projects that demonstrate public purpose and is committed to building partnerships that connect the citizens of southeastern Minnesota to local assets and the educational, research and outreach resources of the University of Minnesota.

We are committed to:

• protecting and restoring our environmental resource bases so they provide for our needs and the needs of future generations in the region;

• building resilience and self-reliance in our region and communities;

• encouraging community decision-making that balances people’s economic, human and social needs with impacts on the environment and fosters an understanding of the differences between growth (getting bigger) and development (getting better);

• creating and supporting thriving communities where a diverse range of citizens participate, identify their goals and work together to marshal local and regional resources to achieve them;

• encouraging sustainable economic development activities, capitalizing on local natural resources, ownership, talents, imagination and craftsmanship;

• supporting strategies and projects that have clear potential for public purpose and sustainable results that are adaptable for use by others - and may not be possible without our support;

• establishing new, innovative approaches linking community interests with the University of Minnesota’s land grant mission.

With over $1 million of University of Minnesota/ERC funds, over 50 community-based projects have been supported to date, since 1998. As our work unfolds over time, the number of projects will change and the process will respond to emerging opportunities identified by board members and by local interests throughout southeast Minnesota.

ERC's 18-member board of directors represents a broad cross-section of southeast Minnesota citizen leaders, as well as University of Minnesota interests. Citizens or University faculty interested in serving on the board should click "SE: APPLY-Board of Directors" from the list on the left side of this page and/or call contact our office for more information.

Contact information:

Erin Meier, Director
Experiment in Rural Cooperation
tegtm003@umn.edu
UM Rochester: 507-536-6313
Fax: 507-536-6311 

Rochester office mailing address:

UM Extension SE Regional Office
863 30th Ave SE
Rochester, MN 55904

 

Rochester office location:

UCR-Heintz Center
1926 College View Road SE
Rochester, MN

ERC SE Brochure