Last week near the end of the City Council meeting, Councilor Jessica Peterson White highlighted the program the city has put in place with
the Metropolitan Consortium of Community Developers as a strong if underpromoted service offered by the City of Northfield to small business owners and those looking to start a new business.
The MCCD is now in its second year of a contract with the City of Northfield to supplant services once offered by the Northfield Enterprise Center. Anna Watson of the Northfield Economic Development Authority said the MCCD is offering no cost business consulting to help people get a small business up and running.
Elle Khang of the MCCD holds open office hour on the fourth Thursday of every month at the Northfield Public Library to talk with entrepreneurs and small business owners to offer advice, technical assistance, and help finding access to capital.
“There is no appointment needed,” said Watson. “Just show up at the library and Elle will be happy to talk with you. If you need help with business & strategic planning, marketing & communications, or help finding professional services, Elle can do that for you. It doesn’t matter how technical the conversation could be, or if it’s just a basic entry level conversation.”
Khang is also a loan officer, said Watson, who can help business owners with loan applications or advise them on the type of loan they need.
Mayor Rhonda Pownell said this type of program is not a standard municipal service.
“It’s just an excellent resource and I’m just so grateful that we can make this available. Not all cities offer this service. People {in the business community] got together and they said, ‘we really want to ensure that our emerging businesses have the necessary support that they need to be able to grow, expand, be successful in our community.’ And the MCCD Is just a really excellent resource to do that.”
Additionally, Watson said MCCD also offers their services to non-English speakers as well, meaning the program is readily available for underserved segments of the Northfield population.
Watson said Khang is available on the fourth Thursday of each month from noon-3pm, or she can be contacted directly to schedule an appointment either in-person or virtually. For more information on the City of Northfield’s contract with the MCCD and the services they can provide, visit the Economic Development section of the Northfield website or mccdmn.org.
Concerns about landfill lifespan has county searching for food waste solutions
Rice County has announced an initiative designed to reduce the amount of food waste produced by county residents. 
According to U.S. Food and Drug Administration estimates, between 30% and 40% of the country’s food supply is wasted. At approximately 131 billion pounds annually, it is the largest category of material in municipal landfills. In 2010, that equaled $161 billion worth of food.
Through the Minesota Pollution Control Administration, the county has brought Emily Dresbach in to help find solutions to the issue. Dresbach, who graduated from St. Olaf College last May with a degree in biology and environmental studies, has been with the county on a temporary basis since September, helping Rice County reduce the amount of food waste that’s going to the landfill.
Dresbach said when people think about food, they should approach it with thoughts of reducing, reusing and recycling.
She has already put together a brochure and post cards to help educate area residents and businesses, and has connected with local businesses, food shelves, and Carleton College’s Food Recovery Network to see what systems can further reduce waste and get food that’s still edible into the hands of those in need.
She is excited about the opportunity to work in Rice County, she said, and to help move a food waste reduction program forward.
According to a statement released by the county, the landfill has approximately 22 years of operating life left.
‘Good Neighbor Award’ goes to Jeff Johnson
We don’t usually take victory laps at KYMN radio, because that is not the style of the owner and boss around here, Jeff Johnson. However, 
the staff of KYMN radio is proud to tell you that Jeff was honored last night by Laura Baker Services Association with their Good Neighbor Award.
The award is presented annually by LBSA to an organization or person who has assisted them in their mission to provide the highest level of service to their clients and helped them find the resources they need to do so.
Laura Baker Services Association is, of course, one of the most respected organizations in the area. Their stated mission is to respect the life choices and dreams of people with developmental disabilities and help them reach their goals. Many of Laura Baker’s clients live and work in the community, seamlessly and easily contributing to the quality of life that all Northfielders enjoy.
KYMN has had a long and fruitful relationship with Laura Baker Services, sponsoring many of their events, and offering airtime to members of the organization to discuss their many services and goings on.
While honoring Jeff last night, LBSA Director of Community Relations Andrei Sivanich referenced a series of podcasts KYMN produced for Laura Baker during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic called Why Community Matters. Directed by former KYMN News Director Teri Knight, the broadcasts, Sivanich said, highlighted the staffing challenges that Laura Bakr is always coping with and helped to explain the needs of all developmental disability service providers.
Sivanich pointed out that Jeff, through his support of the organization, provides an example for us all.
“He consistently helps amplify the voice of our staff, our clients, and our organization. Whether it’s sharing our messages, assisting us with fund raising efforts, or helping us engage with the community, Jeff and his radio station are the definition of a good neighbor. We’re grateful for all he does and are proud to honor Jeff and the KYMN radio team with this Good Neighbor Award.”
True to form, Mr. Johnson did not take much of the honor for himself, instead recognizing Knight’s contributions, and thanking his radio mentor, Wayne Eddie.
Everyone here at KYMN Radio, as well as former staffers, congratulates Jeff for a well-deserved honor.
Rich Larson is the KYMN News Director. Contact him at rich@kymnradio.net
[recent_post_carousel slides_to_show=”1″ limit=”5″ slides_to_scroll=”1″ category=”10″ media_size=”medium” dots=”false” show_read_more=”false”]
