Latino Enterprise Center (LEC)

These are projects under consideration or development for 2007

Project description: Used computers collection, refurbishing and redistribution project:
Goal: To supply low cost computers to Latino/a households.

Project description: Youth Farm Project:
Objective: To train youth on project management by raising a crop of black turtle beans during the summer of 2007. 10 acres have been secured. 6 youth from the High School plus their parents are involved.

Project description: Youth Parents’ Vegetable Garden
Objective: To involve the parents of High School youth in growing a variety of vegetables to improve their diet and increase their involvement with their children. One acre with water access has been reserved.

Project description: Northfield Farmers Market Project
Mission: To establish a Latino/a presence at the local farmer’s market by selling products from the above projects during the 2007 season.

Project description: Latino/a Farming Enterprises Development
Goal: To conduct 4 farm tours involving local Latinos/as interested in farming and visit farms around Northfield.
Objective: To secure 100 tillable acres to place interested agricultre entrepreneurs on the land for the 2008 season.

The most recent credit for leadership goes to a group of Northfielders who are not only top thinkers and strategists, but also solidly known for their accomplishments and local leadership. This group voluntarily accepted the challenge to look over the Latino Enterprise Center’s strategy and its role within a larger Latino Integration Strategy. Their input has brought the Latino Enterprise Center to a new level of thinking.

Meeting on February 21st above the First National Bank Northfield on Division Street, L to R in the photo: Rick Estenson Vice-President of Business Development at FNB, Lee Runzheimer, Executive Director of the Northfield Enterprise Center, Blake Abdela, private strategic planning and business consultant, me, and Charles Skinner, of FIT Organizations. Not pictured, Skip Simmerman, Ex. Director of the Northfield Area YMCA.

On January 12th, 2007, a large community meeting was held at St. Dominic’s Catholic Church.

Participants included more than 100 Latinos and representatives from the wider community including (front row, click photo to enlarge) Greenvale Park Elementary School principal Jeff Roland, School Superintendent Chris Richardson, Chief of Police Gary Smith, and staff members from the City of Northfield.

Northfield is no doubt a beautiful place (a river running through the historic downtown) with incredible intellectual brain power. As Niel Ritchie from the Main Street Project in Minneapolis puts it, “Northfield is an above average city.”

Just a few examples of its leadership: energy efficiency as posted on the Renew Northfield blog; regional connectedness through the Mill Towns Trail; the large wind turbines at both colleges; and the presence of the colleges themselves.

It is always good to remember that it is people who make all of this happen. As we look at what is already in place, let’s shape what is coming next so that we keep our heads above the tree tops and look far, wide and deep into the challenges of the future and the way we want Northfield to show leadership in the coming decades.

The aspect of the growing Latino/a population has received attention from outside consultants and an incredible commitment from the School District to develop programs that are inclusive and diverse. The community at large has responded through events such as the Dia de los Muertos celebration last November, and other activities.

Among the aspects of this new and growing population that have not been tackled in an effective and systematic way is economic development.

The Latino Enterprise Center has been taking shape for the last couple of months as the core strategic component for the city to capitalize on the larger economic opportunity created through the growth in the local Latino population.

You may have read some of the articles about this project; if not, you’ll soon be able to look into our online archive to check them out.

The process of creating the Latino Enterprise Center has involved many steps; these steps have resulted in the involvement of more than 106 individuals from the larger Northfield community, most of whom also lead organizations and businesses. Many have volunteered feedback and support to help shape this initiative.

Among the Latino/a community in Northfield, over 125 individuals have been involved at a general level, and at least 20 individuals have had a chance to provide direct input into the plan with 9 of them taking some level of leadership to move the project forward.

As the work continues, the Latino Enterprise Center is looking for organizations to join in this enterprise and build a city-wide partnership to accomplish what the Northfield’s Comprehensive Economic Development plan says, the “integration of the growing Latino population.”