The Latino Economic Development Center's (LEDC) mission is to help Latino entrepreneurs and small businesses in Minnesota launch and grow. As an organization created by Latinos, for Latinos, LEDC provides classes, workshops, one-on-one assistance, agricultural assistance services, a kitchen incubator, and loans as a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI). LEDC regularly works with farmers and other businesses in the food and agriculture industry and through their technical assistance and will help the RFSI program benefit the Latino community in Minnesota.
Assistance includes:
- Services and training offered in Spanish to assist Latino farmers, food businesses, and organizations access the RFSI program
- Food and agriculture business development consulting, such as business and financial planning, legal and regulatory awareness, marketing assistance, record keeping support, and succession planning
- Value-chain coordination and supporting access to markets
- Grant writing and administration guidance for RFSI as well as other grant programs
- Access to other sources of capital through financial literacy training, and loan package assistance, and direct lending as a CDFI
- Networking and peer-to-peer sharing opportunities for Latino food and agriculture businesses and other value-chain stakeholders
- Network referrals to other technical assistance and service providers with appropriate expertise
Contact LEDC:
- Danny Jacobo, danny@ledcmn.org
- LEDC Contact Form
The Latino Economic Development Center's (LEDC) mission is to help Latino entrepreneurs and small businesses in Minnesota launch and grow. As an organization created by Latinos, for Latinos, LEDC provides classes, workshops, one-on-one assistance, agricultural assistance services, a kitchen incubator, and loans as a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI). LEDC regularly works with farmers and other businesses in the food and agriculture industry and through their technical assistance and will help the RFSI program benefit the Latino community in Minnesota.
Assistance includes:
- Services and training offered in Spanish to assist Latino farmers, food businesses, and organizations access the RFSI program
- Food and agriculture business development consulting, such as business and financial planning, legal and regulatory awareness, marketing assistance, record keeping support, and succession planning
- Value-chain coordination and supporting access to markets
- Grant writing and administration guidance for RFSI as well as other grant programs
- Access to other sources of capital through financial literacy training, and loan package assistance, and direct lending as a CDFI
- Networking and peer-to-peer sharing opportunities for Latino food and agriculture businesses and other value-chain stakeholders
- Network referrals to other technical assistance and service providers with appropriate expertise
Contact LEDC:
- Danny Jacobo, danny@ledcmn.org
- LEDC Contact Form
Technical Assistance Trainings and Events
These trainings and events are made possible through the Minnesota Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure program, which is funded by a cooperative agreement between the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA). The contents of the presentations and other program materials are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of USDA or the MDA.
The Agricultural Utilization Research Institute (AURI) is offering free group consultations with an AURI food scientist.
To kick off each session, an AURI food scientist will present a few minutes of educational content (based on questions submitted during registration or other available content), and then answer questions in an open Q&A format. Guest experts may be available upon request.
These sessions are offered virtually twice per month:
- 4-5 p.m. on the second Thursday of the month
- 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. on the fourth Thursday of the month
Register for each session you're interested in attending.
The Agricultural Utilization Research Institute (AURI) is offering free group consultations with an AURI food scientist.
To kick off each session, an AURI food scientist will present a few minutes of educational content (based on questions submitted during registration or other available content), and then answer questions in an open Q&A format. Guest experts may be available upon request.
These sessions are offered virtually twice per month:
- 4-5 p.m. on the second Thursday of the month
- 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. on the fourth Thursday of the month
Register for each session you're interested in attending.
Cooperative Development Services is offering a free training series for startup producer co-ops. Although particularly suited for emerging co-ops, the program will also be useful to directors and managers of co-ops that are already operating. The series will focus on the cooperative business model and the formation and governance of early-stage cooperatives. In addition to instructor-led training, participants will have a chance to meet and learn from peer producer co-ops. Co-ops are encouraged send multiple participants.
Register for the training series.
The training sessions will be held virtually on Wednesdays from 6-7:30 p.m. Session dates and titles:
- February 19 – Session 1: An Introduction to Cooperatives
- February 26 – Session 2: The Cooperative Development Process
- March 5 – Session 3: Ownership Model Canvas
- March 12 – Session 4: Business Model Canvas
- March 19 – Session 5: Governance Essentials for Startup Co-ops
Cooperative Development Services is offering a free training series for startup producer co-ops. Although particularly suited for emerging co-ops, the program will also be useful to directors and managers of co-ops that are already operating. The series will focus on the cooperative business model and the formation and governance of early-stage cooperatives. In addition to instructor-led training, participants will have a chance to meet and learn from peer producer co-ops. Co-ops are encouraged send multiple participants.
Register for the training series.
The training sessions will be held virtually on Wednesdays from 6-7:30 p.m. Session dates and titles:
- February 19 – Session 1: An Introduction to Cooperatives
- February 26 – Session 2: The Cooperative Development Process
- March 5 – Session 3: Ownership Model Canvas
- March 12 – Session 4: Business Model Canvas
- March 19 – Session 5: Governance Essentials for Startup Co-ops
The Agricultural Utilization Research Institute (AURI) is offering free group consultations with an AURI food scientist.
To kick off each session, an AURI food scientist will present a few minutes of educational content (based on questions submitted during registration or other available content), and then answer questions in an open Q&A format. Guest experts may be available upon request.
These sessions are offered virtually twice per month:
- 4-5 p.m. on the second Thursday of the month
- 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. on the fourth Thursday of the month
Register for each session you're interested in attending.
Cooperative Development Services is offering a free training series for startup producer co-ops. Although particularly suited for emerging co-ops, the program will also be useful to directors and managers of co-ops that are already operating. The series will focus on the cooperative business model and the formation and governance of early-stage cooperatives. In addition to instructor-led training, participants will have a chance to meet and learn from peer producer co-ops. Co-ops are encouraged send multiple participants.
Register for the training series.
The training sessions will be held virtually on Wednesdays from 6-7:30 p.m. Session dates and titles:
- February 19 – Session 1: An Introduction to Cooperatives
- February 26 – Session 2: The Cooperative Development Process
- March 5 – Session 3: Ownership Model Canvas
- March 12 – Session 4: Business Model Canvas
- March 19 – Session 5: Governance Essentials for Startup Co-ops
The Groundwater Protection Act (MN Statute 103H) directs the MDA to evaluate the detection of pollution resulting from agricultural chemicals in groundwater (MN Statute 103H.251). At the direction of the Minnesota Legislature (Minnesota Session Law 2013, Chapter 137, Article 2, Section 3, part b) the MDA began evaluating pesticide presence and magnitude in private residential drinking water wells in Dakota County in September of 2014 as part of the PWPS Pilot Project. The PWPS Pilot Project served as a model for the implementation of the PWPS Project throughout the state.
