Rural Grocery Initiative

Rural Grocery Initiative RGI aims to sustain locally-owned rural groceries to enhance community vitality & access to healthy food.

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Thank you to these bronze level sponsors of the 2026 National Rural Grocery Summit that are supporting our mission to he...
03/05/2026

Thank you to these bronze level sponsors of the 2026 National Rural Grocery Summit that are supporting our mission to help sustain locally-owned rural grocery stores across the nation! Look out for representatives from these organizations at the Summit.

⭐ ECRS
⭐ Minnesota Department of Agriculture
⭐ North Dakota Dept. of Commerce
⭐ NDSU Extension
⭐ The Food Trust
⭐ U of MN Extension Regional Sustainable Development Partnerships
⭐ Upstream Strategies

🚨 Don't forget to register soon for the National Rural Grocery Summit! Early bird rates end March 15th. Register here: h...
03/04/2026

🚨 Don't forget to register soon for the National Rural Grocery Summit! Early bird rates end March 15th. Register here: https://www.ruralgrocery.org/summit/register/

The Rural Grocery Initiative is excited to co-host the 2026 Summit with two organizations that have a long history of supporting rural grocers in their states: the U of MN Extension Regional Sustainable Development Partnerships and the NDAREC.

This year's Summit includes four tours to innovative grocery stores in Minnesota and North Dakota, over 25 breakout sessions, countless opportunities for networking, learning and more! 🌟

Our team is excited to be participating in this webinar to share about the role of grocers in Food is Medicine. Register...
03/04/2026

Our team is excited to be participating in this webinar to share about the role of grocers in Food is Medicine. Register at the link below to listen in on March 18th!

Save the Date! Join us for the next webinar in our Foundations of Food is Medicine Learning Series.

Role of Producers, Processors & Grocers in Food is Medicine

This session will explore the role of producers, processors, and grocery retailers in advancing Food is Medicine in Kansas. We'll highlight how partnerships across the food supply chain and healthcare sector have the potential to strengthen rural grocery infrastructure and local growers while also expanding access to healthy foods in our communities.

Time: 1 p.m. CT
Date: March 18
Register: https://bit.ly/4rh1C9a

Looking for an economical way to get to the National Rural Grocery Summit? New this year, the Rural Grocery Initiative i...
03/02/2026

Looking for an economical way to get to the National Rural Grocery Summit? New this year, the Rural Grocery Initiative is chartering a bus for attendees traveling to Fargo! The bus will depart on May 4th from Wichita, KS, make a stop in Kansas City and Council Bluffs, IA, then continue on to Fargo, ND where the conference will be held. The bus will return on May 8th. Save your seat on the bus here: https://www.ruralgrocery.org/summit/travel-support/

*Note that a bus ticket does not constitute event registration. Registration for the National Rural Grocery Summit must be completed separately here: https://www.ruralgrocery.org/summit/register/

Thank you to these sponsors of the 2026 National Rural Grocery Summit that are supporting our mission to help sustain lo...
02/18/2026

Thank you to these sponsors of the 2026 National Rural Grocery Summit that are supporting our mission to help sustain locally-owned rural grocery stores across the nation!

⭐ North Central Regional Center for Rural Development
⭐ Natural Grocers
⭐ Minnkota Power Cooperative
⭐ Network Kansas
⭐ North Dakota Department of Agriculture

Are you interested in applying for the Kansas Healthy Food Initiative's Predevelopment Technical Assistance Grant? If so...
02/11/2026

Are you interested in applying for the Kansas Healthy Food Initiative's Predevelopment Technical Assistance Grant? If so, you may want to attend our open office hours to ask questions about your project idea and eligibility. We are hosting two more office hours before the application deadline of February 27th. Register for the Zoom link to attend our optional office hours from 11 AM to 12 PM Central Time on February 12th and February 26th here: https://ksu.zoom.us/meeting/register/MJJpk_yKTbeqnySNli0r3A

Join us for one of four pre-conference rural grocery tours ahead of the 2026 National Rural Grocery Summit! 🚌🛒 From tour...
02/06/2026

Join us for one of four pre-conference rural grocery tours ahead of the 2026 National Rural Grocery Summit! 🚌🛒 From touring a unique self-serve grocery store with a 24-hour model to visiting one of the members of the innovative Rural Access Distribution (RAD) Cooperative, there is so much to see while you are in the area. Learn more about each of the four tour options here: https://www.ruralgrocery.org/summit/agenda/

*Note: If you want to join us for a tour, you must sign up when registering for the Summit here: https://www.ruralgrocery.org/summit/register/

Did you know we have a rural grocery policy tracker? This resource is intended to help stakeholders stay informed of rec...
02/02/2026

Did you know we have a rural grocery policy tracker? This resource is intended to help stakeholders stay informed of recently proposed or enacted legislation impacting rural grocers and their communities. Learn more and access the tracker at https://www.ruralgrocery.org/learn/policy-tracker/

Note: The Rural Grocery Initiative does not advocate for or against nor endorse any policy listed in this tracker.

Each month, our team highlights a rural grocery store. This month, we are excited to highlight Greg's Market in Exeter, ...
01/30/2026

Each month, our team highlights a rural grocery store. This month, we are excited to highlight Greg's Market in Exeter, Nebraska! This store was purchased by a group of community investors in 2020 who sought to keep the store open. Recently, the investors have worked to transition the store to a 24/7 model, with more than 10% of the community investing in the membership. Read highlights from our interview conducted after we visited the store to learn more about the store's experience with this new model: https://www.ruralgrocery.org/learn/rural-grocery-spotlight/gregs-market.html

Curious about our Kansas Healthy Food Initiative Predevelopment Technical Assistance Grant Program? Check out this news ...
01/29/2026

Curious about our Kansas Healthy Food Initiative Predevelopment Technical Assistance Grant Program? Check out this news story published today to learn more about it and the nine projects across the state of Kansas that have already received funding: https://ksre-learn.com/locally-grown-food-grants

We are currently accepting applications for our third round of funding with a deadline of February 27, 2026!

The Kansas Healthy Food Initiative has opened applications for a grant program that awarded more than one quarter of a million dollars last year to support local and regional food systems throughout the state.

The nomination deadline is approaching for the 2026 Rural Grocer of the Year and Grocery Champion of the Year Awards! Aw...
01/26/2026

The nomination deadline is approaching for the 2026 Rural Grocer of the Year and Grocery Champion of the Year Awards! Awards will be presented at the 2026 National Rural Grocery Summit in Fargo, ND in May. Nominations are due by January 31, 2026. Self-nominations are allowed. Learn more here: https://www.ruralgrocery.org/summit/awards/

🚨Summit Registration Open 🚨Registration is officially OPEN for the 2026 National Rural Grocery Summit in Fargo, ND from ...
01/22/2026

🚨Summit Registration Open 🚨

Registration is officially OPEN for the 2026 National Rural Grocery Summit in Fargo, ND from May 5-7!

Highlights include:
🛒 Registration is free to grocers (up to two per store) until March 15th,
🗣️ Multiple keynotes from thought leaders in rural grocery,
🚌 Optional tours featuring innovative rural grocery models in Minnesota and North Dakota,
🤝 Countless networking opportunities,
➕ And more!

Learn more and register here by March 15th to secure early bird pricing: https://www.ruralgrocery.org/summit/register/

Co-hosted with University of Minnesota Extension Regional Sustainable Development Partnerships and NDAREC.

Address

Manhattan, KS
66506

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 5pm
Tuesday 8am - 5pm
Wednesday 8am - 5pm
Thursday 8am - 5pm
Friday 8am - 5pm

Telephone

(785) 532-6868

Alerts

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