Northfield Resources
Green and Sustainble Living Resources for Northfield, Minnesota
Northfield, MN is located 35 miles south of the Twin Cities, 6 miles east of I-35. Population: 18,256 (2003 estimate), includes 5,000 college students
On the banks of the Cannon River sits Northfield, Minnesota, well known for its defeat of Jesse James and as the home of Malt-O-Meal. Northfield is also emerging as a model green community.
In August 2006, Northfield was listed as one of the “12 Great Places You’ve Never Heard Of” by Mother Earth News. Residents and visitors enjoy two exceptional liberal arts colleges that are increasingly focused on sustainable initiatives like wind power and green building. St. Olaf College’s new science complex will be green, and carries a goal for LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold certification. St. Olaf also serves local foods in its cafeteria and composts its food waste. A myriad of community organizations educate the public on food, transportation, water and energy issues. The many family farmers in the area provide sustainably-grown produce, meat and dairy products at the Farmers Market and at Just Food Co-op. Even local government is going green, consciously working toward sustainability with the formation of a Mayor’s Energy Taskforce and a Mayor’s Taskforce on Nonmotorized Transportation.
Visitors to Northfield will enjoy Carleton College’s beautiful Arboretum- 880 acres of prairie and forest with 10 miles of trails. Just Food Co-op, the local natural food co-op, hosts many no- or low-cost classes, discussions, lectures and film showings throughout the year on a wide range of topics. And our lively downtown is easily accessible by bicycle or on foot.
*Note: The organizations and businesses on this page were chosen by the author and are not necessarily endorsed by Do It Green! Minnesota.
Food
Just Food Co-op
Northfield, MN, 507-650-0106
Northfield Community Gardeners
centerforsustainableliving.org/wordpress/gardeners/
Northfield Farmers Market
Located in downtown Northfield at Riverside Park on 7th St.
Open 11:45am—1 p.m. Tues & Fri, 9am—12 noon Sat.
Biodiesel:AmCon Station
109 Water Street N (off of Hwy 3)
866-509-8266
Running B99 in the warm months and a blend in the cooler months
Organizations
Cannon River Watershed Partnership
507-786-8400 • crwp.net
CRWP coordinates existing local and state government and citizen resources in implementation of local water plans, instills a sense of watershed pride through education, information and special events, and provides for cooperative management and protection of the watershed.
Center for Sustainable Living
PO Box 414
Northfield, MN 55057
centerforsustainableliving.org
The Center for Sustainable Living, a small 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, is dedicated to developing and administering programs and initiatives which foster liveability and sustainability for communities.
RENew Northfield
RENew Northfield’s mission is to lead the Northfield-area community to energy self-sufficiency.
CSAs (Community Supported Agriculture Farms)
For more local CSA farms, visit Just Food Co-op in March during their CSA Fair.
Open Hands Farm, LLC
Erin Johnson and Ben Doherty
Northfield, MN
(507) 645-2871
Valley Creek CSA
Northfield, MN
507-645-6414
Big Woods Farm
Laurie and David Hougen-Eitzman
Nerstrand, MN 55053
(507) 334-3335
Colleges
St Olaf College
Northfield, MN, (507) 786-2222
Green Initiatives (includes a wind turbine, industrial composter):
STOGROW (student-run organic farm):
stolaf.edu/orgs/stogrow
Carleton College
Northfield, MN
(507) 646-4000
Campus Sustainability Initiatives (includes a wind turbine, green roof project):
carleton.edu/campus/sustainability/initiatives/
Businesses
Sustainable Community Solutions
sustainablecommunitysolutions.com
Specializes in identifying and prioritizing cost-effective green building, energy efficiency and renewable energy solutions for homes, businesses, institutions and communities.
Schmidt Homes
schmidthomes.com
100% Energy Star certified new homes.
Local Government Initiatives
City of Northfield
Northfield Environmental Quality Commission
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