Rural Innovation

Applications are now open for the 2025 Rural Business Innovation Lab Cohort!

Deadline to apply is February 24, 2025.
Have questions or want to discuss your eligibility? Contact Cameron Payne at cameron.payne@cedausa.com and we’ll be happy to set up a call.

Program overview

The Rural Business Innovation Lab (RBIL) is a cohort-based, entrepreneurial development program aiming to redefine the false narrative of rural decline. RBIL will build a peer network dense with innovative ideas, professional expertise, and resources needed for underserved rural entrepreneurs to start and scale their businesses.

Eligibility and Selection Criteria

RBIL welcomes applications from businesses meeting the following criteria:

Rural Location: Businesses must be headquartered or planning to relocate to a rural community.
Ability to Scale: Entrepreneurs must have a minimum viable product (MVP) and demonstrate potential for national or international growth while scaling within rural MN and WI.
Commitment to Innovation: Companies creating unique products, services, or solutions to address challenges are strongly encouraged.
Challenges to Address: Applicants must identify at least one business challenge they cannot solve independently. RBIL equips participants with resources to overcome these obstacles.
Revenue: Annual revenue between $10,000 and $5,000,000. Two slots are reserved for pre-revenue companies.

Program Benefits

Participants selected for the 2025 cohort will receive:

Eight months of free one-on-one consulting with weekly tailored sessions.
Access to industry experts and professional consultants.
Interactive educational workshops with thought leaders.
Membership in a supportive community of 8-12 entrepreneurial peers.
Ability to apply for up to $5,000 in technical assistance grants.

RBIL supports entrepreneurs from all backgrounds, addressing unique challenges faced by BIPOC, women, veterans, and LGBTQ+ individuals in rural Minnesota. The aim is to provide equal access and promote culturally relevant business practices.

Interested in learning more about RBIL?

Check out our video and follow us on Instagram!

Cohort Two 2024

CEDA’s Rural Business Innovation Lab is proud to announce the selection of its second cohort, consisting of eleven companies.

This diverse group of businesses and organizations has been carefully chosen based on their alignment with the program’s criteria and their demonstrated interest in scaling and innovation. The selected participants are set to embark on an eight-month journey to accelerate their growth and drive positive change in rural areas.

The 2024 Rural Business Innovation Lab cohort consists of the following entities:

Baptism River Barbeque

Silver Bay, MN

Baptism River Barbeque produces smoked meats and sides featuring locally sourced produce, animals, and hardwoods grown along Lake Superior’s north shore. They are creating a true northwoods barbecue that you can’t get anywhere else.

Bayl

Northfield, MN

Rooted in the Midwestern plains, Bayl creates heirloom-quality woolen goods. Born from collaborations, and a connection to the more-than-human world- it is an expression of the human tradition of shepherding and is now reimagining the future of ethical apparel.

Fiddlehead Knob

Le Roy, MN

Fiddlehead Knob is a fourth-generation family farm committed to local food & sustainability. As a fully solar-powered farm they specialize in cultivating & foraging a wide a wide variety of mushrooms year-round, which they sell at area farmer’s markets, restaurants, and food hubs.

Rustic Roots

Alexandria, MN

Rustic Roots Farm is a small family farm whose mission is to balance sustainable natural resources with a blend of innovative techniques and traditional methods to produce the highest quality products for their customers. The farm was started to spread the values of independence, hard work, self-reliance, perseverance, and creative thinking.

Cannon Valley Graziers

Northfield, MN

With backgrounds in agriculture, land management, and conservation ecology, they set out on a mission to have a positive impact on the ecology, soil health and water quality of Southern Minnesota. Cannon Valley Graziers specializes in adaptive grazing & targeted vegetation management.

Embark Maple

Viroqua, WI

Embark starts with organic Maple Syrup, harvested from a farm in the Driftless region of Wisconsin. All of our products are made from real, simple foods, certified organic and of the highest quality. Organic Maple Syrup from our farm and a pinch of Sea Salt provides the energy, electrolytes and nutrition found in commercial energy gels, with easily digested, outstanding flavor.

Simple Cider Co.

Annandale, MN

Simple Cider Co. is a hand-crafted family experience where parents unwind, and kids thrive! Serving both hard cider and NA juice, Simple Cider Co. has set out to build an adult- and kid-friendly space, redefining what “open to all ages” truly means.

Get Bentz Farm

Northfield, MN

This farm raises Icelandic and Icelandic cross sheep on a beautiful section of land that overlooks the Cannon River Valley. Here you can find a variety of products from their sheep including yarn, meat, and sheepskins. They also have a woolen mill which is home to Badgerface Fiber. They source local fibers, paying a fair wage for their raw materials, and turn them into beautiful roving, yarn, and rug yarn.

Driftless Seeds

Ferryville, WI

Grown In And For The Midwest. At Driftless Seed Supply, they dig deep to offer high-quality seeds and supplies with integrity and transparency for Midwest growers. They provide locally produced, regionally adapted vegetable, flower and native prairie seeds, with a priority to offer certified organic seed when possible.

Lavender Barnyard

Farmington, MN

The lavender barnyard is a family farm that not only grows and sells native Minnesota lavender but provides a space for inspiration, tranquility, and well-being. Whether you want to buy some relaxing lavender lotion or go and pick your own fresh lavender, there’s a way for anyone to feel relaxed on this farm.

Lakota Made

Mankato, MN

This company makes indigenous first herbal remedies and eco-friendly personal care products. Megan L. Schnitker is an Indigenous Traditional Herbalist, she has no formal education in this other than her own research and learning from her elders. All products are locally sustainably harvested made with filtered beeswax, organic sunflower oil or organic olive oil.

The cohort’s formation was a natural outcome, with applicants chosen based on their alignment with program goals and their potential for growth and innovation.

CEDA’s Rural Business Innovation Lab is committed to supporting rural entrepreneurs and fostering economic growth. With a focus on sustainability, climate change mitigation, and operational scalability, the program sets the stage for the participating businesses and nonprofits to thrive and make a lasting impact in their communities.

Cohort One 2023

CEDA’s Rural Business Innovation Lab is proud to announce the selection of its first cohort, consisting of eight companies, including two nonprofits.

The first Rural Business Innovation Lab cohort consists of the following entities:

Stablefeed

A premium equine food and supplement company. Their horse feed is an innovative use of organic and minimally processed superfoods. StableFeed’s goal is to provide today’s horse owner with a clean and wholesome feed option so that their horses can return to a more natural and raw diet.

Perennial Pantry

A startup working to develop and market kernza grain products. Kernza is a regenerative crop (a cousin of wheat), which means that it lives for multiple years which in turn creates healthier soil. With more protein than any other grain and a high fiber food, kernza is taking over every aspect of the kitchen.

The Meatery

An online marketplace for meat producers and consumers. The Meatery’s goal is to educate consumers with access to small meat producers, supply options to a variety of products, and provide unique ways to cook up a great meal for the whole table.

Southeast Minnesota Food Rescue and Redistribution

A nonprofit that works with startup farmers from culturally diverse backgrounds, emphasizing indigenous products and practices. By connecting farmers who have an abundance of crops and homes that face food insecurity, this organization is both decreasing food waste and reducing food deserts.

3Cricketeers

A cricket farm that grows and harvests crickets for use in specialized food products. This is a product that not only fuels humans but also fuels the earth. With less water, land, and almost no emission of greenhouse gasses, 3Cricketeers’ products also provide more health benefits than a typical protein source. It’s the superfood that’s saving the planet and our health!

Clear Water Nitrate Reduction

An environmental engineering and services company specializing in innovative conservation practices. Through research and development the company has been able to design technology that can decrease the amount of nitrogen in run-off water from farm lands.

Makotah Veterinary Center

A rural veterinary center that provides services for a mixed variety of animals, running from dogs and cats to horses and cows. This practice is not only trying to serve their community with this necessary service, but also making legislative changes in the veterinary world to make it more accessible for small farmers in rural areas.

Depot Studios

A nonprofit specializing in processing milkweed pods for garment insulation products. While the plant grows like a weed and is also a perennial, its use has an unbelievable potential. Depot Studios isn’t only focused on the environmental impact, but also has the mission to provide full time jobs to their community where a lot of the work can be very seasonal.

The cohort’s formation was a natural outcome, with applicants chosen based on their alignment with program goals and their potential for growth and innovation.

Consulting team

Cameron Payne
Manager of Entrepreneurial Programs 304-941-6006
cameron.payne@cedausa.com

Joshua Schuetz
Entrepreneurial Programs Specialist
507-841-2139
joshua.schuetz@cedausa.com

The Rural Business Innovation Lab is supported by the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development and Compeer Financial.