CoNorth

10/01/2026

Need a day brightener? Check out this article by CoNorth Board Member Joel Haskard on the Project Optimist website and learn how resident ownership revived Zumbro Ridge Estates and turned it into a thriving community!

“This has been the most influential role that I have played in my life besides being a mother and grandmother. The joy that people have in living here is amazing,” says the operational manager at Zumbro Ridge Estates in Rochester, Minn.

09/30/2026

For decades, manufactured homes have provided one of the most affordable pathways to homeownership, yet access to fair financing has remained a significant barrier for many buyers. With support from the Sustainable Business Initiative, NeighborWorks Home Partners is creating innovative financing solutions to change that.

As housing prices have increased throughout Minnesota, these homes offer long-term stability at a fraction of the cost of traditional single-family housing. Learn about our work making these opportunities possible: https://buff.ly/sOieiOp

09/18/2026

Policymakers, Indigenous leaders, and Black collective participants discussed the long-time benefits of a collaborative, co-operative system at the Minnesota Cooperative Summit in Duluth. "Community wealth is collective."

09/18/2026

What if the businesses you supported gave you a voice, gave your community a stake, and kept more of the benefits close to home?

That’s the cooperative difference—and there are a lot more co-ops in Minnesota than you might think.
Come discover them at Own It! A Co-op Fest on Thursday, October 29, from 4–7 p.m. at Broken Clock Brewing Cooperative in Minneapolis.
Meet 20+ local co-ops, enjoy free snacks and swag, play co-op bingo, take part in a cooperative art project and more.
🎟️ The first 150 people to register get a free drink ticket!
Whether you're co-op curious or already a fan, come see what cooperative businesses are all about.

Put your values to work. Choose co-ops.

Register for free for Own It! 🔗 https://www.eventbrite.com/e/own-it-a-co-op-fest-tickets-1997477632369?aff=oddtdtcreator&keep_tld=true



Co-hosted by: Minnesota Credit Unions, Cooperative Development Services, Broken Clock Brewing Cooperative, Twin Cities Grocery Cooperatives (Eastside Food Co-op, Rivers Co-op Markets, Seward Community Co-op, and Wedge Community Co-ops), and Minnesota Coalition of Community Owned Real Estate.

09/16/2026

Congratulations to CoNorth Associate Director Emily Stewart, who recently earned her Credit Union Development Educator (CUDE) certification through the National Credit Union Foundation!

We love the connections between credit unions and the broader cooperative movement—and exploring how cooperation can build community wealth and strengthen local control.

We’re excited to see Emily bring what she learned back to CoNorth and the cooperatives and communities we serve. Congratulations, Emily

09/10/2026

A big thank you to our Common Ground 2026 sponsors! This once-a-year event gathers residents from CoNorth affiliated communities across Minnesota and Wisconsin for in person training and networking opportunities.

Our sponsors are key partners in making Common Ground a meaningful experience for everyone who attends. Your generosity helps bring our cooperative communities together to connect, learn, share ideas, and strengthen relationships. We couldn't do this work without you!

09/03/2026

We’re grateful to West Central Initiative for investing in Emerald Pines Cooperative during an important period of transition. Their support helped the resident-owned community build a stronger foundation for growth — and today, three new CoNorth homes are creating more opportunities for affordable homeownership in Alexandria.

Partnerships like this help resident-owned communities not only preserve affordable housing, but invest in their future and welcome new homeowners. Thank you!

08/31/2026

08/27/2026

This is a big milestone for CoNorth--and for what we believe is possible for affordable homeownership in Minnesota.

On Monday night, the City of Saint Peter City Council approved our development agreement for a new cooperative neighborhood along Klein Street. The project is planned for up to 60 new homes, with green space, a neighborhood park, and a community center. Residents will own their individual homes while collectively owning the land beneath them through a cooperative.

This project has been years in the making, and it represents an exciting evolution of the work CoNorth has been doing for more than 25 years. Instead of stepping in to preserve an existing manufactured home community through resident ownership, we're starting from the ground up--creating an entirely new neighborhood designed around attainable homeownership and cooperative ownership from day one. It's the first major demonstration of what we're calling our New North initiative.

We're incredibly grateful to the City of Saint Peter for approaching this work as a true partner and for being willing to think differently about how communities can create more homeownership opportunities.

There's still plenty of work ahead, but this agreement moves us one very important step closer to turning an idea we've been working toward for years into a real neighborhood where people can put down roots, build equity, and have a meaningful stake in their community's future.

We're excited to share more as this project takes shape! Read the full announcement. https://conorth.coop/press-releases/

08/03/2026