Although today we had individuals from as far as Saint Cloud, the goal is to concentrate our efforts in the Southern half of the state with an even more dedicated effort targeting five counties between interstate 35W and the Wisconsin border.

Informational meetings have been scheduled for every first Saturday of the month at 10 am at the REC offices, 105 E fourth street Northfield, and every first Monday of the month at 6 pm at the same location. Presentations are also being scheduled in partnership with organizations in the region as we identify new partnerships. This effort will significantly improve the public education about our work and our partners and the ability of families to fully participate in community life, establish permanent roots and participate and contribute to our rural communities in a meaningful way.

This outreach work started on the first week of February and will continue as long as families keep coming and responding to our calls or until our programs are fully populated. The goal for this year is to reach 300 families through informational sessions. From this larger group, a selected number of families will participate in one day intensive home ownership and financial management training. An even smaller group will qualify to participate REC’s poverty reduction and assets and wealth creation strategy through sustainable agriculture farming enterprise development.

The families that will enter the Agripreneurship Training Program at the REC are being trained to play a key role in the sustainable food and agriculture system that we are deploying regionally. This new system is part of a much larger and robust process to redefine the role of minority families in the sustainable food and agriculture system. We seek to significantly influence this role from one of primarily providing cheap labor, to one of defining, owning and benefiting from this emerging industry in the country.

Minneapolis MN. August 31, 2009

LEDC’s President and CEO Ramón León, to receive the prestigious Ohtli Award by the Mexican consulate of Minnesota

-For immediate release-

Latino Economic Development Center’s President and CEO Ramón León will be presented with the Ohtli award at the official Mexican independence celebration event on September 15, 2009 by the Mexican consulate of Minnesota. The Ohtli award – which is the Nahuatl language word for “opening doors” – is one of the most prestigious honors bestowed by the Mexican government to recognize individuals who have distinguished themselves in improving the quality of life for Mexican citizens living outside Mexico.

The Honorable Consul of Mexico; Ana Luisa Fajer Flores, will present Ramón León with the Ohtli award at the celebration of the 199^th anniversary of the Independence of Mexico which will be held at The International Market Square in Minneapolis, Minnesota on Tuesday September 15^th at 7 pm.

Ramón León is the founding president of Latino Economic Development Center of Minnesota and the cross border economic development organization; “Instituto Para el Desarrollo Económico de las Americas”.   Through Ramon’s  leadership , LEDC has started and/or has played a significant role in the development of public space projects such as; Mercado Central, a public market cooperative in Minneapolis, Plaza Latina a public market in St Paul, Plaza Verde a mixed use business incubator project in Minneapolis, and Midtown Global Market where LEDC is also co-owner and developer.  LEDC has provided consulting, technical assistance and loan packaging services to micro entrepreneurs in these projects and many others in the Twin Cities area as well as in rural communities across the state of Minnesota.

“I came to Minneapolis in the early 1990’s  when there were several roads and doors yet to be explored for us as new comers, in order to build an even stronger Latino community in Minnesota. This award is an honor that really belongs to all of the entrepreneurs that exist within all of us immigrants, because we have been able to open such doors for our people, and now it is our responsibility to keep them opened for future generations of newcomers” said Ramón León when asked for his comments regarding such a high recognition.

Latino Economic Development Center is in its 7^th year of service to the community. Building Socially Responsible Communities, LEDC is a non profit organization that was founded by Latino leaders in different fields of community development who share the same mission:

“To transform our community by creating economic opportunity for Latinos”

and the same vision:

“A thriving multicultural community enriched by Latino economic influence, culture, and leadership”

Rolando Borja, Communications Dept. rolando@ledc-mn.org 612-724-5336

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