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Upper Minnesota River Valley and Tamarack Green Routes brochures now available!
 To
request a free copy of Green Routes brochures for western Minnesota (Upper Minnesota River Valley) or east
central Minnesota (Tamarack), contact Renewing the Countryside at 1-866-378-0587
or beth @ rtcinfo . org.
Download Green Routes brochures (pdf)
• Upper Minnesota River Valley page 1
• Upper Minnesota River Valley page 2
• Tamarack page 1
• Tamarack page 2
GreenRoutes.org launches in May 2006
In May 2006,
Renewing the Countryside will launch www.GreenRoutes.org, a
new website featuring an on-line mapping tool as well as stories and information to help
you plan your next green getaway in Minnesota!
What is Green Routes?
In 2004, a number of local organizations kicked off Green Routes, a
statewide green tourism initiative in Minnesota. Green tourism
directs people to places where they can get locally grown food and
locally made products as well as participate in other attractions, such
as hiking and biking trails, birding sights, art events, and other
amenities in an area. Green tourism encourages individuals to eat
and vacation in ways that support healthy rural communities and
encourage other businesses to support local food systems and green
business practices. “Going green” means making a commitment to
gradually, continually making your business, home, or institutions
economically viable, environmentally sustainable, and socially and
culturally responsible. This project offers people the
opportunity to learn how to incorporate economically, environmentally,
and socially sustainable practices into their tourism and business
plans.
What makes a business or destination green?
• Contributes to the local economy by employing local
residents, using local products and
growers, and supporting local
businesses.
• Conserves and/or enhances our natural resource base
(e.g. through use of renewable
energy, recycling, green building
techniques, wildlife habitat protection, etc.)
• Uses sustainably produced or organically grown products.
• Engages customers and visitors through active,
personal, and meaningful participation in
nature, people, places,
history, and/or cultures.
Green tourism is one of the fastest growing segments of the global
tourism market. It emphasizes the natural and cultural resources
of a given area and packages the history, food products, artists, and
wild areas in a way that draws upon and enhances the inherent cultural
and scenic richness of rural areas.
Green Routes is a project of the following organizations:
Renewing the
Countryside, Sustainable Farming Association, University of Minnesota
Tourism Center, Minnesota Department of Agriculture’s Minnesota Grown
Program, Minnesota Food Association, Institute for Agriculture and
Trade Policy, U of M’s Minnesota Institute for Sustainable Agriculture,
Minnesota Bed and Breakfast Association, Land Stewardship Project, the
U of M’s Regional Sustainable Development Partnerships, and the Center
for Small Towns. This
project is supported through grants from the Minneapolis Foundation and
North Central Region
Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) - a program of
USDA Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service.
Download a report (PDF) about lessons learned from the Green Routes pilot projects.
1st Minnesota Conference on Sustainable Tourism
April 20, 2006 . University of Minnesota McNamara Center . Minneapolis, MN
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