Vol. 33 No. 18 - Whole Plate Project rounds up funding - and federal funding cuts affect North Dakota institutions

Sep 16, 2026

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May 1, 2025 issue Vol. 33 No. 18 covers two local-news developments in North Dakota. Rural Reach, partnering with community advocate Kat Weinert, launched The Whole Plate Project to support Hettinger Public School lunches with fresh, locally sourced beef, outlining donations, fundraising needs, and planned food additions for 2025–2026. The issue also details federal funding cuts affecting the State Library of North Dakota and research programs at UND and NDSU, describing potential service impacts and the status of IMLS-related disbursements.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryLetters

FormatPDF

Pages8

Reading Time3 min

AccessFree to download

May 1, 2025 [adamscountyrecord@gspublishing.net | www.gspublishing.net](adamscountyrecord@gspublishing.net | www.gspublishing.net $1.50)[ $1.50](adamscountyrecord@gspublishing.net | www.gspublishing.net $1.50) Vol. 33 No. 18 Whole Plate Project rounds up funding ANDY ROEHL [acrnews@gspublishing.net](acrnews@gspublishing.net) At last week’s Health Fair in Hettinger, local nonprofit Rural Reach, in partnership with community advocate Kat Weinert, raised an impressive $2,229 in support of their newest initiative: The Whole Plate Project. The project aims to incorporate fresh, locally sourced beef into the school lunch program—promoting both student nutrition and support for regional producers. Five local producers have already stepped up to donate ground beef for the effort. The next challenge is covering the processing costs, and the Health Fair fundraiser marked the project's exciting public launch. A local fan-favorite restaurant, Rusty's, also joined the effort, matching up to $1,000 in donations. “We're aiming high,” said Weinert.“In addition to the donated ground beef, we’re hoping to supply beef sticks for the school’s snack program starting this fall.” Weinert added that The Whole Plate Project will help free up school nutrition funding for additional food options for students during the 2025–2026 school year. The Health Fair fundraiser featured a “taco in a bag” meal served for free will donations, drawing strong community support.“My heartfelt thank you to Joel Janikowski for help with the logo, and to Cassidy Blade, Jasmin Fosheim, and Rural Reach for always dreaming big with me,”Weinert shared. While the money raised marked a major step forward, Weinert notes that approximately $4,500 is still needed to fully meet the project’s goal and bring local beef to students' lunch tables. Rural Reach is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded by former Hettinger residents and sisters Cassidy Blade and Jasmin Fosheim. It serves as the nonprofit extension of Realizing Rural, created to expand access to critical services for underresourced communities that might otherwise go without. Rooted in the mission of shifting the rural narrative from surviving to thriving, Rural Reach provides grant writing, strategic planning, and capacity-building support to organizations and communities in need. While Realizing Rural works with paying clients, Rural Reach ensures that cost is never a barrier for rural leaders doing meaningful work with limited resources. Through Rural Reach, communities can access grant writing support, strategic planning assistance, business and nonprofit development, communications and storytelling assistance, technical The Whole Plate Project is working to bring fresh, locally sourced beef to Hettinger Public School lunches, supporting both student nutrition and local producers. support for economic and workforce development, and leadership capacitybuilding for rural and grassroots organizations. With the momentum generated at the Health Fair and strong community enthusiasm, Weinert is hopeful that The Whole Plate Project’s fundraising goal will be met. She encourages anyone interested to reach out.“If you're unable to attend events but would like to make a donation, please feel free to contact me or text me at 701-928-0499,” she said. Donations can also be mailed to 806 5th Ave NE, Hettinger, ND 58639 or completed online at realizingrural. com/ruralreach. Federal funding cuts prolong anxiety for North Dakota institutions State Library, research universities await next moves MICHAEL STANDAERT North Dakota News Cooperative Trump administration orders to slash funding across the country have put the future of some programs offered by the State Library of North Dakota at risk. Other federal funding cuts have already hit research at the University of North Dakota and North Dakota State University in health, science and the humanities. Pending cuts have programs on edge about t

FAQs

What is The Whole Plate Project aiming to do for Hettinger Public School lunches?

It aims to incorporate fresh, locally sourced beef into the school lunch program, improving student nutrition while supporting regional producers.

Why might the North Dakota State Library face limitations?

Federal funding cuts and delayed or terminated grants could reduce its ability to provide library services such as interlibrary loans and support programs.

How is Rural Reach structured and what does it focus on?

Rural Reach is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit extension of Realizing Rural, providing grant writing, strategic planning, capacity-building, and related support so cost is not a barrier for rural leaders.

Sep 16, 2026

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