Rural Grocery Initiative

Rural Grocery Initiative RGI aims to sustain locally-owned rural groceries to enhance community vitality & access to healthy food.

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The Rural Grocery Initiative is seeking a part-time student employee to help advance our mission! The employee will supp...
11/18/2025

The Rural Grocery Initiative is seeking a part-time student employee to help advance our mission! The employee will support projects related to rural food access, rural grocery stores, and community vitality. The position would start in the spring 2026 semester. To learn more, visit https://www.ruralgrocery.org/about/open.html.

For best consideration, apply by December 17, 2025.

Running a grocery store is tough and, at times, isolating. Many grocers value learning from each other and want more opp...
11/17/2025

Running a grocery store is tough and, at times, isolating. Many grocers value learning from each other and want more opportunities to connect. To help bridge this gap, the Rural Grocery Initiative will be facilitating Rural Grocery Peer Groups again in 2026! Learn more and apply by January 19, 2026 here: https://ruralgrocery.org/support/peer-group.html.

We are excited to announce Rebecca Undem as a keynote speaker for the 2026 National Rural Grocery Summit! Rebecca is an ...
11/12/2025

We are excited to announce Rebecca Undem as a keynote speaker for the 2026 National Rural Grocery Summit! Rebecca is an inspirational speaker, community advocate, and podcast host who helps communities in North Dakota be places people love to call home through programs that grow their human, social, and cultural capital. In her keynote, Rebecca will explore how grocery stores serve as community hubs. To learn more about Rebecca, visit https://www.ruralgrocery.org/summit/speakers.html.

The Rural Grocery Initiative is hiring! The Rural Grocery Program Manager will help advance K-State’s healthy food acces...
10/24/2025

The Rural Grocery Initiative is hiring! The Rural Grocery Program Manager will help advance K-State’s healthy food access initiatives. This position will be part of K-State’s effort to build and sustain healthy communities by working to enhance locally owned small healthy food retail businesses. The program manager will organize and provide technical assistance for citizen leaders, grocery owners, and other stakeholders seeking to enhance their community's access to healthy foods.

For best consideration, apply by November 12, 2025. View the full position description and apply here: https://careers.k-state.edu/jobs/rural-grocery-program-manager-manhattan-kansas-united-states.

Registration is now open for the spring 2026 offering of our Rural Grocery Transition Specialist course! Supporting rura...
10/20/2025

Registration is now open for the spring 2026 offering of our Rural Grocery Transition Specialist course! Supporting rural grocers in business transition planning is essential to keeping the benefits of hometown grocery stores in rural communities. This course trains individuals to support rural grocers through business transition. Graduates join our national network of rural grocery specialists and earn a microcredential from Kansas State University. To learn more and register, visit https://www.ruralgrocery.org/specialist/.

We are excited to announce our first keynote speaker for the 2026 National Rural Grocery Summit: Jon Steinman!Jon is a f...
10/13/2025

We are excited to announce our first keynote speaker for the 2026 National Rural Grocery Summit: Jon Steinman!

Jon is a food systems thinker, author, and educator with a 25-year career shaping how communities engage with food. In his opening keynote, Jon will explore how rural grocery owners and stakeholders can more effectively communicate their essential value to customers, communities, policymakers, funders, and partners. To learn more about our opening keynote speaker, visit https://www.ruralgrocery.org/summit/speakers.html.

In case you missed it, we are hosting a webinar tomorrow to share the key findings from our recent research project focu...
10/01/2025

In case you missed it, we are hosting a webinar tomorrow to share the key findings from our recent research project focused on local sourcing innovation in independent and locally owned groceries. There is still time to register here: https://ksu.zoom.us/meeting/register/8rH0Iu_NRoquv8UrXrhEPA

With 1 in 5 rural grocery stores closing in Kansas between 2008 and 2018, local access to healthy food is under threat. ...
09/30/2025

With 1 in 5 rural grocery stores closing in Kansas between 2008 and 2018, local access to healthy food is under threat. But stories from communities like Axtell, Blue Rapids, and McCune show how local investment and support from the Kansas Healthy Food Initiative can make a real difference in food security and community vitality. Learn more in the article below.

More than 100 rural grocery stores in Kansas closed their doors from 2008 to 2018. But an initiative that invests in rural communities is keeping small groceries afloat.

Address

Manhattan, KS
66506

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 5pm
Tuesday 8am - 5pm
Wednesday 8am - 5pm
Thursday 8am - 5pm
Friday 8am - 5pm

Telephone

(785) 532-6868

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