Rural Grocery Initiative
2026 NRGS

May 5-7, 2026

Fargo, North Dakota

Save the Date!

National Rural Grocery Summit
May 5-7, 2026
Fargo, ND


The Rural Grocery Initiative is excited to co-host the 2026 Summit with two organizations that have a long history of supporting rural grocers in their states: the University of Minnesota Extension Regional Sustainable Development Partnerships (RSDP) and the North Dakota Association of Rural Electric Cooperatives (NDAREC).

The National Rural Grocery Summit, hosted every other year, is the premier networking and resource-sharing venue for independent grocers and rural food access stakeholders. It brings together grocery store owners and managers, community leaders, food suppliers, academic researchers, healthy food access stakeholders, policy makers, and funders to connect and share lessons learned. The event is focused on sustaining locally-owned rural grocery stores and improving access to healthy food in rural communities.

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Key Information
  • The 2026 National Rural Grocery Summit will be held at the Holiday Inn - Fargo in Fargo, ND.
  • Opportunities to present will be launched in Summer 2025.
  • This event is not possible without sponsorship. Reach out to rgi@ksu.edu for more details on sponsorship.
  • Registration will open early 2026.

Summit Objectives
  • Explore the connections between rural grocery operations and community vitality
  • Provide rural grocery store owners and rural grocery stakeholders the opportunity to network and learn from each other
  • Highlight innovative models and strategies for strengthening healthy food retail in rural communities
  • Chart a path for robust rural food systems that improve the health and well-being of rural communities


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Summit
Feedback
I felt inspired by all of the movers, shakers and entrepreneurs I met and heard from. Both the speakers and attendees of this conference are truly capitalizing on the opportunity of independent rural grocery businesses to build and maintain vibrant, healthy rural communities.
2024 Summit Attendee
Speaking with passionate rural grocers, non-profits, and other community leaders was a highlight of the summit. I am so encouraged and inspired by everyone I had the pleasure of visiting with!
2024 Summit Attendee

 

K-State Research and Extension is committed to providing equal opportunity for participation in all programs, services and activities. Program information may be available in languages other than English. Language access requests and reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities, including alternative means for communication (e.g., Braille, large print, audio tape, and American Sign Language), may be requested by contacting the event contact four weeks prior to the start of the event by April 7, 2026 at rgi@ksu.edu or 785-532-6868. Requests received after this date will be honored when it is feasible to do so. Language access services, such as interpretation or translation of vital information will be provided free of charge to limited English proficient individuals upon request.

Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service

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