Minnesota Institute for Sustainable Agriculture

What Minnesota Institute for Sustainable Agriculture does

The Minnesota Institute for Sustainable Agriculture (MISA) is a non-profit institute housed within the University of Minnesota system that operates as a partnership between the University of Minnesota (through the College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences), University of Minnesota Extension, and the Sustainers' Coalition — a network of community organizations representing farmers, NGOs, and government agencies. Established in 1991 under a renewable five-year charter and subject to periodic Sunset Reviews (most recently renewed in 2021), MISA's mission is to bridge university-based sustainable agriculture research with the practical needs of Minnesota's farming community. It serves four primary user segments: University of Minnesota students, beginning farmers, sustainable agriculture organizations, and experienced practitioners.

MISA's core offerings are educational and informational rather than technology-based. The product portfolio comprises approximately fifteen publications (Building a Sustainable Business, Organic Transition Planner, Local Food Fact Sheets, Farm to Grocery Toolkit, Perennial Fruit, Growing Garlic in Minnesota, Forever Green Cookbook, National Sustainable Agriculture Oral History Archive, Reintegrating Ruminant Grazing in Row Crop Country), training curricula (Wholesale Readiness Training for Produce Farmers, regulatory guidance programs), the Cornercopia Student Organic Farm (a certified organic student-run farm on the St. Paul campus), an undergraduate minor in Sustainable Agricultural Systems, the Johnson Undergraduate Research Internship, and five specialized email discussion groups (Sustag, SustagMarket, Healthy Debate, FoodAggregation, SustainablePlantSystemsClub). Technology is limited to a university-hosted website (misa.umn.edu), an external blog, and email listserv infrastructure.

MISA's revenue model is institutional rather than commercial. Funding derives from University of Minnesota appropriations, Minnesota state legislative allocations, USDA SARE grants (through the Minnesota SARE state program), and Minnesota Department of Agriculture grants (including Specialty Crop Block Grants). All publications, training materials, and programs are provided at no cost to the sustainable agriculture community. The organization employs a small core staff (six named professionals including the Executive Director and Associate Director) and is governed by a 12-15 member Board of Directors with equal University and Sustainers' Coalition representation. As of June 12, 2026, Executive Director Helene Murray retires after more than thirty years of service, and MISA transitions from CFANS into UMN Extension's Regional Sustainable Development Partnerships under incoming Executive Director Kathy Draeger.

Name

Minnesota Institute for Sustainable Agriculture

Legal name

Minnesota Institute for Sustainable Agriculture

Website

https://misa.umn.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Short description

MISA is a non-profit University of Minnesota institute, established in 1991, that delivers free sustainable agriculture publications, training, student programs, and community facilitation to Minnesota farmers, students, and partner organizations through a tripartite UMN/UMN Extension/Sustainers' Coalition governance model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint Paul

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Institutional Funding: MISA operates as part of the University of Minnesota with funding from the university, state legislature, and grants from organizations like USDA SARE. The institute provides most services free of charge to the sustainable agriculture community.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

MISA is a university-based non-profit institute that delivers sustainable agriculture education, publications, training programs, and student opportunities, while facilitating knowledge exchange among Minnesota's sustainable agriculture community. Its core offerings include the Building a Sustainable Business guide, Wholesale Readiness Training for Produce Farmers, Organic Transition Planner, Local Food Fact Sheets, Cornercopia Student Organic Farm, the Sustainable Agricultural Systems undergraduate minor, and multiple email discussion groups (Sustag, SustagMarket, Healthy Debate). All resources are provided free of charge, supported by university, state, and federal grant funding.

Product overview

The Minnesota Institute for Sustainable Agriculture (MISA) is an educational organization that does not offer a software product in the traditional sense. Instead, MISA provides a portfolio of publications, training programs, student opportunities, and community platforms focused on sustainable agriculture. The core offerings include publications such as the Building a Sustainable Business guide, Wholesale Readiness Training curriculum, Organic Transition Planner, and Local Food Fact Sheets covering regulatory guidance. MISA also operates the Cornercopia Student Organic Farm, manages an undergraduate minor in Sustainable Agricultural Systems, and hosts several email discussion groups (Sustag, SustagMarket, Healthy Debate) for the sustainable agriculture community. These products are informational and educational resources rather than software-as-a-service offerings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Cornercopia Student Organic Farm: A student-driven, certified organic farm on the Experiment Station of the St. Paul Campus at the University of Minnesota, operated as a student program of MISA and the Department of Horticultural Science.

Products and services

• Building a Sustainable Business A comprehensive guide to developing a business plan for farms and rural businesses, helping entrepreneurs create sustainable enterprises.
• Wholesale Readiness Training for Produce Farmers A comprehensive curriculum for produce farmers considering starting or expanding wholesale sales to schools, restaurants, grocery stores, distributors, and food hubs, covering business planning, production scaling, buyer connections, food safety, regulations, and packaging.
• Organic Transition Planner A specialized guide to assist farmers, ranchers, and food business owners in exploring transition strategies prior to becoming certified organic.
• Local Food Fact Sheets Fact sheets covering local food regulations including selling produce, meat products, poultry, rabbits, shell eggs, and food processing requirements.
• Farm to Grocery Toolkit A resource for farmers and grocers to facilitate the sale of farm-grown products to grocery stores, particularly in rural Minnesota.
• Food from Farms: Toolkit for Direct Purchasing of Local Food A toolkit for institutions such as schools, childcare centers, hospitals, and non-profits to source local food directly from farmers.
• Perennial Fruit A guide to growing cold-hardy fruit crops in Minnesota including actinidia, aronia, chokecherries, currants, elderberries, honeyberries, and saskatoons.
• Growing Garlic in Minnesota Guidelines for growing garlic in cold climates, covering variety descriptions, soil requirements, cultural practices, pest management, harvesting, and storage.
• Cornercopia Student Organic Farm A student-driven, certified organic farm on the St. Paul Campus providing hands-on opportunities to learn planning, growing, and marketing food through coursework, internships, and volunteer work.
• Sustainable Agricultural Systems Undergraduate Minor An undergraduate minor program facilitating internalization of sustainable agriculture concepts into University teaching, research, and extension.
• Johnson Undergraduate Research Internship An undergraduate research internship supporting students in sustainable agriculture studies.
• MISA Discussion Groups Email-based discussion groups including Sustag (sustainable agriculture information), SustagMarket (buy/sell/trade), Healthy Debate (policy discussion), FoodAggregation (food hub collaboration), and SustainablePlantSystemsClub (student club).
• National Sustainable Agriculture Oral History Archive Video-recorded interviews documenting the development and evolution of public policies to advance sustainable and organic agriculture since the 1970s.
• Forever Green Cookbook A cookbook featuring recipes using ingredients from the Forever Green Initiative, connecting consumers to sustainably grown crops.
• Blazing Trails through the Jungle of Food Regulations A comprehensive resource helping farmers and local food entrepreneurs navigate the complex food regulatory landscape in Minnesota.
• Reintegrating Ruminant Grazing in Row Crop Country A feasibility study on integrating crop and grazing ruminant systems using continuous living cover in row crop country to increase farm resilience.

Quantifiable outcome

• Established in 1991 with continuous operation and multiple five-year charter renewals
• +1 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and supporting.

• College of Food, Agricultural, and Natural Resource Sciences (CFANS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary university partner housing MISA within the Department of Agronomy and Plant Genetics. CFANS provides academic infrastructure, faculty connections, and research resources for sustainable agriculture initiatives.
• University of Minnesota ExtensioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFormal partner since 2006, providing extension services and community outreach connections throughout Minnesota. Collaborates on programs like the Regional Sustainable Development Partnerships.
• Sustainers' CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork of community organizations representing diverse aspects of the sustainable agriculture movement in Minnesota. Provides governance balance with the University through representation on MISA's Board of Directors.
• Minnesota SARE (Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMISA shares staff and office space with Minnesota SARE. SARE is a USDA-funded program that provides grants and education for sustainable agriculture.
• Green Lands Blue WaterscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMISA shares staff and office space with Green Lands Blue Waters. An organization focused on continuous living cover and perennial agriculture systems.
• Forever Green InitiativemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerA University of Minnesota and USDA Agricultural Research Service program engaging teams in genomics, breeding, agronomics, soil health, and commercialization of perennial and winter-annual crops. MISA staff provide organizational support.
• Endowed Chair in Agricultural SystemsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMISA administers the Endowed Chair program, which brings together interdisciplinary teams to address sustainable agriculture challenges.
• Land Stewardship ProjectmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMinnesota-based nonprofit working on sustainable agriculture, farmland issues, and local food systems. Partner in Sustainers' Coalition.
• Sustainable Farming Association of MinnesotamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember-based organization supporting sustainable farmers through networking, education, and advocacy. Partner in Sustainers' Coalition.
• Minnesota Farmers' Market AssociationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization supporting farmers' markets and direct marketing of local foods. Partner in Sustainers' Coalition.
• Renewing the CountrysidemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit connecting rural and urban communities through sustainable food and farming initiatives. Co-developer of Wholesale Readiness Training program with MISA.
• Institute for Agriculture and Trade PolicymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit research organization working on sustainable food and agriculture policy. Partner in Sustainers' Coalition.
• Lakewinds Food Co-opsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerConsumer-owned grocery cooperative in Minnesota. Partner in Sustainers' Coalition.
• Big River Farms/The Food GroupsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerProgram providing training and resources for immigrant and emerging farmers. Partner in Sustainers' Coalition.
• Minnesota Department of AgriculturemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerState agency providing funding, grants, and regulatory guidance for sustainable agriculture programs including Specialty Crop Block Grants that fund MISA publications and training.
• Regional Sustainable Development PartnershipsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of U of MN Extension, RSDP collaborates on regional sustainable development initiatives and is the new home for MISA as of 2026.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Market position

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/MinnesotaInstituteforSustainableAgriculture

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Minnesota Institute for Sustainable Agriculture