Sometimes broadband isn’t the conduit to better business – it’s the road to learning about how to create better business and such is the case with a UMN Extension’s just in time research resources. The University of Minnesota reports…

University of Minnesota Extension is helping Greater Minnesota deal with the COVID-19 pandemic by developing emergency meal plans and pickup and delivery models for rural grocery stores to deliver to their customers.

And the University Libraries is an important partner in getting the word out, said Kathy Draeger, adjunct professor and Statewide Director, U of M Regional Sustainable Development Partnerships for U of M Extension

And the latest example includes tips for rural grocery stores during coronavirus threat…

Extension’s mission includes making an impact by “connecting community needs and University resources to address critical issues in Minnesota.” And the role of University Archives in this case helps fulfill its mission, which is in part, to provide U of M resources openly and broadly, said Erik Moore, head of University Archives and co-director of the University Digital Conservancy, the digital arm of the U Archives.

Moore said that as of last week, the COVID-19 Emergency 14-day Meal Kit had been downloaded more than 3,300 times, from Ely, Minn., to towns in Australia.

The meal kit fact sheet helps grocers working in their communities to “prepare and deploy pre-made boxes with 14 days of emergency food that is healthy, shelf stable, easy to prepare, [and] calorie sufficient for vulnerable populations facing hardship due to coronavirus.”

The Tips for Small Town Stores: Curbside Pickup and Delivery Model — uploaded a few days ago — provides basic instructions for grocery stores to include curbside pickup and delivery in order to “protect worker safety and address COVID-19 concerns while still maintaining the movement of groceries into communities for distribution.”