Last Week for Early Bird Registration for National Rural Grocery Summit
March 10, 2026
Submitted by the Rural Grocery Initiative
The early bird registration deadline for the 2026 National Rural Grocery Summit is March 15.
Hosted by the Rural Grocery Initiative at Kansas State University, in partnership with the University of Minnesota Extension Regional Sustainable Development Partnerships and the North Dakota Association of Rural Electric Cooperatives, this year's summit will be held May 5-7 in Fargo, North Dakota.
Highlights include:
- Free registration for grocers (up to two per store) until March 15.
- Multiple keynotes from thought leaders in rural grocery.
- Four optional tours featuring innovative rural grocery models in Minnesota and North Dakota.
- More than 25 breakout sessions.
- Countless networking opportunities.
Held every other year, the National Rural Grocery Summit 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.
If you are interested in improving access to healthy food in rural communities, this is an excellent
opportunity to learn from and connect with individuals committed to this work across the country.
Register here by March 15 to secure early bird pricing. After March 15, grocer registration rates jump to $150 and non-grocer registration rates increase from $350 to $400.
Lodging
If you are planning on joining us in Fargo, please note that we also have a block of rooms available at the Holiday Inn-Fargo for a special rate. To access that discounted rate, you'll want to book your lodging by April 20. More information about the block and how you can reserve a room in it can be found on our website here.
Bus to Fargo
Looking for an economical way to get to the Summit? New this year, the Rural Grocery Initiative is
chartering a bus for attendees traveling to Fargo. The bus will depart on May 4 from Wichita, make a stop in Kansas City and Council Bluffs, IA, then continue on to Fargo. Reserve your seat on the bus today.
Travel Support for Kansas Grocers
Thanks to support from the Sunflower Foundation, travel scholarships of up to $500 are available to rural Kansas grocers to help offset travel costs. More information and the link to apply for a travel scholarship can be found on this webpage.
Questions? Reach out to staff members of K-State’s Rural Grocery Initiative rgi@ksu.edu.
