Did I just land in Bavaria? But the Ultimate Bavarian Driving Machine still has Minnesota plates? I was only in the car for 20 minutes from my house. I mean the signs on the road are in kilometers and the street name is Rupstraße (Rup Strasse pronounced).

Concordia Language Villages German Village Waldsee

Well, I am at one of the lesser-known places in Minnesota but unique Concordia Language Villages German camp Waldsee. The campus Is huge, there is authentic immersion in each village that surrounds the south end of Turtle River Lake in Bemidji. I was out here this weekend for the annual Shop the World event, where you can purchase all the food and gifts from around the world such as Swiss chocolate, Korean potato chips, and Norwegian folk art from the villages. I look forward to this event every year.

At Concordia Language Villages, students, adults, and business organizations can enroll in full immersion in the various cultures and languages. The languages offered are, Arabic, Chinese, Danish, Finnish, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, and Swedish. These camps have attracted “villagers” from Presidential family members to people interested in these cultures from around the United States and the world.

Corporate sponsors such as Robert Bosch have had a hand in creating the experience with camp Waldsee having North America’s first passive house developed in partnership with Bosch and the EU’s CEPHEUS project, It was constructed in 2003. The village is just one of the unique resources that are in the Bemidji area.

Bemidji is a small town in north-central Minnesota, with a population of about 15,000 within the city limits and about 50,000 in the surrounding area. It is the regional hub for this part of the state, situated between the Red River Valley cities of Grand Forks and Fargo in North Dakota, and Duluth, a city on Minnesota’s Iron Range. Bemidji is about 3.5 hours away from the Minneapolis-Saint Paul metro region by car, or you can take one of the three daily Delta flights from/to the Bemidji Regional Airport, the fourth busiest airport in Minnesota.

Bemidji is a unique town in Minnesota because of its diverse and community-oriented people. The businesses here care about the town’s growth and well-being. Bemidji is far enough from the Minneapolis metro area that it does not depend on it for its economy or population. Unlike other towns of this size that are closer to a large city, Bemidji has its own identity and culture.

Bemidji is home to resources such as Bemidji State University, part of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system, as well as resources such as Paul Bunyan Communications with some of the fastest internet in the country, and other small to midsize businesses that make the business community diverse and competitive.

Without a doubt tourism has a big impact on the area, there are resorts like Ruttger’s Birchmont Lodge, Bemidji Town, and Country Club that offer excellent experiences. With a vibrant downtown with excellent local restaurants such as Tutto Bene, Bar 209, and Bemidji’s iconic bakery, Raphel’s Bakery and Café. Paul and Babe sit lakeside adjacent to downtown, where the First City of Lights has done an excellent job making downtown feel festive this time of year. But what I think is more undervalued in Bemidji is the connections that Bemidji has made to the world.

Connections such as Charlie Munger who we just lost in the last week at the age of 99, a visitor to the area all his life, or to lesser-known people who live here or know Bemidji the world over. From the numerous NHL players and Olympic Curling teams that have come out of Bemidji, to being a launchpad for businesses. I often in day-to-day life am blown away at who is here and what we can accomplish in this town up in the “Northwoods”.

We are also fortunate to have devoted organizations in the Bemidji area that continue to invest here. Sanford Health of Northern Minnesota is based here, and with it comes world-class medical care and quality jobs for the area. As well as an excellent school system here in Bemidji that provides opportunities for students that are not typically found in rural areas. Companies have attracted in recent years such as Delta Dental of Minnesota’s new service center site built in 2019, to vibrant community banking organizations that help and support the local businesses in the area.

The charm of Bemidji is hard to understand until you have spent time here, we can leave the office and be on the lake in under 20 minutes to watch the most beautiful sunsets anywhere. It is the work-life balance and sense of community that exists here that is missing in most places. look forward to sharing more of the dynamic resources of Bemidji that we call home.

Resource Bemidji

Welcome to Bemidji.

Resource Bemidji

Welcome to Bemidji.

It is not about the money

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