About The Folks
Rail River Folk School, founded in 2010 by Rocky Carpenter, Saul Saucedo, and Jessica Saucedo, began its work with a focus on teaching sustainable living skills.
It brings together artisans, farmers, and engages the local community as partners and influencers.Located at 303 Railroad St. SW, the rustic warehouse in downtown Bemidji has been transformed into a space that supports not only community education but also serves as a safe place for self-expression.
We embrace the hard work of authentic locally grown goodness, believing that our differences are our strength. Additionally, we have been cultivating the things that bind us together by sharing tools and supporting the things we need the most.
A new era of cooperative development that supports our shared aspirations for our families, businesses, and our community. To invest in ourselves, to be our own local experts.
Our Values
Over the past 12+ years, we have discovered shared values and learned to cultivate our individual strengths while cultivating ideas and resources from our unique perspectives and connections. The dedicated membership community, known as "folks," is united by a shared commitment to the arts and the local community in a broader sense. Through intentional partnerships, both present and future, we aim to curate a systems approach to sustainable development, taking our commitment to the next level. We will continue to offer space and access to community-building opportunities, host events that support local artists and social justice causes, and embrace emerging and unrepresented initiatives.
The Next Phase
Our next significant step in place-backed development is reinvesting in our community's innovations and cooperative development. We hope to expand by providing a marketplace for localized products and services that meet our unique community's needs.
We proudly call the Indigenous Environmental Network our neighbor, friend, and co-creator of our learning experience. IEN, led by Simone Senogles and Tom Goldtooth, has been at the forefront of Indigenous-driven environmental justice for decades. Additionally, IEN has cultivated a teaching garden called "Gitigaanan." They have played a crucial role in revitalizing Anishinaabe culture throughout our shared campus and centering the Indigenous worldview in our vision. Rail River is also home to an office for MN350, an environmental justice organization run by Nancy Beaulieu. Nancy prioritizes educating the community and organizations on the importance of Indigenous treaty obligations. Additionally, we provide space for the Pride Support Network for LGBTQ2S+ outreach, and the Apple Blossom Nature School is located outside, utilizing yurts near the marina property.
Our Mission
At Rail River Folk School, our mission is to honor tradition, foster collaboration, and build a connected, innovative community with shared visions, common values, and investment in our local resilience. We prioritize fostering community over bottom-line investment, promote grassroots over corporate interest, and trust each other's lived experiences. This trust informs our design as we listen to the worker and end user, fostering local innovation in both support and supply chain. We have always worked towards a healthier environment in all aspects. Now, we have gained an understanding that we must advocate for increased equity, racial and social justice in rural development. Our commitment extends to all our neighbors, but especially to Indigenous and BIPOC community members. We encourage the localization of markets by supporting small start-up businesses in food, agriculture, entertainment, and the arts.
Through this next growth spurt, we will provide a scaffold to build the next generation of entrepreneurship and innovation in community ownership.
