Marlise Riffel Rosie Award

By Andrea Busche

Our special, namesake award — the Rosie award — is presented to a woman who simply gets stuff done. This year’s recipient is Marlise Riffel, a resident of Virginia, Minn.

Riffel spent over 30 years as a college professor — first at Rochester Community College and later, Lake Superior College — and in retirement, pursues a wide array of interests that speak to her heart. She takes great pride in her adult daughter, Lucia, who is an accomplished artist, and shares a happy life with her spouse, Ellen.

Today, Riffel dedicates her time to securing sustainable, local food for her community. She has a passion for supporting LBTBQ youth. She also pursues political activism and supports the arts.

When asked why she gives back to her community on such a prolific scale, she shared, “When I retired, I told myself I was going to help make this the best community I can. Also, I have belonged to the UUC Church since the 1970s. One of their principles is the deep respect for the interdependent web of life.”

Riffel serves on the board of the Iron Range Partnership for Sustainability (IRPS) and has successfully written grants for multiple local projects including The Rutabaga Project, which she co-founded. This initiative brings fresh, healthy local food to low-income residents on the Iron Range.

“We are also trying to recruit new, young farmers on the Iron Range through the Rutabaga Project,” she said.

Riffel also volunteers for Earth Fest and the Pasty Festival — annual events sponsored by the IRPS.

Additionally, Riffel is deeply involved in Growing Together, which supports five community gardens in Virginia’s food-challenged areas. She writes a newspaper column in the Hometown Focus featuring local farmers, and is the founder and manager of the Virginia Farmer’s Market, which provides a weekly opportunity for local farmers to sell their produce.

Riffel supports LGBTQ youth and their families through hosting meetings and writing grants for Range Together for Youth. She has done fundraising for the restoration and maintenance of the Lyric Center for the Arts, a 1912 vaudeville theatre in downtown Virginia.

And, she belongs to the group Northern Progressives, which supports a social and political agenda through active participation in civic affairs. She also serves as an election judge.

Riffel was nominated for the Rosie award by Jody GuyKrulc, a fellow parishioner at Mesabi Unitarian Universalist Church.

Rosie award recipient.

“It was really a surprise to me,” she said. “It means that people appreciate what I do, and that’s so heartening.” D