Business & Work

collage of photos of people talking at the MN State Capitol rotunda.

Essay: Every Minnesotan Deserves to Know What’s Happening in their Backyard

A yellowed, aged newspaper front page titled “Fillmore County Pioneer” fills the frame, printed in bold, decorative serif lettering across the top. Beneath the title, smaller text reads “Carimona, Fillmore County, Minnesota, Thursday, June 5, 1856,” along with volume and issue numbers. The page is densely packed with narrow columns of small black text, including sections labeled “Business Cards” and “Select Poetry.” Advertisements for goods and services appear along the left column, while poetry and articles fill the center and right columns. The paper shows visible wear and discoloration, emphasizing its historical age.

What Happened to Small Town Newspapers?

Several adults standing, sitting and talking in a conference room in Rushford, MN.

Honoring the Past, Building the Future: SMIF Celebrates 40 Years

Outdoor patio at Sylvan Brewing in Lanesboro, Minnesota, filled with people enjoying drinks and live music beside the brewery building, with umbrellas, flowers, and scenic bluffs in the background.

How a Small-Town Brewery Became a Regional Destination

A low, modern brick building sits on a snow-covered slope under a bright blue sky. Large dark windows face outward, reflecting the light. Bare trees line the hillside behind the building, and a tall communications tower rises above the trees. An American flag stands on a pole near the right side of the building.

Coming Together to Keep the Branding Iron Open

Aerial view of container ships and cargo cranes at the Port of Santos in Brazil, a major global export hub handling a large share of South American soybean shipments.

How Tariffs and China’s Global Investments are Reshaping Farming

Leather artisan wearing a hat and scarf holds a brown handmade leather messenger bag at a market booth displaying wallets, purses and bags from Bluffland Leather Co.

Grand Meadow Artisan Creates Handmade, Permanent Leather Goods

Person wearing a knit hat and beige sweater stands on a snowy sidewalk in a small Minnesota downtown, with a local grocery store and historic brick buildings in the background.

Bluff Country Business Academy to Support Local Businesses

A slender woman in a green zip-up pullover, jeans, and teal stocking cap stands with her hands in her pockets in a snow-covered field beside a long plastic-covered high tunnel greenhouse, with rolling hills in the background on a winter day in southeastern Minnesota.

Featherstone Farm: Growing Organic Food Through Fair Labor

Wildlife rescuer wearing a brown jacket and yellow gloves carefully holds a large adult bald eagle inside a cluttered workshop, with shelves of tools, containers and equipment in the background. The eagle is looking back at the man.

Area Family Rescues Animals Year-Round

A combine harvester cuts through a field of mature soybeans while unloading grain into a tractor-pulled wagon beside it, creating a cloud of dust on a sunny day.

Regional Soybean Production: Understanding What Happens When the Top Buyer Stops Buying

A full gymnasium filled with about 100 people seated in rows of folding chairs for a community meeting. The audience consists mostly of middle-aged and older adults, chatting and holding printed handouts. The room has basketball hoops, beige block walls, and fluorescent lights overhead.

Harmony Annexes 60 Acres for Possible Data Center

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