Bare Market

Rural grocers are crucial to their communities. Not only do they provide jobs with steady incomes, but they also give residents easy access to fresh and healthy food and community connections. Today, as this article by IQ writer Andy Steiner demonstrates, many rural grocers are having a hard time competing with discount retails such as Walmart and Target, which sell food in addition to consumer products.

Fortunately, there are several central Minnesota grocers who are surviving and even thriving in this increasingly difficult business. From Chris' Food Centers in Sandstone and Pine City to Gosch's Store in Randall, enterprising grocers are drawing customers with their personal service and commitment to quality.

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The Economic Forces of Air Travel

How does access to top-quality air service impact the economy of central Minnesota? That's the question IQ reporter Laura Billings Coleman set out to answer in our latest cover story.

For businesses, tourism, and retirees with second homes in warmer climates, airports matter. In fact, industry statistics show that every daily flight represents $4 million in annual economic impact for a community. When customers who could have boarded planes in their own regions fly out of Duluth or Fargo or the Twin Cities, millions of dollars in potential revenue are lost. "Better air service is a hidden piece of our economic development," said Kathy Gaalswyk, president of the Initiative Foundation.

Find out what central Minnesota cities, including St. Cloud and Brainerd, are doing to make their air service offerings more robust in this extensively reported story.