Research by Ben Winchester with the University of Minnesota found a migration of people ages 30-49 to rural areas in search of the attributes Prairie Waters markets for four counties in western Minnesota.
What began as an initiative to promote tourism in four Upper Minnesota River Valley counties has expanded to recruit new workers and residents to the area.
The Upper Minnesota River Valley counties have long been fertile soil for artists. A proposal to promote the arts for economic development in the rural setting has allowed many to discover the diverse and talented crop of artists through the annual Meander Arts Crawl.
City officials said the project represents a turning point for the city, which has been working to get its finances and operations back on track after loss of economic activity following the closing of the Prairie Correctional Facility in 2010.