Can garlic ride to a rural rescue?

Drop in at the Whole Farm Co-op in Long Prairie and you get a glimpse of how Todd County farmers are trying to cope with the pressures of the farm economy.

As chronicled in the second part of our series on Todd County, several dozen producers pool their beef, lamb chops, maple syrup, eggs and even chicken feet for soup to sell direct to consumers both in Long Prairie and through a number of church groups in the Twin Cities.

At the same time, others are wondering whether specialty crops might be the way to go -- fingerling potatoes, perhaps, or garlic.

It's an important question for Todd County and elsewhere because, among other reasons, the strength of the local economy will help determine how well communities can keep young people and deal with the coming growth of the elderly population.

You can find the story and some additional by-the-numbers information on our Todd County page. The stories also are also appearing in the Clarissa Independent News Herald, the Browerville Blade, the Staples World and the Long Prairie Leader.

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