ALL THINGS CONSIDERED is live from Liberty Park, in Marshall today with a look at life in Southwestern Minnesota. Coming up, we'll have a report on photographer Jim Brandenberg's efforts to save the region's prairies. But first... Few people have written more about Southwest Minnesota than Joe Amato. Amato is a professor at Southwest State University here in Marshall and founder of the school's Center for Rural and Regional Studies. And he joins me now. Thanks for coming today.