Austin is a city in Mower County, Minnesota. It is the county seat of Mower County, and its population at the 2010 census was 24,718. Austin is located at the intersection of Interstate Highway 90 and U.S. Highway 218 in southeastern Minnesota.

Hormel's corporate headquarters and main production facility are located in Austin, thus food processing plays a dominant role in the city's economy. The largest private employers in Austin is Hormel and Quality Pork Processors, a contract food processing firm serving Hormel. Other employers include the government, education, hospitality, and retail sectors.

The population has a majority of White Americans. A small percentage of the population comprises Asians and people of Hispanic origin.

Water, Water Everywhere … Part II

By:  Lee Ann Rush                                                     The topic is water; specifically, its availability to the public in light of Nestle CEO Peter Brabeck’s recent megalomaniacal assertion that people should only have access to water if they pay for it.  In a world where water shortages are reason for concern as demand begins to exceed supply, Brabeck’s plan..