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Success Stories

A mother and three daughters pose around a dining room table. There are lace curtains and blue wall in the background and some dishes on the table in the foreground.

“This is Home” – A Family Finds Their Forever Home in Calais, Maine

One of the first rooms Heather Gagne and her daughters began redecorating in their new home is the dining room, shown in the top photo. They have been busy repainting and making other updates. Raising a family in coastal Machias, Maine may sound lovely, but for Heather Gagne recent years proved stressful. There were few housing options in the Downeast community, and Heather was glad to find a rental home to…
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Use the filters below to find additional stories about how our programs have helped rural communities across the nation.

Search Results: 42 Stories
Four women and one man sit at tables in a large room with a USDA banner in the background.

New Capacity for Sunrise County: USDA Helps Meet Business Needs

When team at the Sunrise County Economic Council (SCEC) polled area businesses, they heard a consistent message. Asked what they needed to thrive, business owners made it clear. They were looking for more training opportunities and resources right in the community. Washington… [Read More]
Maine
BusinessEconomic DevelopmentGrants
Bicycles outside Berry Fast Bicyclles in Madison, S.D.

Local bicycle sales and service keep riders moving

As warmer temperatures approach, bicyclists are making plans to hit the roads and trails to enjoy the great outdoors. For residents living around Madison, winter is their time to bring in bikes for tune-ups so they aren’t losing valuable riding time in the summer. Thanks to… [Read More]
South Dakota
BusinessEconomic DevelopmentSmall Business
photo of ribbon cutting

Rural Community’s First Hospice Center

For the people of Glasgow, Kentucky, a collaboration between T.J. Community Mission Foundation, the city, Farmers Rural Electric Cooperative, and USDA Rural Development helped to meet a critical need in the community. In 2020, the city was able to open its first hospice center… [Read More]
Kentucky
BusinessCooperativesEconomic DevelopmentHealth CareRural Development
Image of sign of Meadville, Pennsylvania

Engage Your Community With Investment Cooperatives

What can you do to bring economic development to your rural communities? Is it possible without large corporations or out of town investors that may not understand the needs of your community? Perhaps your community should consider investment cooperatives. Local organizers in… [Read More]
Pennsylvania
BusinessCooperativesEconomic DevelopmentRural DevelopmentSmall Business
photo from common grounds cooperative website

Finding Common Ground: A Community Economic Development Project

Traverse City, Michigan is a rural community on the shores of lake Michigan. A city with a strong year-round recreation economy and a vibrant downtown filled with independent businesses. Many business owners have struggled to locate commercial space, as well as retain employees… [Read More]
Michigan
BusinessCooperativesEconomic DevelopmentRural DevelopmentSmall Business
Fixed Base Operations Manager Chris Botkin (left) gives Area 2 Specialist Robert Wilson a tour of the new hangar while it is under construction.

Positioning a Virginia Airport for Landing More and Bigger Clients

While on-time takeoffs and landings are big on the lists of most casual flyers, owners of private and corporate aircraft look for world-class service and hangar space when selecting an airport. The Shenandoah Valley Airport (SHD) was high on the first and beyond capacity on the… [Read More]
Virginia
Community FacilitiesEconomic DevelopmentRural Development
PA Business Installs Solar Panel With REAP Funding

REAP Funding Helps Pennsylvania Business Go Solar

Three Rivers Farm helps bring fresh, locally grown produce to the marketplace in a sustainable way. Nathan Holmes is the owner and founder of the business and knew early on that he wanted to help local farmers while fueling economic development in his community. As a Pittsburgh… [Read More]
Pennsylvania
Economic DevelopmentElectricGrantsLocal ProduceREAPSolar EnergySustainable/Organic Foods
VAPG sheep

Rural Development grant helps market, grow Kentucky Spring Lamb

The bleating of sheep when they hear the feed bucket can be deafening. “BAAAAA! BAAAAA! BAAAAA! BAAAAA! BAAAAA! BAAAAA!” Like a nearby car horn or a low-flying jet, the sound can stop conversations cold. To a sheep producer, that is the sound of money, and more and more… [Read More]
Kentucky
Economic DevelopmentFood SupplyGrantsValue Added
Rural Development and Thunder Valley visiting outside the Montessori School

Routine Servicing Leads to New Projects

When communities look to expand facilities, often they’ll call on Rural Development to learn what loan and grant opportunities might provide support. Rural Development Community Facility Program Loan Specialists like Katie Hammer offer a valuable resource for those communities… [Read More]
South Dakota
Community FacilitiesEconomic DevelopmentHomeownershipHousingTribalWastewaterWater
Ruben Lopez Opening Smoker to show meat cooking inside.

Commercial Kitchen Fires Texas Barbecue up to Next Level

When Ruben Lopez and his wife Katherine moved from Texas to Price, Utah a few years ago, they didn’t have plans to open a restaurant. The idea began with a question Ruben posted on Facebook. “How would y'all like some Texas barbecue out here?” His query received hundreds of… [Read More]
Utah
Economic DevelopmentEntrepreneurGrantsLocal FoodsSmall Business

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