U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Https

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock () or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

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…
Read More

Find Stories

Use the filters below to find additional stories about how our programs have helped rural communities across the nation.

Search Results: 42 Stories

Developing Entrepreneurship in Lovington, N.M.

When the first class of the ‘Local Innovators Institute’ gathered in March of 2020 there was nothing but excitement. Why? Because everyone came to find out if their dreams of opening a restaurant would come true. The ‘Local Innovators Institute’ is a business development class… [Read More]
New Mexico
Economic DevelopmentEntrepreneurGrantsRural Development
Lyndon Sno Cruisers bought a new trailer with USDA RD funding

Trail Groomer Keeps Winter Activities Alive

Snowmobiling is a sport that the local economy in Northern Vermont depends on. Each year, thousands of out-of-staters travel to experience the snowy mountain trails and amazing views. Freshly groomed trails make the snow smooth and are essential for winter sports and activities… [Read More]
Vermont and New Hampshire
BusinessEconomic DevelopmentGrantsRecreation
Jeanne Carver, founder and owner of Shaniko Wool, raising sheep

Helping the Wool Producing Industry One Sheep at a Time

Shaniko Wool Company and its partners have been raising sheep for 128 years. Over the last several years, the company has emerged as a leader in the wool textile industry, becoming the first RWS-certified company in North America in 2018.  “We felt this was an… [Read More]
Oregon
Economic DevelopmentGrantsMade in Rural AmericaValue Added
American flag above Life Floor manufacturing equipment

Making A Splash in Rural South Dakota

Growing up, we all remember visiting the local pool or water park. Lifeguards blew a whistle warning us to slow down as we dashed to the refreshing water on dangerous slippery, molten-hot concrete. But today’s pools, water parks and splash pads are much safer thanks to… [Read More]
South Dakota
Economic DevelopmentManufacturingSmall Business
Group of adults in business suits standing on the front steps of a building. They are the 1963 coop seminar graduates of uwcc, the first class ever.

UW Center for Cooperatives Celebrates 60 Years of Serving the Co-op Community

As National Cooperative Month 2022 ends, we would like to highlight a special anniversary in the co-op world. The University of Wisconsin Center for Cooperatives (UWCC), the oldest university-based cooperative center in the nation, is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year.… [Read More]
Wisconsin
BusinessCooperativesEconomic DevelopmentEducation
Dakota Energy and Huron Regional Medical Center photo

Equipment Beneficial for Both Diagnosis and Therapy of Patients

The Huron Regional Medical Center has invested in new fluoroscopy equipment. Fluoroscopy is an imaging technique that uses x-rays to obtain real-time moving images of the interior of an object. The equipment allows a physician to see the internal structure and function of a… [Read More]
South Dakota
BusinessEconomic DevelopmentHealth Care

Rural Development project uses 3D printing in fight against COVID-19 spread

As Kentucky does its best to battle the spread of COVID-19, state and medical providers are looking for ways to answer the increasing need for medical personal protective equipment. One of those responding in a big way is a somewhat unlikely source: Somerset Community College,… [Read More]
Kentucky
BusinessEconomic DevelopmentHealth CareSmall Business

City of La Feria Celebrates Library Grant Re-Opening

City of La Feria officials celebrated the Grand Re-Opening of the Bailey H. Dunlap Memorial Public Library. The City of la Feria has a population of 7,302 who will now have access to a state of the art computer lab and community meeting/training room. Mayor Pro-Tem Esmeralda… [Read More]
Texas
Community FacilitiesEconomic Development

City of Manning Iowa’s Small Business Community of the Year

With a population of around 1,500 residents, leaders in the southwest Carroll County community of Manning are not striving to become one of the biggest cities in western Iowa, just one of the best. “There has always been something special about Manning and its residents,” said… [Read More]
Iowa
Economic DevelopmentSmall Business
USDA

Grant for Second Phase of Bio-Energy Research

Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology, Inc. (CCAT), a non-profit economic development organization, was awarded a Rural Business Enterprise Grant (RBEG) to work on Phase II of a project that will determine the feasibility of implementing an alternative fuels facility in… [Read More]
Connecticut
Economic Development

Additional Success Stories