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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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Find Stories

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

Search Results: 84 Stories
A tractor in a field with workers planting plants

Love Continues to Grow at Lovefood Farm

In 2015, Lovefood Farm launched their farm off one rented acre with a small Community Supported Agriculture (CSA), Saturday farmers market and a neighborhood farmstand. Lovefood spent a few years at the Farley Center Farm Incubator, which allowed them to eventually purchase 30… [Read More]
Wisconsin
EntrepreneurFood SupplyKnow Your FarmerLocal FoodsLocal ProduceSmall BusinessSustainable/Organic FoodsValue Added
A farmer looks at produce for sale at the Barreras Farm Market.

Feeding the Body, Enriching the Mind

The motto of the Barreras Family Farm and Farm Market is “Feeding the Body, Enriching the Mind.”  Mariel and Anthony Barreras, along with their eight children, bring this motto to life. Together, they run the farm and store – and do so much more. The Barreras family… [Read More]
Nebraska
Food SupplyGrantsLocal FoodsLocal ProduceSmall BusinessValue Added
View of blue skies and Lake Superior with American flag in the middle.

From Blossom to Bottle, Superior View Farm Offers Views and Brews

Nestled on a hill two and a half miles from the shores of Lake Superior stands a 1920s mail order barn from Sears Roebuck & Company. Constructed with Western Fir, this big, red barn offers a hayloft with panoramic views of Lake Superior and the Apostle Islands. That big, red… [Read More]
Wisconsin
BusinessLocal ProduceMade in Rural AmericaRural DevelopmentSmall BusinessValue Added
finnriver coowners photo by james curtis. Three people smiling in front of fermenting equipment and bottles.

Sustainability at the Core

For many, apples are a sweet addition to a balanced diet. For Eric Jorgensen, one of the founders of Finnriver Farm & Cidery, apples are a way of life. Jorgensen and his partners started their small organic fruit and vegetable farm in Chimacum, Washington, on the state’s… [Read More]
Washington
EnergyGrantsLocal ProduceMade in Rural AmericaREAPRural DevelopmentSmall BusinessSolar EnergySustainable/Organic FoodsValue Added
A sunny industrial kitchen with equipment, a hood over a range, and ovens.

With RAIN Catalysts, Oregon Entrepreneurs Shine

Though their businesses may be small, rural entrepreneurs play a big role in the nation’s economic development and prosperity. They create local jobs, revitalize Main Streets, and enrich their communities. With every open sign and website launch, these intrepid innovators bring… [Read More]
Oregon
EntrepreneurSmall Business
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
Smiling woman standing in a shop with honey and honey-themed products on shelves on the walls and on racks.

Entrepreneurs and RD: a Match Meant to Bee

Mark and Linda Graf have a crew of over 400,000 bees in over 100 hives working for them near Emerson, Nebraska. The Buzz, their store on Main Street, sells local honey and related products.   The Grafs are shining examples of entrepreneurship in rural America. Linda… [Read More]
Nebraska
EntrepreneurLocal FoodsMade in Rural AmericaREAPRenewable EnergySmall BusinessValue Added
Owner of Fable Farms preparing wine

Building Small Rural Businesses

Small businesses are the center of rural communities and ensuring they have the tools needed to be successful is important for their sustainability. Fable Farms, a wine company in Washington, felt the strain during COVID-19 in 2020. Finding supplies for the business and getting… [Read More]
Washington
GrantsSmall BusinessValue Added
Burke County Sign

New Technology for Burke, South Dakota Businesses

Technology has become a very important aspect of everyday life. Families, schools, governments, and businesses all use some form of technology to reach people and disseminate information or services.   Rural communities like Burke, South Dakota, were among the many… [Read More]
South Dakota
GrantsSmall BusinessTechnology
Workers at the Arc Bakery making their cookie

Creating Community, Awareness, and Cookies With the Arc

More than 67 years ago, parents came together to advocate for their children living with intellectual and development disabilities (IDD) who were not welcome in public schools. The Arc was born out of this effort, becoming a nonprofit dedicated to supporting individuals living… [Read More]
Connecticut
GrantsSmall Business

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