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: 84 Stories
Four people stand in front of a café counter

Healthy Food Financing Initiative Helps Spread the Power and Love of Local Food in New Mexico

When you’re planning to spend a day at a museum, a couple logistical questions might come to mind: What am I going to eat? Is the food going to be too expensive and not good?Luckily for those who visit Albuquerque’s Explora Science Center and Children’s Museum, local, healthy… [Read More]
New Mexico
GrantsLocal Foods
Molly and Jesse of Piper Mountain Christmas Trees stand in front of a vintage blue pickup truck with their two children. In the background there is a red barn and a distant hill.

Beginning Farmers Use REAP Grant to Make Their Christmas Tree Farm Greener

Molly Livingston and Jesse Jimerson were living in Northern Nevada while looking for an opportunity to get into farming. When they heard that Piper Mountain Christmas Tree Farm in Newburgh, Maine was for sale, they were interested.The farm had been in business since 1978 and… [Read More]
Maine
BusinessEnergyGrantsMade in Rural AmericaREAPRenewable EnergySmall Business
Healthcare1

Enhancing Rural Medicine

To meet the challenges of a post-pandemic period and to keep pace with the needs of a diverse community, St. Mark's Medical Center (SMMC) looked to USDA's Emergency Rural Health Care Grant program for help. SMMC contributed $4.8 million in uncompensated care and free services… [Read More]
Texas
Community FacilitiesGrants
Two patients exercise in the telehealth cardio rehab room at Benson Hospital.

Health Care Closer to Home – It’s Good for the Heart

In Arizona, Benson Hospital’s telehealth services cut a 100-mile round trip to metropolitan Tucson, allowing residents to focus on what matters most – their health. Before the pandemic, telehealth was nearly nonexistent in Graham and Cochise County, forcing rural Arizonans in… [Read More]
Arizona
Distance LearningGrantsHealth CareTechnology
State Director for Rural Development in Pennsylvania inspects a Hemp Block at Alvernia University.

Hemp Blocks Add Value to Pennsylvanians and the Planet

The Value-Added Producer Grant or VAPG program can help emerging industries take the next steps to becoming viable and expand their markets. Just ask Drew Oberholtzer, the co-founder of Coexist Build, which was the 2021 recipient of a VAPG for hemp blocks. Coexist, located in… [Read More]
Pennsylvania
BiopreferredBusinessGrantsManufacturingSmall Business
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
Family Roots Farm is located in Wellsburg, West Virginia and produces maple syrup and all natural sweeteners.

Eighth Generation Farm Expands its Roots into New Markets Thanks to Value-Added Producer Grant

It was 1775 when Henry Hervey decided to make his homestead in what is today, Wellsburg, West Virginia. Hervey paid two pounds of silver for the 400-acre plot and his original deed to the property was written on a buckskin hide. Over the years, the farm was known primarily for… [Read More]
West Virginia
GrantsValue Added
A USDA Rural Development investment grant of $84,000 helped those involved in Hope House Guthrie, with the necessary funds to complete the purchase of an 18,000 square feet shelter that provides clients in the area with rapid rehousing.

A House Built on Hope

In the City of Guthrie, there isn’t just hope, there is literally a house built on hope that serves the needs of low-income families and provides meaningful shelter and an opportunity for meaningful rehabilitation. A USDA Rural Development investment grant of $84,000 helped… [Read More]
Oklahoma
Grants
A woman with a bag walks towards the door of a newly built childcare center.

Lasting Legacy: How a Vision for Childcare Was Built in Griswold, Iowa

Since 1869, the Noble Center United Methodist Church stood on a hill at the corner of Highway 71 and Victoria Road in Noble Township, Cass County, Iowa. Four years ago, the last remaining members gathered. “We had to make final decisions on where and how to gift the remaining… [Read More]
Iowa
Community FacilitiesFirst RespondersGrantsHousingRural Development
Bennett County Hospital

What if the ambulance never comes?

Audio file Your browser does not support the audio element. What-if-the-ambulance-never-comes-Bennett-County-Hospital.mp3 Download files: What-if-the-ambulance-never-comes-… [Read More]
South Dakota
Community FacilitiesFirst RespondersGrantsHealth Care

Additional Success Stories