Success Stories

In Chisago City, Minnesota, Aliesha Larson faced a daunting challenge as a single mother living with three of her children. Living with her daughter Ali, who uses a wheelchair, and her two sons in a cramped two-bedroom rental was becoming increasingly difficult. The multi-level… [Read More]

The City of Mazeppa recently celebrated a significant milestone with the groundbreaking of a new wastewater treatment facility, moving one step forward in ensuring a sustainable future for its residents. With over $12 million in funding from USDA Rural Development, Mazeppa will… [Read More]

Nestled in the countryside of Brooten, Minnesota, Redhead Creamery stands as a beacon of innovation and community spirit. What was once a traditional dairy farm has expanded into a family-operated business widely recognized as a vibrant hub for artisan cheese and distilled… [Read More]

In recent years, the need to train meat cutters and butchers has increased across the nation. Despite already having a robust butchery program, Central Lakes College (CLC) is taking further action to address this demand. The college’s campus in Staples recently held a grand… [Read More]

Meet Vicki Beckendorf, a longtime resident of Odin, Minnesota. In 1998, she and her husband fell in love with their charming farmhouse, built in 1912. Over the years, however, the house began to show its age, revealing a growing list of repairs and updates that needed attention… [Read More]

For over 120 years, families have traveled to Herman, Minnesota, each summer to attend the Grant County Fair. Following a presidentially declared natural disaster two years ago, fairground officials turned to Rural Development to help restore one building to its former glory.In… [Read More]

The Hatchery Row project in Battle Lake, funded by a $99,000 Rural Business Development Grant, helped to bring much-needed services and housing to a prominent vacation town. The project has marked a significant milestone in revitalizing Battle Lake's downtown and has been… [Read More]

Affordable housing is a prominent issue throughout the country, and with home values rising faster than incomes, city officials are looking for solutions to address the affordability gap. The City of Alexandria is one step closer to bridging this gap by breaking ground on Summer… [Read More]

Families in Rock County, Minnesota have had limited choices when it comes to childcare. Now, the City of Luverne is taking action to provide much needed relief for working families. Rural Minnesota, especially Rock County, suffers from a critical shortage in childcare… [Read More]

A project that has been years in the making for a small Minnesota town is wrapping up. By the end of the summer, the City of Howard Lake is expected to open the doors of their new, state-of-the-art public library. Howard Lake’s current library is the smallest library in the… [Read More]