Success Stories

Cooperatives are designed to meet the common economic, social, and cultural needs and aspirations of a group. Making sure the group’s values and cultural dynamics are honored is fundamental to successful cooperative development; this makes the co-op model attractive to many… [Read More]

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, home care cooperatives were a beacon of hope for overburdened health care workers and the industry that faced its breaking point. Many workers who wanted a stake in the day-to-day operations turned to the cooperative business model, which allows… [Read More]

Matthew Romig never really saw themselves as a homeowner, or if they did, the visions they had were of a small one- or two-bedroom house with little to no land. “I still wake up sometimes wondering where I am, really it's weird. I mean, I've lived all kinds of places,” Matthew… [Read More]

Bob Threewitts raises heavy broilers in one of the top poultry producing and processing regions of the U.S., so he knows a thing or two about making his operation more productive and profitable. The solar panels he installed a little over two years ago check both boxes and will… [Read More]

On January 14 this year Henry Smith stepped off of a plane and onto Belgian soil for the first time in more than 70 years. Right away the setting was familiar to him. “It’s going to snow,” he said to his family as the chill in the air and low-hanging clouds echoed conditions he… [Read More]

Jill Burcham has spent the last nine years building P.U.S.H. Ministries, an organization in Galax that today helps nearly 800 people per month put food on tables, learn life skills, transition from prison and climb out of addiction. This year, in an attempt to further help her… [Read More]

USDA Rural Development national office employees applauded the completion of Lily Ridge Apartments in Ruckersville at a ribbon cutting ceremony and open house in early November. The ceremony celebrated the development of affordable rental homes that can house nearly 50 families… [Read More]

Lunch time at E&S Mart in Altavista, Va., hums. A steady tide of customers and deliveries keeps the gas pumps ticking, the grill hot and the register open. Most of the faces are familiar ones. Many make small-talk over one of the high-top tables in the deli. Some will be… [Read More]

In today’s digital age, broadband Internet access seems like it’s just about everywhere on everybody’s personal electronics and smart phones. In rural Edwards Ridge in Dickenson County, VA, however, the Appalachian Mountains are a physical barrier that has made… [Read More]

What happens when businesses are eager to hire local employees, but an equally eager workforce lacks the necessary skills for employment? A stalemate. South Hill and its surrounding region have suffered this dilemma for the last five years with an unemployment rate ranging from… [Read More]