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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 their Downeast community, and Heather was glad to find a rental home to…
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Use the filters below to find additional stories about how our programs have helped rural communities across the nation.

Search Results: 68 Stories
FINE and USDA partnership

Rural Development Stands by the Farm to Institution Movement

As a part of the local food movement, the main goal of the “Farm to Institution Movement”, which is an initiative of the Farm to Institution New England non-profit organization, is to bring locally grown food and products into schools, colleges, health care and other… [Read More]
Local FoodsSmall Business

Rural Food Manufacturing Plant Finds Success with the Help of USDA

Intevation Food Group is a food manufacturing company focusing on the production of appetizers and potato products in Plover, Wisconsin. As a start-up company faced with a national recession, Intevation Food Group found it difficult to obtain bank financing to construct a new… [Read More]
BusinessSmall Business
Sheyenne Dakota Inc.

Sheyenne Dakota, Inc. Expands With Assistance From USDA

Sheyenne Dakota, Inc., founded in 1996 and based in West Fargo, North Dakota, is a wire and cable harness manufacturer of electrical harnesses for every industry: construction, agricultural, trucking, electric, research, and recreational.  In 2013, the company was… [Read More]
BusinessRural DevelopmentSmall Business
Two owners behind store counter

Farmtastic Food Hub Celebrates Anniversary

Two entrepreneurs and the people of Anamoose recently celebrated the one-year anniversary of a new bakery and food hub in rural North Dakota. Farmtastic Heritage Food Hub opened last year to provide fresh, homemade meals prepared with locally sourced ingredients to guests, along… [Read More]
BusinessSmall Business
Photo: Outlaw Auto, a small, family-owned business in Myrtle Point, Oregon, is providing stable income for its owners and jobs for this rural community.

Small Family-owned Business Creates Jobs in Rural Community

For years, John and Alayna Black dreamed about opening their own business. John worked as a mechanic, repairing cars, motorcycles, and boats, but it was a struggle to make ends meet, especially after Alayna’s back surgery. “I didn’t know if we’d be able to pay the bills or have… [Read More]
BusinessSmall Business
Welcome to Plainview sign.

City of Plainview Obtains Financial Tool To Recruit New Businesses

The city of Plainview is facing the challenge that many rural communities face; how does a rural community keep existing businesses in operation and recruit new businesses to keep the community viable. One of the issues Plainview plans to address is the challenge of apparent… [Read More]
Small Business
Photo: Meant Manufacturing, a woman-owned, startup business in Florence, Oregon, is creating jobs and improving the local economy.

From Artisanal Hobbyist to Successful Business Owner: Rural Entrepreneur Contributes to Job Creation and Local Economy

Creating one-of-a-kind bags and accessories from locally sourced materials, like Pendleton® Wool, started as a hobby for Lindsey Phillips. Gradually, she began selling her products through third-party sites. Then she created her own website and sold wholesale to local boutiques… [Read More]
BusinessEconomic DevelopmentSmall Business
Photo of downtown Hood River, Oregon, in the Columbia Gorge

Fueling Wage Growth, Business Expansion in the Columbia Gorge

Rural businesses on both sides of the Columbia River—from a brewery to an assisted living facility, from a Thai restaurant to a tribal fish market—are improving the local economy by hiring more employees and providing higher wages. These myriad small businesses have one thing in… [Read More]
BusinessSmall Business

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