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

Search Results: 10 Stories
Guidry's Catfish building expansion.

Guidry’s Catfish Secures $7 Million Grant, Expands Business and Creates 100 Jobs, Ensuring a Bright Future for Rural Louisiana

Nestled in the vibrant heart of south-central Louisiana, Guidry's Catfish Inc., a family-owned and operated business, is infamously known to locals for having some of the best U.S. farm-raised catfish in the region. With a commitment to quality, community, and sustainability,… [Read More]
Louisiana
BusinessEconomic DevelopmentGrantsMade in Rural America
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
Maine Flower Collective photo by Gina Bartholomew with Left to Right, Courtney Mongell, Melissa Law, Andrea Ault, Michelle Jones, Mary Lou Hoskins, Carolyn Snell

Maine Flower Collective blooms and grows after first year

In a world where imported blooms typically dominate our bouquets and arrangements, there remains a healthy demand for local, seasonal flowers in Maine. Ranunculus, Lisianthus, dahlias, and hydrangeas are popular for being the beautiful workhorses of flower designs, but they don’… [Read More]
Maine
CooperativesEconomic DevelopmentEntrepreneurLocal ProduceMade in Rural AmericaRural DevelopmentSmall Business
A bearded man poses in front of a backdrop that says "GORiLLA LUBE" with industrial products on a table in front of him with orange labels.

Finding New Markets with USDA BioPreferred: Small Town Biobased Company has Outsized Impact on the Slopes and Ziplines of America

Scott and Kathie Lee are the founders of Gorilla Lube, based in Brownville, Maine. Scott Lee found his mission while still in college. At the time he worked for the Connecticut Department of Health inspecting public water supplies and… [Read More]
Maine
BiobasedBiopreferredBroadbandEntrepreneurMade in Rural AmericaManufacturing
Woman sitting at table with home made soaps, lotions, and balms.

Lifelong Love of Animals Blossoms into Successful Small Business

Little did lifelong animal lover Stephanie Smotherman know her affinity for critters would lead to a barnyard full of animals and a thriving small business in the rural eastern community of Jordan.  Named for daughters Brook and Belle, BB Farms and Soap Company produces “… [Read More]
Montana
Made in Rural America
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
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
Jeanne Carver, founder and owner of Shaniko Wool, raising sheep

Helping the Wool Producing Industry One Sheep at a Time

Shaniko Wool Company and its partners have been raising sheep for 128 years. Over the last several years, the company has emerged as a leader in the wool textile industry, becoming the first RWS-certified company in North America in 2018.  “We felt this was an… [Read More]
Oregon
Economic DevelopmentGrantsMade in Rural AmericaValue Added

USDA Grant Boosts Heritage Breed Livestock Producer

Farm thrives, bolsters other local farmers during coronavirus pandemic   For Shelly Oswald, owner of Old Time Farm in Stoneboro, Pa., the novel coronavirus pandemic illustrates the vital role small, local agriculture producers play in safeguarding food security during a… [Read More]
Pennsylvania
Know Your FarmerLocal FoodsMade in Rural America

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