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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: 867 Stories
Redhead Creamery remains a popular attraction in Brooten due to its cheese shop and added bar and restaurant area.

From Cheesemaking to Distilling Spirits: USDA Loan Helps Minnesota Creamery Venture Into New Industry

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]
Minnesota
Food SupplyValue Added
Lisa Gallant, seated, on the front porch of her home in South Paris, Maine, with Rural Development State Office Specialist Wendy Palmer and Community Concepts Inc. Self-Help Manager Michael Sampson.

Grateful Homeowner in South Paris, Maine, Paints a New Vision of Her Future

 “I couldn’t be happier,” said Lisa Gallant, of her spacious single-family home in South Paris, Maine. “I get up in the morning, and I just walk out down the hallway and into the kitchen, and it’s like, ‘I can’t believe I own this,’” she said, her face lighting up with… [Read More]
Maine
Housing
Linn Valley Mayor Lewis Donelson and the Town Council prepare to break ground on the construction of their new water tower.

The Universal Product

Clean drinking water is the universal product of all communities. Everyone uses this product every day. You cannot have a healthy, vibrant community without it.Linn Valley, Kansas, had a problem. Their rural community was growing and their patchwork efforts to supply drinking… [Read More]
Kansas
Utilities
Decatur Telephone Company Employees ReConnect

ReConnect Grant Helps Improve Lives in Decatur, Mississippi

Decatur Telephone Company is an independent phone company serving Decatur, Mississippi. Bill and Louise Bailey bought the company in 1945 when it had just 27 telephones. Now, it supplies 2,000 homes with telephone service and around 2,500 with internet service.“Through the years… [Read More]
Mississippi
BroadbandHigh Speed InternetTelecommunications
Four members of the Cold Mountain Snowmobile Club are shown seated on an orange snow dragger equipment outdoors under bright sun.

Grand Boost for Grand Isle Winter Economy

The Cold Mountain Snowmobile Club (CMSC) is based in Grand Isle, Maine. Located in the St. John Valley, the town is in the northernmost region of the state, where snowmobiles are an important feature of winter life. Businesses rely on local… [Read More]
Maine
BusinessEconomic DevelopmentGrants
Picture of USDA Rural Development team presenting award poster to YMCA Leadership.

New YMCA Opens in Ottawa, IL: A Boost for Community Health and Wellness

The city of Ottawa warmly welcomed its new YMCA facility in May 2024; a testament to community investment and local collaboration aimed at promoting health, wellness, and social engagement. This state-of-the-art facility represents a $27.5 million investment in the community,… [Read More]
Illinois
Community FacilitiesInfrastructure
Aerial view of Bluff Dwellings rooftops with red cliffs in background.

Bringing Renewable Energy to Southeast Utah Using the Desert's Greatest Resource

The remote desert of Southeastern Utah brings a landscape like no other. While towering red rock mesas and sandstone cliffs provide amazing views you see very few people, and an abundance of sunshine. Southeast Utah’s San Juan County is the largest county in Utah, covering over… [Read More]
Utah
COREREAPRenewable EnergyRural DevelopmentSolar Energy
Map of Roy Blunt Reservoir

Local, State, Federal agencies join forces to provide safe drinking water

In northern rural Missouri, 10 counties have faced a continued challenge: safe, affordable drinking water. But that’s about to change.Thanks in part to Rural Development’s Water and Environmental Program (WEP), these 10 counties will no longer wonder if their water will continue… [Read More]
Missouri
Water
Oksana holding a piece of freshly picked ginger in her greenhouse

From Strife to Shelf: How a First-Generation Russian Farmer is Turning her Battles into Business

Starting a farming business can be a rewarding venture. However, it requires careful planning, preparation, and access to various skills and resources. This task proved to be especially challenging and rewarding for first-generation business owner and Russian immigrant, Oksana… [Read More]
Delaware, Maryland, and District of Columbia (DC)
Business
A solar array on the top of a roof with fall colors in the trees behind

A new megawatt solar array is saving energy and decreasing production costs on the rooftop at Kolbe in Wausau

After 78 years, Kolbe Windows & Doors in Wausau is still embracing change and finding new ways to save energy and operating expenses. A new megawatt solar array is saving energy while cutting costs at Kolbe Windows & Doors, which is a millwork factory and showroom… [Read More]
Wisconsin
REAP

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