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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: 878 Stories
Mary and Neil Seek enjoy a quiet moment in their lavender field.

Grant Helps Culpeper Farmer Follow Her Bliss Through Botanicals

A calming oasis can be hard to find in the gridlock of Northern Virginia, but those who know where to look can take a turn off the beaten path to reach a hidden sanctuary in nearby Culpeper. The Little House at Seek Lavender is a place of comfort and connection that is inspiring… [Read More]
Virginia
Value Added
Bodee, his wife Alexandria and their young son proudly stand in front of their first home!

A Growing Family Plants Roots in Wyoming

Bodee and his wife Alexandria were anxious to plant roots for their growing family. With a young son, and another one the way, they were ready to have a space of their own. The couple had never owned their own home, moving from rental to rental in Natrona County.“Homeownership… [Read More]
Wyoming
HomeownershipHousing
woman and man holding book at coffee shop

Empowering Coffee in Puerto Rico

Globally, more than a billion people count on coffee to power their day.  In rural Puerto Rico, USDA Rural Development is helping a small family-owned business power some of that coffee. Thanks to a $110,240 USDA Rural Development’s Rural Energy for America Program (… [Read More]
Puerto Rico
A woman wearing denim overalls stands in a green field with flowers in the foreground and solar panels and trees in the background.

REAP at the Junction of Farming and Clean Energy

When Eileen Flanagan and John Cochrane moved to Vassalboro, Maine and founded their farm, Junction Garden LLC, they knew they had a lot to learn about diversified agriculture in Maine. As they developed their market farm and growing business, one goal stood out: “We were very… [Read More]
Maine
EnergyLocal FoodsLocal ProduceREAPRenewable EnergySolar Energy
USDA’s Administrator for the Rural Business and Cooperative Service Betsy Dirksen Londrigan announces an RBDG award at the United Way of the Capital Region in Harrisburg, Pa., on Aug. 22, 2024.

United Way of the Capital Region receives USDA grant for workforce development initiative

On Aug. 22, 2024, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development announced it had awarded an $85,000 grant to the United Way of the Capital Region through its Rural Business Development Grants Program.The grant will be used to help… [Read More]
Pennsylvania
Economic Development
A woman stands before a cream colored house set into a hillside, with a brick patio and white patio furniture arranged. There is a green lawn in the foreground and trees in the background in bright sunshine.

Maine Retiree Turns to Rural Development for Help Recovering from Flash Flood

After a dozen years in her Franklin County home, lifelong Mainer Lucille thought she knew what to expect during bad weather. Therefore, when torrential rains struck Western Maine on June 29, 2023, she wasn’t particularly alarmed at first. Her home is located partway up a hill… [Read More]
Maine
DisasterHome Repair
photo of Jeff Davis Hospital

Jeff Davis Hospital: Overcoming Challenges and Securing a Sustainable Future

In 2014, Jeff Davis Hospital in Hazelhurst, Georgia, faced the grim prospect of closure. The hospital, a vital resource for the local community, was outdated, very small, and not equipped to serve the community. Originally built in 1962, Jeff Davis Hospital was last renovated in… [Read More]
Georgia
Community Facilities
new cinderblock building

Village of Honor system upgrades help ensure effective wastewater treatment, and a healthy watershed, for generations to come

Before the Village of Honor improved its wastewater treatment system in 2022, the team that runs it dealt with frequent maintenance issues.The system, which includes a series of treatment lagoons and other structures and components that lie at the northeastern edge of the… [Read More]
Michigan
Wastewater
Overhead view of L'Anse with buildings and water

Michigan’s ‘Village by the Bay’ completes extensive project to improve wastewater services, helping to keep local waters healthy for the future

People have been visiting the area surrounding the Village of L’Anse, which means “the cove” in French, to recreate, fish, camp and enjoy the water since long before the village’s founding in the 1870s.Located in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, L’Anse offers a unique blend of… [Read More]
Michigan
Wastewater
Man standing in front of house on wooded lot.

Keeping Housing Affordable and Safe in Rural Ohio Town

Representatives from Yellow Springs Home, Inc., and USDA Rural Development in Ohio celebrate partnership that helps provide safe, affordable housing for families in and near the Village of Yellow Springs, Ohio. USDA Photo. Since 1995,… [Read More]
Ohio
Home RepairHousing

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