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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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Search Results: 769 Stories

With Faith in Fertile Ground, Maple Wind Farm Grows Up

Bruce Hennessey, co-Owner of Maple Wind Farm in Richmond, Vermont, was not born into an agricultural family. He did, however, learn to love the land and its creatures during a childhood reared in upstate New York. Following his heart outdoors, his career as an experiential… [Read More]
BusinessGrants
People in front of building

Norris Electric Cooperative and SKS USA receive USDA Rural Economic Development Loan in Richland County

Norris Electric Cooperative, USDA, and SKS USA partnered to revitalize and expand a 16,000 sqft warehouse space owned by resident Mark Burgener. An additional 7,500 square feet is to be added to accommodate more offices and warehouse space for SKS USA. SKS USA is a wholly-owned… [Read More]
Economic Development
F150

Pittsfield Police Department Gains New Vehicle

The City of Pittsfield and the USDA partnered together to find the right grant to access funds for a new unmarked police interceptor to continue to help the community fight the war on crime. This vehicle will specifically help in the battle against drugs and allow the town to… [Read More]
Disaster
Nicholson, Georgia community gathers at Benton Hall in December 2021 for a Christmas celebration.

Community Center Revives Community Spirit

Nicholson hosts the annual Daisy Festival and is centrally located off Hwy 441 driving to the heart of Athens Georgia, home of the Georgia Bulldogs. The city lacks a downtown district and a central place to gather.  Benton Elementary School is a bastion to the city of… [Read More]
Community FacilitiesRural Development
Lincoln Electric Downflex

Welding for a Better Workforce

For the rural residents of Fentress County, access to training programs that provide the advanced skills needed to compete for available jobs can be challenging. Traveling outside the area for training is expensive and often conflicts with current employment. Welding is one… [Read More]
BusinessGrants
Gullah Farmers Processing Room

New Facility Will Help Small Provide a Means for Small Farmers to Package, Store and Distribute their Produce

Larry Harris and his son, Julian Harris of Harris Farms, LLC often struggled to find a way to package and distribute their fresh produce and increase their sales. Fortunately for them and many other farmers, USDA Rural Development (RD) assisted in finding a solution to this… [Read More]
BusinessLocal FoodsLocal Produce
Solar panels being installed

Home repair loan helps family drastically cut electric bills

Keeping the electric on was crippling the Maggard family. Electric bills ranging from $300-$600 per month ate up the majority of the family’s fixed income. HOMES Inc., one of Rural Development’s strong housing partners in Eastern Kentucky, led a project combining funding… [Read More]
EnergyHome RepairHomeownershipHousingRural DevelopmentSolar Energy
Two women sitting on a pink bench

Distillery is Making a Splash Mixing Community with Commerce

In the midst of the pandemic, while juggling work, civic leadership and homeschooling, friends Shawna Kelsey and Kristina Boyd decided to double down on their plans to launch Pink Bench Distilling in Troy, Montana.  In early 2020, they acquired a 100-year-old building from… [Read More]
EnergyRenewable Energy
Metal sculpture with parking lot in back

Paving the Way for Tribal Education

Salish Kootenai College (SKC), in Pablo, Mont., was founded in 1977, became self-governing in 1981, and was later designated as a land-grant college. SKC serves 68 percent of first generation college students. With enrollment exceeding 700, and many students commuting to pursue… [Read More]
Community CollegesCommunity FacilitiesGrantsTribal
St. Luke's Carbon Hospital

Carbon County Gets a New Hospital

Carbon County Pennsylvania opened the doors to its newest hospital in 65 years on November 21, 2021. The trauma-4 facility is expected to treat about 50,000 emergency care patients a year, thanks to a $98.5 million Community Facilities direct USDA loan investment for the… [Read More]
Community FacilitiesHealth CareRural Development

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