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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: 769 Stories
Lake Andes group photo

USDA Builds Sound Infrastructure for a Rural South Dakota Community

The City of Lake Andes recognized that two-thirds of the city sewer system was built in the 1920’s with vitrified clay pipe (VC) and brick manholes (MHs). The sewer system was experiencing a significantly high rate of infiltration and inflow causing the sanitary sewer system to… [Read More]
InfrastructureTribalWastewaterWater
Avera Health photo

Pioneering Innovative Ways of Service and Infrastructure Development for Rural Areas

With the passage of time, rural areas continue to have challenges.  Lack of infrastructure, distance to services, and a qualified workforce continue to plaque rural health care facilities. In the eastern corner of the state of South Dakota, a strong telehealth network is… [Read More]
Distance LearningHealth Care

Recreational UTV’s Provide Opportunity for Social Distancing Amid COVID-19 Pandemic

Rory Maynard has owned and operated Edge UTV Rental (Legendary Investments, LLC) also known as Edge Sports located in Lead, SD for many years.  Edge Sports is a ski and snowboarding shop and the site location has immediate access to the Black Hills National Forest. … [Read More]
BusinessSmall Business
Randy Gruenwald standing in front of a display of meats.

Dakota Butcher - 2020 SBA Entrepreneur of the Year

Seeing a business close their doors in a small town is always difficult. When the Clark meat shop closed in 2008, Randy Gruenwald decided he wasn’t going to stand by and watch it happen. His professional experience was an excellent fit to revive the business. He worked 15 years… [Read More]
BusinessSmall Business
Peru Ambulance

Safety of Rural Nebraskans First with USDA

The city of Peru currently utilizes a 2004 Ford/Wheeled Coach ambulance as its primary and a 1991 Ford/Wheeled Coach as the back-up. The 1991 model has reached the end of its useful life. The 2004 model is two-wheel drive making it treacherous in bad weather, reducing the… [Read More]
Health Care
The Legacy

USDA Meeting the Health Care Needs of Nebraskans

Henderson Health Care Services' long term care facility, built in 1960, had reached the end of its useful life.  The electrical and mechanical systems were failing and out of date.  Electrical and data line infrastructure was an issue due to the advancement of modern… [Read More]
Health Care

Vineyard uses Rural Development funding to help grow more than grapes

Rural Development is a driving force working behind the scenes in ways that many across the country do not realize. One way Rural Development helps is by supporting small businesses as they grow. Rural Development also assists single families in securing loans and grants to… [Read More]
Value Added
Dakota Energy and Huron Regional Medical Center photo

Equipment Beneficial for Both Diagnosis and Therapy of Patients

The Huron Regional Medical Center has invested in new fluoroscopy equipment. Fluoroscopy is an imaging technique that uses x-rays to obtain real-time moving images of the interior of an object. The equipment allows a physician to see the internal structure and function of a… [Read More]
BusinessEconomic DevelopmentHealth Care
Pine Ridge Lift Station

Reliable Infrastructure Provided to the Pine Ridge Community

Pine Ridge is the most populous community in Oglala Lakota County, SD with a population of 3,308. It is located inside the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation and is the tribal headquarters for the Oglala Sioux Tribe. The lift station in Pine Ridge was in very poor condition with… [Read More]
GrantsInfrastructureTribalWastewaterWater
garbage truck photo

Protecting the Environment Through Trash Collection Services

The Lower Brule Sioux Tribe (LBST) Indian Reservation is located on the west bank of the Missouri River and covers portions of Lyman and Stanley Counties. The Tribe oversees the solid waste program, including trash collection services, under the direction of the Environmental… [Read More]
Community Facilities

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