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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: 767 Stories
For Benjamin Barnett, a seven-year farmer, in Waynesboro, Pa., he decided to pivot his farming operation from boarding horses to dairy. Like many farmers he decided to invest in his farm through the Rural Energy for America program. The project is expected to save the farm approximately $5,500 per year and will replace 50,148 kWh per year, enough to power four homes in Franklin County.

Farmers Are Reaping the Benefits of Solar in Pennsylvania

You can view a video of the project on our YouTube channel. The pandemic and subsequential inflation forced many farmers to find ways to keep their businesses viable. For Benjamin Barnett, a seven-year farmer and owner of Marsh Run… [Read More]
Clean EnergyEnergyREAPSolar Energy
woman splicing line of fiber

ReConnect Program Brings Opportunity to Rural Nevada Town

Brenda Dela Torriente twines the lines of fiber with precision. Her brows are furrowed as her fingers find the ridges between the cords, working them at an astonishing speed. It's a painstaking process. For the town of Montello, Nevada, it's also a deeply important one. Those… [Read More]
BroadbandHigh Speed Internet
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]
CooperativesEconomic DevelopmentEntrepreneurLocal ProduceMade in Rural AmericaRural DevelopmentSmall Business
Man standing by wastewater plant in rural area.

Regional Wastewater Hub Improves Quality of Life in Rural Ohio

In a small rural community nestled in the foothills of southeast Ohio’s Appalachian region, the city of Nelsonville recently celebrated a water infrastructure milestone with the opening of its new regional wastewater treatment facility.   Built in 1956, the original… [Read More]
Wastewater
On May 2, 2024, USDA Rural Development was able to attend the ribbon cutting ceremony for a new mental health service center in Uniontown, Pa. The facility, funded through our essential community facilities program, gives locals in need of care a place to meet with qualified professionals from the Fayette County Mental Health Association.

Where to Start: Accessing Mental Health Resources in Rural Pennsylvania

Bob Morgan, State Director of USDA Rural Development It starts with caring. On May 2, 2024, I was blessed with the opportunity to be a part of the ribbon cutting ceremony for a new mental health service center in Uniontown, Pa. The facility, funded through our essential… [Read More]
Community FacilitiesMental Health
Crandell-Home

It’s Never too Late - The American Dream of Homeownership

John and Kathleen Crandell thought that owning their own home was just a dream. But this dream finally became a reality. This retired couple, ages 70 and 68, had always rented and lived on a fixed income from Social Security and a small pension. The idea of homeownership seemed… [Read More]
Housing
Owner Brett Hayes surveys newly installed solar panels on the roof of the Zeus Digital Theater.

Waynesboro Movie Theater Brings Solar Power to the Big Screen

Hundreds of local residents and visitors gather at Waynesboro’s Zeus Digital Theater each week to view the latest theatrical releases on eight big screens, never realizing that they are being transported to other worlds via the power of the sun. A 241kw system perched high atop… [Read More]
Clean EnergyInflation Reduction Act
USDA invested $2.6 million in loans and grants to construct a long-term support care facility for GHA Autism Supports.

Rural Development is Partnering with GHA Autism Supports

USDA Rural Development is making one their most dynamic and impactful investments with their partnership with GHA Autism Supports Morrow Valley Farmstead. The investment of $2.6 million into the home for aging individuals with autism spectrum disorder and other developmental… [Read More]
Health Care
USDA with Norma and Neighbors helping Neighbors

Welcome Home: The Fire Didn't Beat Me.

Have you ever heard your heart in your ears? It’s that adrenaline rush that results from both good and bad events in our life. Often enough the events that trigger this feeling are good, your favorite team winning, that lucky break or unexpected promotion. There are also times… [Read More]
DisasterHousing
Rural Housing Service (RHS) Administrator Joaquin Altoro and Hawaii/Western Pacific State Director Chris Kanazawa speaks with Guam's Governor Lou Leon Guerrero following the outreach event held at the University of Guam.

USDA Rural Development Hosts Community Outreach Event at the University of Guam

On Tuesday, April 23, 2024, USDA Rural Development Hawaii/Western Pacific State Director Chris Kanazawa, Rural Housing Service (RHS) Administrator Joaquin Altoro and USDA RD program representatives provided an overview of loans and grants available for rural area residents,… [Read More]
BusinessCommunity FacilitiesHomeownership

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