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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
A photo on a farm with a grain dryer in the center. There is a small white building to the right and grain bins around the grain dryer.

Farming for the Future

The State of North Dakota is roughly 70,000 square miles. Agricultural land occupied by family farms and ranches accounts for about 60,000 of those square miles. With the sheer number of acres dedicated to growing and raising our country’s food supply, it comes as no surprise… [Read More]
EnergyInfrastructure
World Water Day logo

A Water Legacy in La Union MDSWA

Driving south bound with the Organ Mountains to my left you expect to see many things. Pecan farms, and Dairy farms sure, but also the beauty of southern New Mexico. If you continue on to Anthony NM, you will stumble onto a gem. Rural Development (RD) is no stranger to the area… [Read More]
Rural Partners NetworkWater
7 people standing in front of water tank

USDA Rural Development Helps Community Access Clean Water For The First Time After Five Months

You would be forgiven for thinking that October 17th was just another ordinary day for the fifteen households of the Mt. Rose Bowl subdivision, hidden by dense forest between a ski resort and a sleepaway camp in Northern Nevada. But Sally Sue Broili vividly remembers letting out… [Read More]
Community FacilitiesWater
Farmer cultivating produce

An Intensive Small Farm to Get Help from the Sun

Every morning around 6:30, Mathew Ladegaard opens the flow of water from his catchment pond to water his various crops. And each morning, he looks up and sees clouds in the distance and he hopes it’ll rain later in the day which will surely help his crops grow. Ladegaard’s… [Read More]
REAP
Watertower in George, WA was partially funded through USDA Rural Development.

Addressing Water Access Challenges Through USDA Rural Development’s Commitment to Rural Communities

Water is the life source for everything living on this earth. For human survival, we require clean and reliable water through sustainable infrastructure. While most people in US communities are blessed with water resources that don't even need to be thought about when the… [Read More]
Infrastructure
Rural Development State Director Reginald Speight visited Mount Olive Family Medical Center on March 14, 2024. Mount Olive Family Medicine Center, located in Wayne County, expanded their practice to include a walk-in clinic with the assistance of $1.7 million in USDA Community Facilities Loans and Grants.

Rural Development Assisting with Essential Medical Care to Rural North Carolina

USDA Rural Development is helping rural residents get essential, quality medical care near their homes and with minimal wait times. Mount Olive Family Medicine Center, located in Wayne County, expanded their practice to include a walk-in clinic with the assistance of $1.7… [Read More]
Community Facilities
Senator Angus King stands at a podium bearing the seal of the City of Biddeford. Sean Tarpey stands to the right in the photo, holding an award signifying Saco Bay Marine's REAP grant. In the background are 2 electric boats and a larger boat in the far background.

From Black to Green: A Biddeford, Maine boat yard on the site of a former coal-burning energy plant turns to solar energy for the future

Saco Bay Marine LLC is a Maine company with deep roots. It is the corporate parent of Rumery’s Boat Yard, founded more than 60 years ago on the Saco River in Biddeford. Now owned by Sean Tarpey, the company offers boat storage,… [Read More]
BusinessClean EnergyEnergyInflation Reduction ActREAPRenewable Energy
City of Italy Pavillion

High Speed Heroes Keeping Rural Texans Connected

Embracing remote work can be a game-changer for rural America, but it requires robust infrastructure and reliable internet connectivity. As remote work becomes more common, high-speed internet will allow Italy to compete for residents seeking a slower pace of life outside of the… [Read More]
Telecommunications
The GreenTechnologies manufacturing plant in Clay County

National Biobased Products Day: GreenTechnologies’ 25-Year Quest to Provide Eco-Friendly Alternatives to Chemical Fertilizers

When Green Technologies, LLC began operations in 1999, sustainability was a newer concept in the agricultural industry. Still, the company remained dedicated to growing as a market leader in sustainability and innovation. Now, as the company celebrates 25 years, there is a push… [Read More]
BiobasedBioeconomyBiopreferredRural Development
A USDA grant for $2.6 million was awarded to Perfect Blend LLC, an organic fertilizer company in Washington, facilitated infrastructure improvements, including the replacement of a giant stainless-steel dryer drum used to produce organic fertilizer at the company's plant in Othello in rural Adam's County. USDA Photo by Tim O’Connell.

Washington State Company Exemplifies Spirit of National Biobased Product Day Through USDA Grant Funding To Increase Organic Fertilizer Production

With fertilizer prices soaring due to global factors, relief comes to support local businesses, rural communities, strengthen the domestic supply chain in Washington State, providing more stable prices for farmers thanks to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Fertilizer Product… [Read More]
Biobased

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