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Success Stories

Smith Island, Maryland

Investing in Wastewater Infrastructure is Key to Preserving Smith Island, Maryland

For the people living on Smith Island, the water matters. But it’s about more than the beautiful views of the Chesapeake Bay from the picturesque island ten miles from the mainland. The multi‐generational residents depend on the surrounding Chesapeake Bay for their livelihoods. For many, crabbing, oystering, and ecotourism are what puts dollars in their bank accounts, and food on their tables. In rural communities…
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Search Results: 729 Stories
Jared Stober with an outstretched hand holding a small bottle with grains inside.

From Farm to Tap

BISMARCK, N.D. – You’ve likely heard the phrases “Farm to Table” and “Farm to School,” but how about “Farm to Tap?” Though maybe not as common or mainstream, “farm to tap” is an appropriate way to summarize the path that grain, grown and harvested on family farms in North Dakota… [Read More]
BusinessInfrastructure
Sally Cowal lifts a glass with assistant winemaker Joshua Riesner

Musings of a Well Traveled Virginia Winemaker

How did a globe-trotting former diplomat and one of Washington’s top international lawyers end up running an award-winning winery along the North Fork of the Shenandoah River? The answer is pretty simple really. It was a place to put down roots. The historic Woodstock, Va.,… [Read More]
EntrepreneurValue Added
Molly and Jesse of Piper Mountain Christmas Trees stand in front of a vintage blue pickup truck with their two children. In the background there is a red barn and a distant hill.

Beginning Farmers Use REAP Grant to Make Their Christmas Tree Farm Greener

Molly Livingston and Jesse Jimerson were living in Northern Nevada while looking for an opportunity to get into farming. When they heard that Piper Mountain Christmas Tree Farm in Newburgh, Maine was for sale, they were interested. The farm had been in business since 1978 and… [Read More]
BusinessClean EnergyEnergyGrantsMade in Rural AmericaREAPRenewable EnergySmall Business
A woman and man stand in front of a pontoon boat with a banner that says the company name, "Wilde Recreation."

Nurturing Dreams and Livelihoods: Local Partner in Northern Maine Makes USDA Financing Easy to Access

After a long career in software development, Marci Wilde was ready for a change of vocation. Being a recreation enthusiast herself, she knew how much folks love to enjoy the trails, woods, and lakes year-round, especially up north. So, she packed up and moved to rural Cross Lake… [Read More]
BusinessEntrepreneurRecreationRMAPRural DevelopmentSmall Business
The Link serves as a resource center for many residents living in Kandiyohi County, Minnesota.

Kandiyohi County Non-Profit Uses Rural Development Grant to Purchase Building

Since 2008, The Link has served as a central hub for people in need living in and around New London, Minnesota. The Link was originally established by the local ministerial association as a center coordinating resources for people in need. Since it was founded, the non-profit’… [Read More]
Community Facilities
Richard Smith stands next to his solar array on his farm in Morris, Minnesota.

REAP Grant Helps Minnesota Farm Cut Costs

For nearly 50 years, Richard Smith has lived and worked on his farm in Morris. No stranger to the area, he grew up four miles from his current farm, where his sister lives now. Smith grows a variety of crops on his farm—including corn, beans, wheat, and alfalfa—and raises cattle… [Read More]
Solar Energy
Molly and Everett pose with dog Cricket in front of their barn with the solar panels on the roof.

REAP Helps Nettie Fox Farm Step Away from Fossil Fuels

Nestled in the gently rolling hills of Newburgh, Maine, Nettie Fox Farm produces certified organic vegetables. Molly Crouse founded the farm in 2009. In 2013 her partner, Everett Ottinger, joined her in operating the 33-acre spread. They began steadily increasing the… [Read More]
Clean EnergyElectricFood SupplyKnow Your FarmerLocal FoodsLocal ProduceRCDIREAPRenewable EnergySolar Energy
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

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 Farm, in Waynesboro, Pa., he decided to pivot his farming operation from boarding horses to dairy and cow… [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

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