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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 the 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: 42 Stories
Four members of the Cold Mountain Snowmobile Club are shown seated on an orange snow dragger equipment outdoors under bright sun.

Grand Boost for Grand Isle Winter Economy

The Cold Mountain Snowmobile Club (CMSC) is based in Grand Isle, Maine. Located in the St. John Valley, the town is in the northernmost region of the state, where snowmobiles are an important feature of winter life. Businesses rely on local… [Read More]
Maine
BusinessEconomic DevelopmentGrants
Aerial view of OSU South Centers in Piketon, Ohio.

Partnership Helps Rural Cooperatives Thrive in Appalachian Ohio

The Ohio State University (OSU) College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES) Center for Cooperatives, based at the OSU South Centers in Piketon, Ohio, helps enhance quality of life by integrating teaching, research, and extension to support cooperatives with… [Read More]
Ohio
CooperativesEconomic DevelopmentEducation
Trey with his daughter looking at coffee grounds

Veteran Finds Unexpected Inspiration, Leads to New Business

Inspiration can strike at the most unlikely times. For Trey Hendrickson, it struck when he was returning from deployment in Afghanistan. He had, what he recalls as ‘the best cup of coffee’ he’d ever had. It was a taste of home. U.S. Marine… [Read More]
South Dakota
BusinessEconomic DevelopmentRMAP
USDA’s Administrator for the Rural Business and Cooperative Service Betsy Dirksen Londrigan announces an RBDG award at the United Way of the Capital Region in Harrisburg, Pa., on Aug. 22, 2024.

United Way of the Capital Region receives USDA grant for workforce development initiative

On Aug. 22, 2024, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development announced it had awarded an $85,000 grant to the United Way of the Capital Region through its Rural Business Development Grants Program.The grant will be used to help… [Read More]
Pennsylvania
Economic Development
Alfreda Jarrett-Reynolds poses in front of a Brunswick banner

Partnering to Forge a Better Future for the People of Brunswick County

Southside Virginia may be within driving distance of the state capital, but its tight-knit rural communities are a world away from the more fast-paced urban scene of Richmond. While the region’s agricultural roots run deep, the farms still in operation today can’t sustain the… [Read More]
Virginia
COREEconomic DevelopmentHome RepairUnderserved
Southland Steel Fabricators, Inc. Chief Financial Officer Dale Sexton and Director of Engineering Zach Kent greeted and welcomed USDA staff on a recent tour of their galvanizing plant in Amite, LA.

Southland Steel Fabrication Inc. Expands with $25 Million USDA Loan, Boosts Local Economy and Workforce with State-of-the-Art Technology

Southland Steel Fabrication Inc. Expands with $25 Million USDA Loan, Boosts Local Economy and Workforce with State-of-the-Art Technology Founded in 1986, Southland Steel Fabricators Inc. is now one of the largest steel fabricators in the region. As a family-owned and operated… [Read More]
Louisiana
BusinessEconomic DevelopmentManufacturing
A man and a woman are pictured seated at a table, talking and taking notes. Other people work at the same table and other tables in the background. There is abstract artwork on the walls in the background.

Building Community Strength Ten Rural Towns at a Time: GrowSmart Maine Brings Local Leaders to the Table

Rural communities across Maine may share many of the same goals, but collaboration can be difficult when they are separated by great distance and challenging roads. What’s more, small towns often have lean staffs, making it especially hard to make time for strategic planning. (… [Read More]
Maine
Economic DevelopmentRCDI
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]
Maine
CooperativesEconomic DevelopmentEntrepreneurLocal ProduceMade in Rural AmericaRural DevelopmentSmall Business
A sign in front of an industrial building states Mid-States Material Handling and Fabrication

The Opportunity to Do More: USDA Pass-Through Loan Enables Manufacturing Company Expansion

In Nevada, Iowa, a family-owned and operated business is expanding thanks in part to a $2 million loan from USDA. Mid-States Material Handling and Fabrication is a manufacturer of agricultural material handling equipment, structural steel towers, catwalks, and other steel… [Read More]
Iowa
BusinessEconomic DevelopmentManufacturing
Four women and one man sit at tables in a large room with a USDA banner in the background.

New Capacity for Sunrise County: USDA Helps Meet Business Needs

When team at the Sunrise County Economic Council (SCEC) polled area businesses, they heard a consistent message. Asked what they needed to thrive, business owners made it clear. They were looking for more training opportunities and resources right in the community. Washington… [Read More]
Maine
BusinessEconomic DevelopmentGrantsUnderserved

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