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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: 869 Stories
People standing behind a sign

High Speed Internet for Southwestern Montana

Southern Montana Telephone Company, located in Wisdom, received a $3.3 million ReConnect grant in 2019 which they used to bring high-speed internet to nearly 1,000 customers, spread out over almost 2,000 miles, in Southwestern Montana. For more information on USDA Rural… [Read More]
Montana
BroadbandGrantsUtilities
Freeze-dried fruit chips in plates on a table laid out for sampling.

Freeze Drying Lessens a Farmer’s Financial Risk Plus More

Rachael Ryan is a life-long farmer from southern New Mexico. Over the years she’s seen the ups and downs of her farming business called Back Yard Farms. --And she especially knows about the downs that come as an ag producer. She loves farming, but she knows farmers are at the… [Read More]
New Mexico
BusinessGrantsValue Added
A pretty white home with blue shutters and hanging plants

More Than Just Home Repair- Refinance Helps Atlantic County Senior Maintain Independent Living

Ms. Barbara Delozier is a single senior living in Atlantic County, New Jersey. Like a lot of seniors on fixed incomes, Ms. Delozier finds it hard to make ends meet and manage cost of homeownership. Barbara has lived in her home for over a decade. Her home, built in 1965, needed… [Read More]
New Jersey
GrantsHome RepairHomeownershipHousing
People holding bison jerkey

Roam Free Ranch Uses USDA To Expand Markets

Roam Free Ranch (https://goroamfree.com) is a 16,000 acre grass-fed bison ranch in Hot Springs, Montana.  In 2020, Roam Free Ranch utilized a USDA Rural Development Value Added Producer Grant to secure funding to help scale production capacity and expand their markets.… [Read More]
Montana
BusinessLocal FoodsSmall BusinessSustainable/Organic Foods
Man standing next to lagoon

Cleaning Wastewater in Harlowton, Montana

Harlowton, Mont., a rural community which also serves as Wheatland County’s seat, modernized their wastewater system with assistance through USDA Rural Development’s Water and Waste Disposal Loan and Grant Program.  See how they used these funds to transition to UV… [Read More]
Montana
GrantsWastewaterWater
Nurse in a healthcare facility

Rural Healthcare Spotlight: Livingston HealthCare

Livingston HealthCare is a 125,000 square-foot critical access hospital in Livingston Montana.  In 2015, they utilized USDA Rural Development the Community Facility Direct Loan and Grant program to secure funding for a new facility which serves Park County’s rural… [Read More]
Montana
Health Care
Man standing next to lumber

Montana Lumber Mill Makes Energy Improvements with USDA

Sun Mountain Lumber, located in Deer Lodge, Mont., is a family-owned lumber mill which also serves as Deer Lodge Valley’s largest private employer. Since 2018, Sun Mountain Lumber has received two separate USDA Rural Development Rural Energy for America (REAP) program grants to… [Read More]
Montana
BusinessEnergy
Person on a roof

U.S. Army Veteran Builds Roots in Great Falls, Mont.

 In 2017, Heather, a U.S. Army National Guard Veteran, decided to build her home through the Great Falls NeighborWorks self-help housing program, in Great Falls, Mont.  She used a USDA Rural Development Single Family Direct Home Loan to purchase the home she built.… [Read More]
Montana
Homeownership
Man in front of truck

USDA RD Helps Family-Owned Montana Company Keep On Trucking

Hanson Trucking, a small enterprise located in Columbia Falls, Mont., is a family-owned trucking company which has been in business for over three decades.  Hanson Trucking is dedicated to supporting Montana’s rural economy and providing local jobs within Flathead County.… [Read More]
Montana
Small Business
Brian and Catherine Bartunek family with Rural Development staff outside home

Bartuneks Become Homeowners After Long Journey

Buying a house can be a daunting process for anyone and it’s easy to become discouraged or overwhelmed, but for one South Dakota family, perseverance paid off for their long journey to home ownership. Brian and Catherine Bartunek wanted a place to call home for their three… [Read More]
South Dakota
HomeownershipHomeownership Month 2022HousingRural DevelopmentTribal

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