Success Stories

The bleating of sheep when they hear the feed bucket can be deafening. “BAAAAA! BAAAAA! BAAAAA! BAAAAA! BAAAAA! BAAAAA!” Like a nearby car horn or a low-flying jet, the sound can stop conversations cold. To a sheep producer, that is the sound of money, and more and more… [Read More]

For many, apples are a sweet addition to a balanced diet. For Eric Jorgensen, one of the founders of Finnriver Farm & Cidery, apples are a way of life. Jorgensen and his partners started their small organic fruit and vegetable farm in Chimacum, Washington, on the state’s… [Read More]

Giving patients the best and most thorough mammography screening experience is so important to a rural community, but the technology doesn’t last forever. That’s exactly what Winner Regional Health experienced when their aging two-dimensional (2D) mammography imaging wasn’t… [Read More]

When winter arrives in South Dakota, Ravinia citizens rely on the township to clear two miles of local roads. Keeping local roads clear allows residents to get to and from work. When their equipment prevents them from clearing the roads, it makes the morning commute a bit more… [Read More]

When Ruben Lopez and his wife Katherine moved from Texas to Price, Utah a few years ago, they didn’t have plans to open a restaurant. The idea began with a question Ruben posted on Facebook. “How would y'all like some Texas barbecue out here?” His query received hundreds of… [Read More]

Small businesses are the center of rural communities and ensuring they have the tools needed to be successful is important for their sustainability. Fable Farms, a wine company in Washington, felt the strain during COVID-19 in 2020. Finding supplies for the business and getting… [Read More]

When the first class of the ‘Local Innovators Institute’ gathered in March of 2020 there was nothing but excitement. Why? Because everyone came to find out if their dreams of opening a restaurant would come true. The ‘Local Innovators Institute’ is a business development class… [Read More]

Technology has become a very important aspect of everyday life. Families, schools, governments, and businesses all use some form of technology to reach people and disseminate information or services.   Rural communities like Burke, South Dakota, were among the many communities… [Read More]

More than 67 years ago, parents came together to advocate for their children living with intellectual and development disabilities (IDD) who were not welcome in public schools. The Arc was born out of this effort, becoming a nonprofit dedicated to supporting individuals living… [Read More]

The Yellowstone Valley Food Hub (YVFH) is a cooperative of farmers and ranchers that came together three years ago to increase the community's access to local food. It started as an online ordering platform and quickly grew into an enduring business. Today it provides the… [Read More]