Success Stories

You can view a video of the project on our YouTube channel. 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… [Read More]

Bob Morgan, State Director of USDA Rural DevelopmentIt starts with caring.On May 2, 2024, I was blessed with the opportunity to be a part of the ribbon cutting ceremony for a new mental health service center in Uniontown, Pa. The facility, funded through our essential community… [Read More]

On April 23, 2024, more than 70 residents, public officials, and health care professionals gathered at Punxsutawney Area Hospital to break ground on a $23 million renovation project. The renovations funded through a USDA Community… [Read More]

The Value-Added Producer Grant or VAPG program can help emerging industries take the next steps to becoming viable and expand their markets. Just ask Drew Oberholtzer, the co-founder of Coexist Build, which was the 2021 recipient of a VAPG for hemp blocks. Coexist, located in… [Read More]

What can you do to bring economic development to your rural communities? Is it possible without large corporations or out of town investors that may not understand the needs of your community? Perhaps your community should consider investment cooperatives.Local organizers in… [Read More]

New Bethlehem Fire Company Attack Unit's new fire truck did not take long to prove its worth. On Nov. 28, just after 6 p.m., the company responded to a barn fire in the furthest possible location in their service area. The barn was located on a small dirt road that prior to… [Read More]

Three Rivers Farm helps bring fresh, locally grown produce to the marketplace in a sustainable way. Nathan Holmes is the owner and founder of the business and knew early on that he wanted to help local farmers while fueling economic development in his community. As a Pittsburgh… [Read More]

Carbon County Pennsylvania opened the doors to its newest hospital in 65 years on November 21, 2021. The trauma-4 facility is expected to treat about 50,000 emergency care patients a year, thanks to a $98.5 million Community Facilities direct USDA loan investment for the… [Read More]

Farm thrives, bolsters other local farmers during coronavirus pandemic   For Shelly Oswald, owner of Old Time Farm in Stoneboro, Pa., the novel coronavirus pandemic illustrates the vital role small, local agriculture producers play in safeguarding food security during a… [Read More]

The Milton Regional Sewer Authority (MRSA) needed to improve and expand their existing sewer treatment plant. The Pennsylvania Department of  Environmental Protection (DEP) mandated that all communities in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed comply with new lower standards for… [Read More]