Success Stories

The town of Rockingham in eastern Vermont includes the villages of Bellows Falls and Saxtons River, little but lively hubs of activity lending their special brand of hardboiled New England character to the rich cultural history of the Connecticut River. Though separated by only… [Read More]

Cooperatives for a Better World, a Manchester, NH, nonprofit known as Start.Coop, knows that there is no easy path to entrepreneurship. Its innovators—using extensive backgrounds in education, housing, agriculture, finance, social justice and other essential sectors that thrive… [Read More]

Since Naturalist Franklin Fairbanks opened the doors of the Fairbanks Museum in St. Johnsbury, Vermont in 1891, it has been a popular place of learning and wonder for thousands of visitors. In 1961, the Museum built the state’s first public planetarium, and in 2018 began a… [Read More]

Food Connects is a Brattleboro, VT-based nonprofit that ‘builds healthy families, thriving farms, and connected communities’ by delivering regional food and providing educational and consulting services aimed at transforming the local food system. The organization has grown… [Read More]

Snowmobiling is a sport that the local economy in Northern Vermont depends on. Each year, thousands of out-of-staters travel to experience the snowy mountain trails and amazing views. Freshly groomed trails make the snow smooth and are essential for winter sports and activities… [Read More]

A USDA Rural Development (RD) Single Family Housing Direct Home Loan often provides people in rough situations a way to recover and heal from life’s debilitating blows. For Candice Donovan in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, buying a home through this program — (also known as… [Read More]

“We were living in Cincinnati for over a decade,” says Emmy Clark, who, with help from a USDA Rural Development (RD) Single Family Housing Direct Home Loan, moved to Orleans County, Vermont, with her husband and three school-aged children last year. “The idea was for our kids… [Read More]

“People out there are having a tough time buying a home—it’s very stressful,” reflects Wendy Levy, who bought a home in Bellows Falls, Vermont with help from a USDA direct home loan. “For me, buying a house wasn’t always perfect, but dealing with Alex and the USDA was the least… [Read More]

Elizabeth McCartney never gives up, and she never gives in. A single mom who raised six children on her own, she ascended the career ladder from grocery-store worker to medical researcher through hard work and intensive education culminating in a master’s degree. But it was the… [Read More]

Bruce Hennessey, co-Owner of Maple Wind Farm in Richmond, Vermont, was not born into an agricultural family. He did, however, learn to love the land and its creatures during a childhood reared in upstate New York. Following his heart outdoors, his career as an experiential… [Read More]