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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: 37 Stories
Redhead Creamery remains a popular attraction in Brooten due to its cheese shop and added bar and restaurant area.

From Cheesemaking to Distilling Spirits: USDA Loan Helps Minnesota Creamery Venture Into New Industry

Nestled in the countryside of Brooten, Minnesota, Redhead Creamery stands as a beacon of innovation and community spirit. What was once a traditional dairy farm has expanded into a family-operated business widely recognized as a vibrant hub for artisan cheese and distilled… [Read More]
Minnesota
Food SupplyValue Added
Mary and Neil Seek enjoy a quiet moment in their lavender field.

Grant Helps Culpeper Farmer Follow Her Bliss Through Botanicals

A calming oasis can be hard to find in the gridlock of Northern Virginia, but those who know where to look can take a turn off the beaten path to reach a hidden sanctuary in nearby Culpeper. The Little House at Seek Lavender is a place of comfort and connection that is inspiring… [Read More]
Virginia
Value Added
Greg Boulos and Jennfier Montgomery started Blackberry Meadows Farm in Natrona Heights, about 25 miles northeast of Pittsburgh, opened their farm with an idea to bring organic local healthy food options back to their local community.

Community Farm brings things back to local with USDA funding

Greg Boulos started Blackberry Meadows Farm in Natrona Heights, about 25 miles northeast of Pittsburgh, with an idea to bring organic local healthy food options back to the local community. A duo of farmers began changing the regional… [Read More]
Pennsylvania
Clean EnergyEnergyRenewable EnergySolar EnergyValue Added
goats at gorgeous goat creamery.

Gorgeous Goats: Turning Grazing into Gold

Hidden in the middle of a lush forest and accessible by only a single, winding drive is Stewgler Farm & Forest, home to the whimsically named Gorgeous Goat Creamery, where more than 70 gregarious Alpine dairy goats own the spotlight thanks to the ingenuity and dedication of… [Read More]
New Jersey
Local FoodsValue Added
Sally Cowal lifts a glass with assistant winemaker Joshua Riesner

Musings of a Well Traveled Virginia Winemaker

How did a globe-trotting former diplomat and one of Washington’s top international lawyers end up running an award-winning winery along the North Fork of the Shenandoah River? The answer is pretty simple really. It was a place to put down roots.The historic Woodstock, Va.,… [Read More]
Virginia
EntrepreneurValue Added
Staff from HH Design in Britton, SD

HH Design selected as Young Entrepreneur of the Year by SBA

Submitted by GROW SOUTH DAKOTA Hillarey Warner owner of HH Design in Britton, South Dakota, was selected to be the U.S. Small Business Administration’s South Dakota 2024 Young Entrepreneur of the Year, after being nominated by GROW SD. After graduating from Northern State… [Read More]
South Dakota
BusinessRural DevelopmentSmall BusinessValue Added
A photo of a man and a woman holding packages of cheese and smiling is inset against a photo of a long driveway bordered by trees and fields with a "cattle crossing" sign on the right side.

VAPG Provides a Buffer for a Maine Organic Creamery

Co-owners of Balfour Farm in Pittsfield, Heather and Doug Donahue have adapted to many changes as dairy farmers. First, they switched careers and began farming in 2004. They learned about farming and experimented with different breeds. Next came a move a move from New York to… [Read More]
Maine
BusinessClean EnergyCOREEntrepreneurFood SupplyLocal FoodsREAPRenewable EnergyValue Added
Man and child standing under corn hung to dry

USDA Grants Help Farmer Care for Apple Orchards, Maintain Blue Corn Lineages

After traveling down a long, narrow dirt road in Dixon, New Mexico, I eventually came to the production area for La Mesa Farms. There, more than 5,000 beautiful ears of blue corn were hung up to dry for the winter. They would soon be taken down, and the corn removed from the cob… [Read More]
New Mexico
REAPSmall BusinessValue Added
Aerial view of the Great Valley Farm Brewery and Winery

A Scenic View to Viticulture Success in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley

While many factors go into selecting the best site for a new business, the view was at the top of the list for Nathan and Irma Bailey. The couple was leaving corporate jobs to start a vineyard and brewery, so scenic vistas were important. “We were looking for some place in the… [Read More]
Virginia
Value Added
Family Roots Farm is located in Wellsburg, West Virginia and produces maple syrup and all natural sweeteners.

Eighth Generation Farm Expands its Roots into New Markets Thanks to Value-Added Producer Grant

It was 1775 when Henry Hervey decided to make his homestead in what is today, Wellsburg, West Virginia. Hervey paid two pounds of silver for the 400-acre plot and his original deed to the property was written on a buckskin hide. Over the years, the farm was known primarily for… [Read More]
West Virginia
GrantsValue Added

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