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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: 83 Stories
Scott and Melissa Holt with their two cows in front of the Bistro

From Cow to Cone: Local Bistro Offers Fresh Take on Ice Cream

When Scott and Melissa Holt moved to Hot Springs, their plan was to retire. They started as a small farmer’s market selling meat, farm produce and homemade ice cream. Soon they saw the demand for their specialty ice cream grow – even in the dead of winter.People would come to… [Read More]
South Dakota
Local FoodsRural DevelopmentSmall Business
A man stands against a porch railing with a long wood shed behind him. The roof of the shed is covered with solar panels. There is fall foliage in the background.

Marsh River Co-op Finds "the Easiest Way to Reduce Overhead Costs"

The Waldo County town of Brooks is located about half an hour from Belfast on the Penobscot Bay. It is a rural community with a population of about 1000 people. The store is located right downtown in a property that was recently donated… [Read More]
Maine
BusinessClean EnergyCooperativesEnergyFood SupplyInflation Reduction ActLocal FoodsLocal ProduceREAPSmall BusinessSolar Energy
Midwestern Meat Locker staff show off their new jackets in 2022.

Veteran-owned Meat Processor Expands Thanks to Intermediary Relending Program

There’s no doubt about it – feeding a large family can be expensive. When U.S. Army Veteran Ryan Dennis and his family realized how much beef they were consuming each year, they knew they needed to get creative.“We were going through two and a half cattle per year. We thought we… [Read More]
South Dakota
Small Business
Man standing in front of Victor's Drive-In, Hamburgers sign

Rural Business Development Grant Keeps Rural Business Running

Some places evoke wonderful memories of joyful years gone by. Victor’s Drive-In in Peñasco, New Mexico, is just that kind of place. Victor Martinez, a U.S. Army veteran, and his wife, Barbara, opened the restaurant in 1971.After over 50 years in business, the restaurant’s… [Read More]
New Mexico
GrantsLocal FoodsSmall BusinessUnderserved
Man standing next to world's largest pistachio

Sun Powers Production Next to World’s Largest Pistachio

When Thomas McGinn and his son, Tim, moved from Southern California to the desert of New Mexico in 1980, Thomas was looking for a change. He wanted to get back into farming and get out of his job working in food production for big factories.He purchased land for a farm and built… [Read More]
New Mexico
Clean EnergyREAPSmall BusinessSolar Energy
A woman stands in the lobby area of a small gym in rural Colorado. A teal colored sign with a skull and wing logo for Catacombs Fitness Collective is displayed on the wall behind her.

Sunny Southwest Colorado Gym Owner Adds Solar to Support Community Spirit

Tracie Holcomb, the owner of Catacombs Fitness Collective in Durango, Colorado, has continually sought ways to enhance her gym’s role as a community cornerstone. “Our motto is fitness and community,” says Tracie. “We think if people have a safe space where their friends are,… [Read More]
Colorado
Clean EnergyEnergyREAPRenewable EnergySmall BusinessSolar Energy
Celine Leavitt stands in front of an outbuilding at her overnight stay guest accommodations in rural Colorado. The building has solar panels mounted on it. In the background is Sleeping Ute Mountain.

Clean Energy Powers Ancient Echoes

When Celine Leavitt and her wife Allison Troxel visited McElmo Canyon near Cortez, Colorado, they felt an unmistakable connection to the land. After camping for a single night at the serene space called Ancient Echoes at Kelly Place, both agreed the “for sale by owner” sign was… [Read More]
Colorado
Clean EnergyRenewable EnergySmall BusinessSolar Energy
A woman bends over samples in a laboratory environment.

“We are in the Business of Accuracy!”

From the planes in the sky to the work done on your vehicles, various tools are required for these services. Many of these tools require calibration, a process where a tool is tested and adjusted to ensure accurate measurements. In 2012, PinnaCal opened their doors as the only… [Read More]
Montana
Small Business
Brick buildings with many windows line a street in Montana. A clock tower is seen in the background.

Co-Op to Bring Local Food to Butte

After the closure of two grocery stores in Butte, Montana, community leaders grew increasingly concerned about the limited availability of fresh and local food. In 2021, a group of these leaders initiated the Butte Food Co-Op, with the goal of better connecting the community to… [Read More]
Montana
CooperativesLocal FoodsSmall Business
Brian Watson at East Central College showing the HVAC system

Paving the Way for a Cooler Future

How RBDG Transformed ECC's HVAC Program  By Sierra Rusco Brian Watson, HVAC Program Coordinator at East Central College in Union, Missouri, is passionate about teaching. With his career in the HVAC industry, Brian finds it essential to give his students the best education… [Read More]
Missouri
BusinessRural DevelopmentSmall Business

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