U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

Official websites use
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Https

Secure websites use HTTPS
A lock () or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

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…
Read More

Find Stories

Use the filters below to find additional stories about how our programs have helped rural communities across the nation.

Search Results: 85 Stories
Justin Owenby receiving certificate of appreciation from USDA Leaders in Athens, Georgia

A Legacy of Vigilance: Protecting USDA Investments

Following a series of retirements and staff departures, U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development Georgia Program Specialist Justin Owenby inherited a case load of projects and servicing actions in 2025 for various USDA investments.While familiarizing himself with one of… [Read More]
Georgia
Grants
Picture of John with owners Sarah and Matthew Perkins in front of sign

Ledgeway Farm Grows Its Rural Business With Support From USDA’s Value-Added Producer Grant Program

Pittston, Maine – In the heart of rural Kennebec County, Ledgeway Farm is demonstrating how value‑added agriculture can strengthen local economies, create jobs, and bring unique Maine-made products to customers across the country. Owned and… [Read More]
Maine
BusinessGrantsValue Added
Marshall Browning Hospital Rehabilitation Center_1

USDA Rural Development Provides Grant to Expand Marshall Browning Hospital’s New Rehabilitation Center

The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Rural Development provided a $1 million Community Facilities Emergency Rural Health Care Grant to help fund the recent rehabilitation center expansion at the Marshall Browning Hospital (MBH) in Du Quoin, Illinois. The 7,700-square-foot… [Read More]
Illinois
Community FacilitiesGrantsHealth Care
Guidry's Catfish building expansion.

Guidry’s Catfish Secures $7 Million Grant, Expands Business and Creates 100 Jobs, Ensuring a Bright Future for Rural Louisiana

Nestled in the vibrant heart of south-central Louisiana, Guidry's Catfish Inc., a family-owned and operated business, is infamously known to locals for having some of the best U.S. farm-raised catfish in the region. With a commitment to quality, community, and sustainability,… [Read More]
Louisiana
BusinessEconomic DevelopmentGrantsMade in Rural America
Four members of the Cold Mountain Snowmobile Club are shown seated on an orange snow dragger equipment outdoors under bright sun.

Grand Boost for Grand Isle Winter Economy

The Cold Mountain Snowmobile Club (CMSC) is based in Grand Isle, Maine. Located in the St. John Valley, the town is in the northernmost region of the state, where snowmobiles are an important feature of winter life. Businesses rely on local… [Read More]
Maine
BusinessEconomic DevelopmentGrants
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 Business
Man standing in front of Desert Aire Hotel sign

REAP Grant Helps Hotel Go 100 Percent Solar

While many companies build new hotels for efficiency, the Classic Desert Aire Hotel in Alamogordo, New Mexico, built in the 1950s, was not. Despite that, the hotel’s large roof recently offered an unexpected benefit for sustainability.“This property was built almost for solar —… [Read More]
New Mexico
GrantsREAPSolar Energy
Valley telecommunications store front

Valley Telecommunications extends network to provide high-speed internet

Valley Telecommunications has been providing its members in the Herreid area with quality service for nearly 70 years. The Cooperative strived to deliver the high speed, reliable internet service to its members across McPherson, Edmunds, and Campbell counties. When an… [Read More]
South Dakota
BroadbandGrantsHigh Speed InternetRural DevelopmentTelecommunications
The Pelican Athletic Club General Manager Alix St. Pé, USDA Rural Business Cooperative Services Administrator Betsy Londrigan, Associate Deputy Administrator Dr. James Jordan, Rural Development Chief of Staff Leroy Garcia, Special Advisor Robert Lyons alongside Rural Development Louisiana Business Programs Director Whey McGrew, Community Programs Director Matt Seaton, along with 50 USDA staff from across the country. The Next Solar Energy Technology Inc.'s Vice President of Sales, Eric LeBlanc, General Man

Pelican Athletic Club Enhances Energy Efficiency with USDA Rural Development Grants

Pelican Athletic Club Enhances Energy Efficiency with USDA Rural Development Grants The Pelican Athletic Club greeted and welcomed USDA Rural Development staff to their premier fitness and wellness center in Mandeville, Louisiana, to show off their new energy efficiency… [Read More]
Louisiana
EnergyGrantsREAPRenewable EnergySolar Energy
The Climate Fellow described in the story is pictured at an outdoor table interacting with a community member who is reading a pamphlet she shows him. There is a blue building, a Mount Desert Island School bus, and trees in the background. The event pictured is in a parking lot, with balloons in the near background.

Impact Beyond Measure: Maine Nonprofit Builds Climate Resilience and the Leaders of Tomorrow with RCDI Grant from USDA

Where can residents of small coastal and island communities in Maine turn for help with critical, labor-intensive projects? Residents of the Mount Desert Island town of Tremont recently worked with Island Institute Fellow Brianna… [Read More]
Maine
GrantsRCDIRenewable Energy

Additional Success Stories