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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: 867 Stories
refrigerated section of a grocery store. well lit and has items like orange juice in it.

More Than Business: Rural Grocers a Lifeline for Locals

Four short miles north of Lake Sakakawea and just along the highway as you enter Garrison, ND, (population: 1,467), sits a non-descript, beige warehouse. As the saying goes, if you blink too long, you might miss it. From the outside, Krause’s SuperValu might look like any other… [Read More]
North Dakota
REAP
Smith Island, Maryland

Investing in Wastewater Infrastructure is Key to Preserving Smith Island, Maryland

For the people living on Smith Island, the water matters. But it’s about more than the beautiful views of the Chesapeake Bay from the picturesque island ten miles from the mainland. The multi‐generational residents depend on the surrounding Chesapeake Bay for their livelihoods… [Read More]
Delaware, Maryland, and District of Columbia (DC)
Wastewater
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
BusinessCOREEntrepreneurFood SupplyLocal FoodsREAPRenewable EnergyValue Added
Little Sprouts Cooling Off in Alcoa, Tennessee

Little Sprouts Cooling Off in Alcoa, Tennessee

Babies crying, toddlers learning, preschoolers preparing for Kindergarten…Little Sprouts Learning Center in Alcoa, Tennessee invites their families to “Come Grow With Us”. This 8,500 square foot childcare facility offers seven classrooms, a cafeteria, and two playgrounds. Ms.… [Read More]
Tennessee
REAP
Water Treatment Plant Construction

Popular Grove Utility District Prepares for New Growth

With a population of more than 20,000 residents and an expected growth of approximately 10,000 new residents, the Poplar Grove Utility District in Tipton County, Tennessee understands the importance of being able to support the new growth coming to their community. In September… [Read More]
Tennessee
Water
Bob Threewitts standing in front of his ground-mounted solar panels

Solar Switch Proves Profitable for Rockingham County Poultry Producer

Bob Threewitts raises heavy broilers in one of the top poultry producing and processing regions of the U.S., so he knows a thing or two about making his operation more productive and profitable. The solar panels he installed a little over two years ago check both boxes and will… [Read More]
Virginia
Energy
Stakeholders at West Portsmouth, Ohio, wastewater treatment plant.

Wastewater Treatment Gets Upgrade in Rural Ohio

West Portsmouth, Ohio, sitting serenely near the confluence of the Scioto and Ohio Rivers in Appalachia, now has an upgraded wastewater treatment plant. According to J.P. Pickelsimer, Scioto County Sanitary Engineer, West Portsmouth’s treatment facility – built in the early… [Read More]
Ohio
WastewaterWater
Pictured: Water Tower in National Park, NJ.

Joy and Earth in National Park

Nestled within the southwest corner of New Jersey lies the Borough of National Park, a small town with a big spirit. The close-knit community isn’t just a spot on the map that sounds like a hiking destination -- it's hometown to over 3,000 rural residents whose bonds run deep,… [Read More]
New Jersey
Water
Quintana and USDA SFH Loan Specialist Victoria Martinez

Go for it, homeownership can work!!

Writing her own homeownership story, Karla Quintana and her two children have lived in Garfield County, CO since 2011.  After having to move out of a garage studio apartment, the family was able to move in with friends and rent the bottom half of their home. While owning a… [Read More]
Colorado
HomeownershipHousing
A hallway at a rural elementary school shows snowpants and boots across from a wall of blue lockers.

Distance Learning Grant Provides Window to the World for Rural Students

Halfway between Park Falls and Ashland is the rural community of Mellen, population 698. Nestled between the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest and nearby Copper Falls State Park, this small community is humming with activity on an early Monday morning in March.Students are… [Read More]
Wisconsin
Community CollegesDistance LearningEducationRural DevelopmentRural Partners Network

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