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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: 878 Stories
Minnkota Buxton Taft Caledonia Line Rebuild

Minnkota Power Cooperative’s $60 Million Infrastructure Upgrade for a Stronger Future

Minnkota Power Cooperative stands out as an example of rural energy resilience following President Trump's declaration of a National Energy Emergency, emphasizing the need to protect the nation's electric system and accelerate investments in essential infrastructure. For 85… [Read More]
Georgia
CORE
Walton County Power Plant

Oglethorpe Power’s Acquisition of Walton County Power Strengthens Reliability and Affordability in Rural Georgia

Oglethorpe Power’s recent acquisition of Walton County Power marks a significant step in its mission to provide reliable, affordable, and diversified energy to its member cooperatives who serve predominantly rural service territories across Georgia. The purchase of the 465-… [Read More]
Georgia
CORE
A police officer stands beside a police car with a police dog

K9 Unit Supports Northeast Iowa Community with Help from USDA Grant

Postville, Iowa, population 2,500, is a hard-working community in the northeast corner of the state supported by an international workforce. A sign at the edge of town reads “Hometown to the World.” People come here to work in local industries, including meatpacking and… [Read More]
Iowa
Community Facilities
St. Paul firefighter Wesley Lawson pulls out the larger diameter hose on Rescue 88

River Town Raises Bar for Emergency Response

If you think larger, more well-funded communities have cornered the market on public safety innovations, think again. The St. Paul Volunteer Fire Department has built a robust organization with the vision and resources to go well beyond the town’s 1.4 square mile land area.… [Read More]
Virginia
First Responders
A USDA loan specialist stands on the steps of a house with the new homeowner and her family

USDA Rural Development and Habitat for Humanity Partner to Promote Homeownership for Northeast Iowa Family

Chasity, the mother of two children in Independence, Iowa, knew her family needed a better place to live. She reached out to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development (RD) to talk about a mortgage.Iowa Heartland Habitat for Humanity owned an old house in town… [Read More]
Iowa
Housing
Wagner police car on main street

Community outreach leads to enhanced safety, reliability for rural police department

Outreach events offer a unique opportunity for community leaders and Rural Development staff to come together, identify community needs, and match potential projects with Rural Development funding.During one such visit between the Wagner mayor, city finance officer, and the… [Read More]
South Dakota
First Responders
Mallory behind the counter at Happ Coffee.

The Brother- (and Sister-) hood of the Traveling Loan, Chapter Six: Happ Coffee

Aaron Mallory’s ties to his community are as strong and rich as the brews available in his Waynesboro coffee shop. He created the upscale, yet cozy, cafe to be a third space between work and home where his neighbors can experience the highs and lows of life together. “… [Read More]
Virginia
Business
Man sitting at desk in front of many computer screens.

Rural Ohio 911 Dispatch Center Gets Upgrade with USDA Help

The Gallia County 911 Communication Center near Gallipolis, Ohio. USDA Photo.  Gallia County’s police, fire, and emergency medical services (EMS) each employed separate dispatchers. Sometimes this created confusion when coordinating… [Read More]
Ohio
Community FacilitiesFirst Responders
Dane Hauser with apple press

Hauser’s Superior View Farm & Apfelhaus Cidery team presses on for April reveal of hard apple cider taproom

Owner Dane Hauser shares insights on the process to apply for a USDA Rural Development Value-Added Producer Grant The new hard apple cider taproom is ready to provide brews and views starting in April. Photo courtesy of Hauser's Superior… [Read More]
Wisconsin
Value Added
Rob Seal with guitars and a banjo available for sale

The Brother- (and Sister-) hood of the Traveling Loan, Chapter Five: Waynesboro Music

You could say that music is in Rob Seal’s DNA. His granddad was a bluegrass musician from Russell County who took him to picking parties every summer, and his brother is a professional guitar player in Nashville. Seal took up the instrument at an early age and possesses the most… [Read More]
Virginia
Business

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