The Majestic, a senior living facility, lives up to its name as a large farmhouse styled home surrounded by the Bitterroot Mountains. In the rural landscape of Corvallis, Montana, residents maintain a rural lifestyle while receiving the assistance and care they need. Brandon Hart and his wife Cindy dreamed up this new home to provide a needed service for the community.

Southside Virginia may be within driving distance of the state capital, but its tight-knit rural communities are a world away from the more fast-paced urban scene of Richmond. While the region’s agricultural roots run deep, the farms still in operation today can’t sustain the local economy. In Brunswick County, residents remember a more prosperous past and are strongly committed to building a better future. 

Southland Steel Fabrication Inc. Expands with $25 Million USDA Loan, Boosts Local Economy and Workforce with State-of-the-Art Technology Founded in 1986, Southland Steel Fabricators Inc. is now one of the largest steel fabricators in the region. As a family-owned and operated industrial steel fabrication company in rural Louisiana, Southland Steel Fabricators serves the refining, power, and chemical markets along the Gulf Coast and throughout the United States.

On Thursday, August 1, 2024; the Young Women’s Christian Association or YWCA opened the doors of their new facility in Bradford, Pennsylvania. The clinic hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony for a brand-new facility more than 13,950 square feet. In total, the project cost $5.75 million to complete. Private, local, state, and federal partnership was needed to bring all this funding together. 

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 their regional food supply. Still in the launch phase, the Butte Food Co-Op board and early members are working towards creating a storefront that allows customers to purchase food from local producers, keeping the food system local while building Butte’s economy.

By Stephanie Speicher, Lancaster Farming 

LEBANON, Pa. — Steven and Bonnie Wenger have been talking about adding solar energy to Wen-Crest Farms for 15 years.

A federal grant has finally made it possible.

The Wengers are installing a 243-kilowatt solar photovoltaic system that will save them an estimated $29,500 a year.

The project, designed and built by Paradise Energy Solutions, is partially funded through USDA Rural Development’s Rural Energy for America Program.

On Friday, August 2, 2024; Hardeman County Community Health Center opened the doors of their new Women and Children’s Clinic in Bolivar, Tennessee. The clinic hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony for a brand-new facility more than 5,000 square feet. Hardeman County Community Health Center received more than $2 million in Community Facilities Loans and Emergency Rural Healthcare Grants to construct this new facility.

Under the Rural Electrification Act of 1936, as amended, the Rural Utilities Service (RUS), is considering a request for loan financing from Bluestem Energy Solutions, LLC to construct a 15-acre, 2.00-Megawatt alternating current, 2.88-Megawatt direct current solar array. The solar project is proposed to be constructed on 15 acres located at North Main Street and 829th Road in Madison County, Nebraska. 

USDA Rural Development program dollars do more than just increase prosperity – they save lives.

Each year, Wolfe County, Kentucky, sees tens of thousands of rock climbers, hikers, and other outdoor enthusiasts who visit Red River Gorge and surrounding recreational areas. Anyone who’s spent any time in the woods can tell you, sometimes bad stuff happens.

“In 2023, we did 73 rescues,” said Wolfe County Search and Rescue Team Chief John R. May. “We handle more rescues than any other team in Kentucky.”