When walking down main street in Anaconda, Montana, it’s easy to find The Bighorn Bottle Shop and Wine Bar. What used to be a run-down building is now an influential part of the community. The brick-and-mortar storefront offers wine and beer selections from across the world. “Many people are surprised to see that The Bighorn exists in Anaconda,” stated owner Vanessa Romero. “Not only does it exist, but it thrives!” Customers come from across the state to take part in tastings and shopping at The Bighorn.

Lukan’s Farm Resort will generate enough energy to power 15 homes through the Rural Energy for America Program, which helps small businesses and farms invest in renewable energy. Lukan’s Farm is expected to save around $23,600 per year by switching to solar.

Luan’s is family-owned, and John Hochreither, the resort’s president, hopes the grant will grow the business. The farm passed through three generations, starting with Hochreither's grandparents. Hochreither now runs Lukan’s alongside his brother, and he said the two juggle lots of jobs.

As the early morning temperature rises to 75 degrees, you know it will be another hot summer day. As you walk up the sidewalk leading to Ariel’s house, you are greeted by the symphony of singing birds, and beautiful sunflowers adorning flower beds along the porch.

Ariel struggled for years to find a home for herself, and she felt like she was at the end of the road. Living between homeless shelters and finding a safe place to stay has been an immense challenge for Ariel throughout her life.

Today’s Power, Inc. proposes to construct the 17.5-acre Northwest Arkansas National Airport XNA Solar Facility project.  It will be located near the city of Highfill, Benton County, Arkansas, at the intersection of Highway 264 and NE Pianalto Street.

Amidst the winding roads and one stoplight towns of South Jersey, one mother’s story can be told through determination and dreams fulfilled. Born and raised in this rural corner of the Garden State, her path to achieving this lifelong dream required challenges, resilience, and a touch of fortune.

Affordable housing is a prominent issue throughout the country, and with home values rising faster than incomes, city officials are looking for solutions to address the affordability gap. The City of Alexandria is one step closer to bridging this gap by breaking ground on Summer Meadows, an affordable housing development made possible by a partnership between the city and Habitat for Humanity of Douglas County.

In 2021, USDA Rural Development in Pennsylvania partnered with Schwenksville Borough to turn their former firehouse into a borough hall and community center.

The Borough utilized the USDA RD Community Facilities program with a low-interest loan to renovate the property to meet their community’s needs. The facility represents the completion of the borough complex, part of long-standing revitalization goals reflected in the borough’s 2017 “Main Street Schwenksville Streetscape Plan and Design Guidelines.”

Transitioning to renewable energy or committing to significant energy efficiency improvements requires major investments of time and capital for a business. It helps to have a trusted advisor to navigate the process. In October 2023, USDA Rural Development in Maine announced three grant awards to help provide that kind of trusted advising in Maine. The program is called REAP TAG, and Sustaine (with a Maine office in Skowhegan) secured one of the grants.