BUILDING NORTH DAKOTA

USDA Rural Development

Greetings,

Through my experience over the past 40 years, one constant remains the same for building a successful, sustainable community:the practice and implementation of community economic development fundamentals is essential. An appreciation for these principles is critical in our business. That is why I am excited to announce and invite you to attend a training we are hosting on August 11, 2015 on the "Fundamentals of Community Development." The main trainer will be Dan Clark, Director of Montana State University's Local Government Center. Dan has extensive knowledge in this area and is a great presenter. If you're interested, please save the date and email wendy.hogue@nd.usda.gov so we are sure to pass on more information.

- Bill Davis, Acting State Director

StrikeZone Community Conference

McClusky

With over 70 participants, the recent StrikeZone Community Conference brought together partners and community leaders from the 13 USDA-designated StrikeZone Counties:Benson, Eddy, Emmons, Kidder, Logan, McHenry, McIntosh, Ramsey, Rolette, Sheridan, Sioux, Towner, and Wells. The one-day event focused on local and regional economic development opportunities in rural areas. To see the conference presenters, view the agenda.

Cooperatives Build a Solar Research Project

Carrington

Northern Plains Electric and Dakota Valley Electric have built a 6.56-kilowatt solar system. The 32 elevated solar panels will be able to produce enough electricity to power 19 60-watt incandescent light bulbs all day and all night for 12 months.

The cooperatives built the system primarily as a research project to learn more about how this energy source may benefit members. To help fund the project, USDA Rural Development provided a $5,000 grant through the Rural Energy for America Program.

USDA Recognizes Top 3 Home Loan Lenders

In honor of June being national homeownership month, USDA Rural Development is recognizing its top three lenders under the Guaranteed Rural Housing (GRH) loan program in North Dakota. In the past year, 61 approved lenders around the state participated in the GRH program and financed $58.2 million to assist rural residents achieve homeownership. Read more.

The top three lenders listed below received a plaque acknowledging their activity in the GRH program and commitment to providing homeownership opportunities.

Gate City Bank: 56 loans, $7.5 million. Photo.
Dakota Community Bank & Trust: 43 loans, $7 million. Photo.
First Community Credit Union: 38 loans, $4.1 million. Photo.

Meet Our New Loan Specialist and Summer Intern

John Gavin joined USDA Rural Development as a Business and Cooperative Program Specialist. Christian Perry came from Philadelphia to join our team as an intern in communications and community development. His 10-week internship is through the Thurgood Marshall College Fund.

John Gavin

Christian Perry

USDA Program Available for Small Businesses

Financing is available through USDA's Rural Microentrepreneur Assistance Program (RMAP). The 2014 Farm Bill reauthorized the program through 2018. RMAP provides financing to Microenterprise Development Organizations (MDOs) to help microentrepreneurs - very small businesses with 10 or fewer employees - access capital to start or grow businesses. MDOs use the funds to provide training and technical assistance to small businesses or to establish revolving loan funds that provide micro-loans.

Programs, Deadlines and Events

JUNE 30: Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) application deadline.
JULY 6: Housing Preservation Grant application deadline.
JULY 6: Distance learning and Telemedicine (DLT) application deadline.
JULY 7: Value Added Producer Grant (VAPG) application deadline.
JULY 16: USDA Friends & Neighbors Day, Mandan.
JULY 22: SBA's office of Native American Affairs is offering Business Development Training, Bismarck.
JULY 30: Rural Cooperative Development Grant (RCDG) application deadline.
AUGUST 11: Fundamentals of Community Development, USDA sponsored training in Bismarck.
AUGUST 13: Rural Community Development Initiative (RCDI) grant application deadline.

Website Contact Us News NOFAs Forms Progress Report

To file a complaint of discrimination, write to: USDA, Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Stop 9410, Washington, DC 20250-9410 Or call toll-free at (866) 632-9992 (English) or (800) 877-8339 (TDD) or (866) 377-8642 (English Federal-relay) or (800) 845-6136 (Spanish Federal-relay). "USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer."