Our Building Rural Economies training helped bring change to Lewistown, Montana. Preview the video …

Kalispell, Montana – By many accounts, this lush, pastoral expanse of the United States may be the country’s most stunning. Serene, picturesque Flathead Lake to the south and Glacier National Park to the north attracts tourists year-round, such that Flathead County is expanding in both population and labor force. But all of this growth has unfortunately not translated into more homes for this burgeoning population.

Hoopa Valley, Calif. – Hoopa Valley residents live near pastoral landscapes, rough rivers, and dense forests teeming with an abundance of fish and game. Yet, the abundance underscores the fact that healthy food scarcity exists in places we might not expect. In Hoopa Valley for instance, residents struggled to find wholesome food.

In May, as Jacqueline Alexander welcomed dozens of visitors to The Puff Factory ribbon-cutting and grand opening ceremony, her friend Adrienne Nelson lauded Alexander’s perseverance during the last three years, when it seemed the various obstacles she faced would prevent her from success.

Española, N. M. – When Felicia Rodriguez found herself pregnant at age 16, she was very nervous, as are many expectant mothers. And that didn’t change when in later years she gave birth to two more children. Despite the anxiety surrounding childbirth, Rodriguez also remembers the profound joy at the thought of her newborn.