About Us
2011
- Sidestreams Foundation, Inc. forms as a nonprofit to create locally grown fresh food projects alongside people living in food desert communities. Steve Rock, founder of Sidestreams builds our first raised garden beds in the Lighthouse Community School (LCS) parking lot.
2012
- LCS acquires vacant lot on Chandler St. to build 55 raise beds with the help of Sidestreams.
2014
- Sidestreams launches 500 Gardens Madisonville. $50 gets residents of Madisonville a 4’ x 8’ raised garden bed filled with compost and access to seeds, plants and classes. Fee can be waived for those who wish to volunteer. Beds can be built in areas surrounding Madisonville for a higher fee.
- LCS partners with 500 Gardens to open the Madisonville Garden Market.
2015
- Sidestreams launches 500 Chickens as a sister program to 500 Gardens.
- Sidestreams joins forces with the Newport Community Gardens project.
2016
- Sidestreams hires its first full-time staff person Kristine to help in Madisonville and with other projects in Newport.
- Madisonville Garden Market is approved to accept SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits.
- 475 garden beds have been built or rehabbed through 500 Gardens Madisonville.
2017
- Madisonville Garden Market becomes a Produce Perks recipient, allowing SNAP customers twice the amount of fresh fruits and vegetables for their dollar.
- 500 Gardens Madisonville reaches over 500 gardens build or rehabbed.
- Sidestreams partnership with Newport Community Gardens ends after a fun three years.
- Lighthouse Youth Services and Sidestreams partnered on and were awarded the Impact 100 grant to build an Urban Agriculture Learning Center at Lighthouse Community School.
