The former Wichmann’s Furniture building is the new retail outlet for Riverview Gardens.

Turning 72 acres of chemically fed golf course into a garden space seemed like an idea out on the fringe, but the right people with the right intentions made it a good investment for one of the Community Foundation’s first Community Leadership grants.

In 2012, our $60,000 match leveraged a $60,000 grant from the national Funders’ Network for Smart Growth and Livable Communities. It was a major contribution early on to turning the former Riverview Country Club near downtown Appleton into a source of healthy food and job training for people who never would have set foot on the property in the past.

Now the garden has gone to Main Street, or College Avenue in Appleton’s case. A former furniture store was donated to this nonprofit success story. Riverview Gardens will use the space for retail sales and programs for veterans. It was featured recently in The Post-Crescent’s The Buzz.