Wausau Urban Community Gardens is now the proud owner of two bee hives! These docile honey-makers will help pollinate our gardens, and will also produce wax and honey that the program can sell to sustain the gardens!

Honeybees are extremely beneficial to our ecosystem. Many of the foods that we love to eat - apples, strawberries, eggplants, and tomatoes to name a few, directly benefit from the pollination accomplished by bees. 

In addition to the benefits honeybees bring to our ecosystem, honey itself has many health benefits. As a healthier alternative to sugar, honey can be substituted as the sweetener in many recipes. Some even claim that honey can be used to treat minor wounds and scrapes. (Note: as with all medical care, seek professional medical advice before attempting treatments). 

On May 30th, the Wisconsin HealthCorps AmeriCorps members came to Bridge Community Health Clinic to complete their annual service project helping the Wausau Urban Community Gardens program. The team finished the construction of the raised beds, spread soil and woodchips and prepared the plots, planted the community plots, and even had time to work on a decorative flag project to brighten up the gardens! The team worked incredibly hard, and it was a long, hot day in the sun, but the gardens look awesome! Thank you so much to everyone who helped out getting our newest garden up and running! Thank you to Wausau East High School, Terry Van Order, Red's Greenhouse, and the Wisconsin HealthCorps for their monetary and plant donations. We are looking forward to a very successful growing season!