Bees in the D coming to Hope House & Gardens in 2020

Thanks to a generous grant from the Father Clement H. Kern Foundation, VEJ's Hope House & Gardens will become home to a new Bees in the D hive in 2020, the first in Brightmoor/Old Redford.

"It's been a wish of ours to install a Bees in the D hive at Hope House & Gardens," said VEJ executive director BT Irwin. "Our thanks to the Father Clement H. Kern Foundation are only just beginning." 

Bees in the D is an award-winning, nationally-recognized nonprofit organization "whose mission is to create a cooperative effort between residents, schools, organizations and businesses in the city of Detroit and southeast Michigan to contribute to both the health of honey bee colonies and the education of their importance to our environment." 

Bees in the D manages 9 million honey bees at 160 hives at 50 locations throughout southeast Michigan. In addition to managing the hives, Bees in the D offers education, training, and volunteer programs for neighbors and students. 

"Just having the hive at Hope House & Gardens is going to increase crop yield and the natural beauty of our garden," said Irwin. "But more important, it will benefit every flower and fruit and vegetable garden within two to three miles."

Irwin said that classes, demonstrations, and training for aspiring beekeepers will be part of the Bees in the D program at Hope House & Gardens. In a year or two, it may even be possible for VEJ to make and sell its own honey at local farmer's markets. 

Watch for more information about VEJ's partnership with Bees in the D in early 2020.