Dedication of honey building a sweet moment for Kline Creek Farm

Lawrence DuBose told officials from the DuPage County Forest Preserve District nearly 30 years ago that the Kline Creek Farm in West Chicago needed bees.

“I believed that from the very beginning,” DuBose said. “I felt we had to have bees here.”

The district agreed, and since then DuBose has volunteered his time at the farm, helping with the beekeeping and teaching visitors about the importance of bees.

On Saturday, DuBose said he couldn't describe what it felt like to help dedicate the farm's new 700-square-foot honey processing center, which has been named in honor of DuBose's late wife, Wanda.

“It's just wonderful,” he said.

The new processing center will allow Kline Creek a living-history farm that re-creates farm life of the 1890s to continue processing honey from the more than 100,000 honeybees housed at its apiary. The building meets new state health regulations regarding the processing of honey.

And the design of the building, which includes large windows along one side, will give visitors a chance to see how the processing works.

“It's a great addition, and it will boost our educational efforts,” said Bill Weidner, spokesman for the forest preserve district.

A few dozen people braved the chilly weather Saturday to witness the formal opening of the new building and take a tour inside.

DuBose, who donated $100,000 for the center, pointed out that bees are a precious natural resource because they pollinate the plants that provide food to both animals and humans. He said small, local beekeeping operations like the one at Kline Creek Farm are vital to the overall industry, particularly as the honeybee population deals with hazards such as pesticides.

“Bees are sick,” he said. “If you drank a little bit of poison every day, I think you'd be sick, too.”

Michael Formento, a DuPage County Forest Preserve District commissioner, praised DuBose's commitment to the farm and called the new processing center one of the finest in the state.