Community Partners Campus in Wausau officially opens to the public

WAUSAU, Wis. (WSAW) - The Community Partners Campus is officially ready to help the central Wisconsin community. The campus highlighted its grand opening Wednesday with a flag dedication and a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

The CPC open house ended at 5:30 p.m. and it was an opportunity to let the community in and get a tour of the non-profit’s new location. The campus provides a single shared space for a wide range of human services with seven non-profit organizations like Neighbors Place, Wausau Area Mobile Meals, and the Wausau Free Clinic.

The executive director of the CPC expects the non-profit organizations sharing the space to help thousands in the community.

Executive Director Tara Glodowski said, “So really, the campus brings together food, mental health, medical and social wellbeing, and kind of bring it all into one space to offer those resources for people in need so whether its individuals or families, you know we have shelter here through the warming center. It’s really making a huge impact on basic needs.”

The new campus also unveiled two hydroponic farms during the grand opening. The two vertical gardens can grow a wide range of produce including lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, herbs, and small varieties of peppers.

Fork Farms Vice President of Social Innovation Micheal Hostad said, “This is a hydroponic system, meaning the food is grown in water. The water contains liquid nutrients that feed the plants. So what happens is water comes up from the bottom, along the sides, and trickles down from the top and what it’s doing is constantly bathing the roots in water.”

Fork Farms and the CPC expect the two farms to generate about 180 pounds of fresh produce each month, or over one ton every year.

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