Those who crave fresh fruits and vegetables now have an opportunity to pick their own in Walnut Ridge. The Kevin Wilcutt Memorial Garden was dedicated Thursday, April 2, at Williams Baptist University, providing a variety of produce in a picturesque setting.
Construction of the 6,400 square foot garden was funded by a $130,000 gift from Tekla Research and the Wilcutt family. It features raised-bed planters that will grow produce for customers of the Gardens at Eagle Farms, located on the west side of the WBU campus.
The garden is named in memory of Kevin Wilcutt, who served over 20 years in the U.S. Marines, including a stint as the pilot of Marine One, the helicopter which carries the President of the United States. He then worked for 25 years at Tekla, serving as president of the company.
Wilcutt’s family was on hand for the dedication. His daughter, Georgia Wilcutt-Kavina, spoke at the dedication and said the garden is a fitting tribute to her father.
“Leaders grow and show up consistently, plan with their goals in mind, are curious about the world and the people around them, are flexible and open to change,” she said. “And having a positive mindset goes a long way. My dad embodied those characteristics. These are characteristics that you’re asking the students here at Williams Baptist University to show as they care for the garden.”
The garden will be tended by students in the Williams Works initiative. Students in the program earn their full tuition and fees by working 16 hours per week, and some work full-time through the summer to pay for their room & board.
“Kevin believed in the Williams Works program and was an advocate for Tekla’s continued support,” said Beth West, COO of Tekla Research. “He believed deeply in investing in people and in creating opportunities for the next generation. The program represents something Kevin stood for, that work should have purpose, and that growth comes from both learning and doing.”
Eagle Farms operates as an extension of the Williams Works program, and it includes a produce farm, an organic egg operation, a meat processing plant, and the Williams Corner store. The Gardens at Eagle Farms, which sells a wide array of flowers and vegetables, incorporates two greenhouses and the new Wilcutt Garden. The greenhouses were also funded by Tekla.
Fruit and vegetable plants have been planted in Wilcutt Garden, They are expected to mature and bear fruit by later this spring. Customers will be allowed to pick their own produce, and they will be charged by the container.
WBU President Dr. Stan Norman said the Kevin Wilcutt Memorial Garden is a major step forward for Eagle Farms and for WBU, as well as a lasting memorial.
“The garden will not fly missions. It will not lead a company, but it will do something equally important. It will shape lives,” said Norman. “As such, this garden expresses the mission of Williams to cultivate Christ in our leaders who make a difference through their life work. Just as Kevin invested in people, this garden will become a place where the university will invest in students, where they will learn discipline, responsibility, collaboration, and the dignity of hard work.”
Williams is a private, Christian university in Walnut Ridge.
