ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Kit Bond Chestnut Grove Dedication

Thursday evening, June 10, we held a private event at Bellefontaine Cemetery and Arboretum in St. Louis, MO: the dedication of the Kit Bond Chestnut Grove. This Grove celebrates Kit Bond, whose persona is a well-educated, worldly man with his feet planted firmly in Missouri soil. Although Kit served in both Washington, D.C. as Senator and Jefferson City as Governor of Missouri, the man celebrated was noted for his deep roots and a heart firmly planted in the farmland of Mexico, Missouri.

In 1992, the former U.S. Senator started the first commercial Chinese Chestnut orchards at his farm in Mexico, Missouri. Working with Dr. Gene Garrett, who headed up the Agroforestry Department at the University of Missouri, and Wayne Lovelace, the head of Forrest Keeling Nurseries, Kit helped spur the growth of the chestnut industry for Missouri farmers.

Bellefontaine Cemetery felt it would be fitting to establish a chestnut grove as part of the Arboretum collection to recognize Kit’s contribution to Missouri, Missouri farmers, and our country. The area will be used to educate visitors about the different species of Chestnut trees, the impact that small farms can have on reviving industry and illustrate the impact that one man can have on the world.

See photos from the event.