Harvard Nursery celebrates 60th

Founded in 1952 by Urban Reckamp, the Harvard Nursery continues to offer high quality service and products as a family-owned and operated business. The Harvard Nursery is now celebrating its 60th anniversary. Urban Reckamp’s son, Tim Reckamp, took the helm after his father and continued to operate the family-owned business. He has just recently handed the reins to the next generation. “My wife [Pam] and I were owners from 1979 until 2009,” said Reckamp. “Now my son, Kevin, and his wife, Nina, have taken over since. So we’re a third generation family-owned business.”

In 1952, the Harvard Nursery started with much less space and land. “My father started the nursery in 1952. It was just a small 12-acre cattle and hog farm on Airport Road. We were there on [Airport] until 2003, and now we’re on Island Road.” The Harvard Nursery has grown significantly from its 12-acre beginnings. Currently, Harvard Nursery is comprised of 30 acres, more than twice the size of the original farm.

There are only a handful of employees who run Harvard Nursery: one part-time worker and three full-time employees, in addition to the owners, Tim and Pam.

As for the future of Harvard Nursery, Tim hopes to keep the business in the family. “I can see it being family owned in the future,” said Reckamp. “Kevin and Nina have a 2-year-old son, so I’d expect it to be family owned.”

Reckamp enjoys spending time with the customers and helping them with their many questions. “My favorite part is being with the customers,” Reckamp said. “I like helping the customers. …There are probably 100 different varieties of plants, and I enjoy explaining them to the customers.”

Now having reached its 60th anniversary, Tim Reckamp is pleased with the past and present of Harvard Nursery and has good hopes for the future. Harvard Nursery products are sold mainly at the nursery and the Harvard Farmers Market.

Harvard Nursery works within a 25-30 mile radius of Harvard. Only perennial plants, shrubs and trees — no annuals — are sold at the nursery. In addition to plants and vegetation, they also offer landscape maintenance, construction, mowing, trimming and weed control services. The Harvard Nursery is located at 5801 Island Road, Harvard, and can be reached by phone at 815 943-5015. Business hours are from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday; from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday; and from 9 a.m. to noon Sunday.