Nicole and her brother Owen visiting The Jungle Farm as kids
Working as part of the Educational Team at The Jungle Farm feels like coming full circle for Nicole Homan. She visited from Red Deer with her family while she was growing up, and also attended an educational field trip herself when she was in Pre-Kindergarten.
“Now Mom has brought her class for the field trip each year since she became the Pre-K teacher,” said Nicole, who has worked at The Jungle Farm for the past five years as she pursues her Bachelor of Education degree. “I know there are many families who come here year after year on school field trips or as guests and customers. We keep coming back for our work! We both love it here.”
Nicole’s mom, Melanie, is always excited to show each year’s class the basics of nature and the joy of working in dirt.
“The love of gardening is something I wanted to instill in my own kids and all kids,” said Melanie. “There is such a variety of activities with this field trip and it’s a great interactive learning opportunity. For some of these little kids, it’s their first ever exposure to a working vegetable/ plant farm.
“We first learn about seeds and a few vegetables in school, but then to come out and see the field full of real veggies is an authentic experience. The staff does such an amazing job at teaching the kids how a seed germinates and grows into a plant. The activities are very hands on, not only allowing the kids to look at everything but also to touch and smell the plants. The Jungle Farm is a very welcoming and loving place to spend the day.”