ARE WE EDUCATIONAL?
ABSOLUTELY! WE DECIDED WHEN WE FIRST STARTED THE CORN MAZE, THAT THIS DAY AND TIME TO GET ANY CHILD INTO A CORN FIELD WOULD ABSOLUTELY BE EDUCATIONAL!
FROM THE WORMS, TILLING OF THE SOIL, GROWTH OF THE CORN STALKS, PRODUCTION OF THE CORN, MATURITY AND DEATH OF THE CORN STALKS, ALONG WITH THE WILDLIFE SURROUNDING THE JONES' FARM WE'RE BOUND TO HAVE SOMETHING EDUCATIONAL FOR EVERYONE......
The maze and pumpkin patch can be educational in many ways! Each person who visits the maze is given a map that will help the visitor maneuver thru the 10 acre corn field. Reading a map is a skill. This skill must be developed. An important skill as we become adults and want to travel! So, the maze helps to assist school age groups with map reading skills. Some children, and adults, bring their compasses and find them useful in helping them get around in our corn field.
The maze also helps the visitor to "tweek" their senses. The senses we are born with such as hearing. The traffic on the highway adjacent to the maze along with the babbling creek that flows in another direction will help visitors to keep their bearings and find the direction they need to go. A natural sense of direction is important - even as adults we have to work on it......
We use the maze to enhance leadership skills for visitors. We offer team building events for businesses, schools, groups, etc. to help particular groups to grow their leadership and team building techniques. Just ask for details.....
That's just the maze...what about the pumpkin patch? Where do pumpkins come from? It's great when we have parents and grandparents bringing their family to the pumpkin patch "because they want to show them that pumpkins are not grown at the store." Growing a pumpkin takes approximately 120 days. They grow from a small seed into a large plant that will eventually (if conditions are right) produce a pumpkin large or small......
Are hayrides educational? Absolutely, there's nothing like the experience of a hayride in the fall to just enjoy the crisp fall air or to experience your surroundings. Life and education are full of experiences.....
Timber is an agriculture product. We harvest timber as part of our farm operations. The selective cutting process has proven to be an effective harvesting method that leaves nature with minimum impact. Let us talk about the giant hemlocks that have not been harvested in more than 100 years. Many hemlock trees in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park are now dead due to a hemlock beetle. Come see our giant hemlocks before they're gone. It would take more than 150 years to replace them.....
Flood control dams were constructed in our general area in the 1960's and 1970's. Visit the dam on our property and let us tell you how flood control effects our farm.....
And last but not least CORN....our diets are corn based. Look at the ingredients on your favorite foods tortilla chips, corn chips, corn bread (meal), corn oil, lots of ingredients that are corn based.
Visit the National Corn Growers Association for lesson plans and more information on corn products. We are members of the association. Visit their website at www.ncga.com for more details.
We can assist you in making your trip educational for your group. Call us for details. (706) 273-2306.