The Jungle Farm embraces heritage in ongoing project

Jun 3, 2024 | 2:51 PM

The Jungle Farm, north of Innisfail, is celebrating 126 years of the same family farming the land with a multi-step heritage project that aims to honour the general and Indigenous history of the farm.

Leona and Blaine Staples are fifth generation descendants of the farm’s original settlers, and each generation has committed to leaving a particular parcel of the land untouched.

“We know this little forested area is a source for scientific, cultural and historical information, and we can’t wait to find out what this unbroken part of our land will reveal,” says Leona Staples. “We are researching the history of the area through existing sources, and we are excited to be working alongside Knowledge Keeper, Clare Butterfly, to identify the Indigenous significance of the site. Clare joined us on an initial walk of the forest, and he seems just as excited about the potential of exploring this further and sharing what we discover with others.”

Once research on the land’s history and character is complete, the goal is to establish an informational forest walk with interpretive plaques installed to guide users through the pathway. They will also install a small gathering area with benches for seniors or those with disabilities to rest as needed.

The levelling and cultivation of these areas will be completed using materials found in nature to minimize impact to the land.

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As they compile their information from Knowledge Keeper Clare Butterfly, they will also be turning to members of the community as a whole to share their own heritage stories, regardless of where they are from. In particular, they want to connect through food and compile a recipe book in a future project.

“We want to share each step of our discovery and have started a Heritage Project page on our Jungle Farm website to capture information as we go along,” explains Staples. “But then we thought why stop there! We want to generate an information exchange where members of the community, particularly seniors, share their own heritage stories.”

“We’ve developed an easy form to capture a short blurb about their early lives, no matter where their homeland is,” she continues. “We wanted to connect it with food, because our entire work is to help people understand, grow, and eat healthy food. We also know that food is a key component in people’s heritage stories – helping in the family kitchen, gardening together, sharing festive meals.”

Heritage stories and recipes can be shared on the Heritage Project website.

The project is partially funded by the New Horizons for Seniors Program. It is expected to be completed by early spring 2025 and the family hopes to host school field trips and seniors’ tours.

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by rdnewsNOW Staff

The Jungle Farm embraces heritage in ongoing project

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