Jasper Crowley – An Introduction

CrowleyJasper (William Jasper), 1900-1976 

Jasper Crowley, grandson of pioneer settler John Crowley, donated Crowley lands to the community in 1974. Jasper was a teacher at the Old Miakka one-room Schoolhouse from 1931-1943. In those days, people lived on enough land to keep a garden and some chickens, and the children had chores to help run the farms.

Jasper believed that if children worked in the garden and took care of farm animals, they learned to understand and respect nature’s cycles and to be self-sufficient. Oral histories from some of the young men that worked with Jasper are testament to the notion that bringing kids to the farm and teaching them about food production helped them realize they could provide for themselves.

Keeping to the mission of Crowley, we bring children to Crowley to experience natural systems and observe where their food comes from. At Crowley, students have opportunities to explore nature, observe sustainable farm practices and discover Florida’s unique pioneer history.  Crowley is experiential learning for creating future citizens.

Please go to individual program listings for more information about our youth programs. Contact Dixie Resnick –  [email protected]  or call 941-322-1000