Year Founded
1973
EIN
26-1345977
Local Leader/Exec. Director
Ms. Kelly Taylor, Farm Coordinator
Mr. Troy Glock, Director of Program Services
Primary Contact Name
Kelly Taylor
Main Address

Gifford Farm Education Center
700 Camp Gifford Road
Bellevue, NE 68005
United States

NE
United States

What We Do

ESU #3 / Gifford Farm Education Center evolved from a family farm to an ESU #3 education entity through the generous gift of Dr. Hal Gifford to forever serve as a resource for public education.  As a public institution that operates year-round and serves all of the school districts within ESU #3 as well as organizations within the Omaha Metro area, our mission is to offer rich, comprehensive education that serves the students and families on and off the  farm for events and programming.  We are a working farm that served just over 18,000 individuals during the 2022-2023 fiscal year.  These are the highest numbers since 2017-2018.  While Gifford Farm has historically centered on an Agriculture based programming, we have been expanding our repertoire of nature-based and sustainability programs and outcomes that are designed to build participants' knowledge of native Nebraskan ecosystems, promote the application of STEM and STEAM learning, expose visitors to the natural world and its flora and fauna, and to encourage stewardship of our natural resources.  All educational programming serving pre-Kindergarten to 12th-grade students is designed in consideration of Nebraska's State Education Standards and leverages experiential pedagogy.

Interesting Info
  • Over 18,000 children and adults each year experience a Gifford Farm Educational Program or Community Event.
  • We will continue to provide engaging educational programs. All funds received will go towards supporting these programs.
  • We offer programs in the areas of Agriculture, Science, Nature, History, Team Building, Social Emotional Learning, and Self Care
Geographic Location
Events

Spring Celebration and Egg Scavenger Hunt
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Duration of 3 hours
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Open to the Public
Repeats weekly at 10:00am until Monday, May 20th, 2024
Duration of 2 hours
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Little Farmers Camp
Repeats daily at 9:00am until Friday, July 12th, 2024
Duration of 3 hours 30 minutes
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Farm Camp
Repeats daily at 9:00am until Friday, July 12th, 2024
Duration of 3 hours 30 minutes
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Adventure Camp
Repeats daily at 9:00am until Friday, July 26th, 2024
Duration of 3 hours 30 minutes
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Explore
Experience
Enjoy
Love
Learn
Laugh
Exploring in our Outdoor Nature Classroom
Portable Planetarium Dome