| A-maizing mazes |
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by Treena Hein Some Ontario corn producers provide a behind-the-scenes glimpse of how they run on-farm mazes - and why A VISIT TO a corn maze is ranked as top autumn fun among many Ontario families. Under fall sunshine or even the light of the moon, happy guests of all ages puzzle out the pathways and learn something new from information panels usually found along the way. Typically, they make a day of it, trying other activities at the farm and buying a bite to eat on the spot as well as something to enjoy later. Being on ‘the other side of the maze’ however, is an entirely different experience. Creating a unique and engaging corn maze every year – and running it smoothly – takes lots of hard work, creativity and organizational skills. And to make money, efficiency and good weather are essential. “If we had known how much work and time was involved for the profit, we would never have started,” says Ingrid Dieleman, who runs The Thamesville Maize with her husband Ken. “We are gaining a farm income from the maze but the expenses are high.” However, Ingrid is quick to add that “the pros to ‘mazing’ certainly outweigh the cons. We enjoy people and are very happy to give many an opportunity to have some easygoing fun.” Some, like Steve and Lisa Cooper at Cooper’s Farm in Zephyr and James and Kirsten Richardson of Richardson's Corn Maze & Farm Market in Dunnville, started ‘mazing’ in order to boost on-farm sales of produce, meat and other products; the agri-tourism aspect grew from there. Others, like the Dielemans and the Strom’s in Guelph, began running mazes as an agri-tourism venture from the get-go. “We started looking for other opportunities for our farm in 2000,” says Ingrid. “We had always intended to grow, but with land costs high and farm income low, the possibilities were not realistic.” Amy Strom, who runs Strom’s Farm with her husband Channing, says they began to see agri-tourism possibilities in 1995, when Channing’s parents began growing pumpkins. “Every fall, our customers would ask for more activities to lengthen their stay,” she says. “The first year we added the maze, we saw our pumpkin sales increase by 20 percent.” Steve Cooper thinks the flexibility of corn mazes is the key to their income potential: “They can be easily evolved to school tours, corporate team building, company picnics, haunting etc.” Along with corn mazes on these four farms, you’ll find everything from other types of mazes, pumpkin canons and wagon rides to duck races, jack o’ lantern smashing and cow rides. For most visitors, however, the maze is the star attraction. Corn mazes in Ontario range from four or five acres to giants of over ten, and the methods of creating and building them are as varied as the patterns themselves. Richardsons draw a picture, which is transferred to a handheld GPS. An outside company marks the cuts, and Richardsons take it from there. Coopers use an outside company to both design and cut the maze after they’ve decided on a theme, and both Dielemans and Stroms design and cut their mazes themselves. “Our family spends many supper-times discussing various designs,” says Dieleman. “Usually our design ideas come from what is going on in our lives throughout the winter or something that catches our eye.” Strom’s maze of between five to six acres requires 200 man-hours to complete. While fun and challenge are certainly paramount, many mazes are also educational. Richardsons raise money for World Vision, and stations in the maze educate people about agriculture. In 2005, Stroms were planning a maze with a house shape, “and we thought what a great way to promote ‘Habitat for Humanity’ while having fun at the farm,” says Amy. Since then they have featured information on corn and different charities within the maze. Of their ‘corn awareness centre,’ Dieleman says “So many people from the city are shocked at…what corn is all used for.” Those who design, mark and cut the mazes themselves admit it’s a lot of work. However, says Dieleman, “We have learned that we need to work hard when the corn is small or the work takes twice as long.” And, no matter who has created the maze, rain can literally wash away the profits. Richardson recalls in 2007, “We had lakes in the maze. It was very muddy. People wanted their money back.” Richardsons decided to literally go with the flow: “Now we rent rubber boots,” James says. “A lot of them.” Maze farmers must also deal with the fact that “people can be destructive and wander into parts of your property that they should not be in,” observes Strom. “The more activities you add, the longer people will stay.” She says although they aim for a maze that’s challenging for all ages with non-directional paths “you can literally get lost in,” at the same time, “security is needed.” For all the challenges, however, none of these corn producers plans to stop making mazes. “Our biggest compliment,” says Strom, “is to hear we are their family tradition.” Below are the web addresses for corn mazes across canada:
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