Spring Break
Corn + Maze = Craze!
Alex McCarthy
Issue date: 10/23/08 Section: Election '08
Corn: Some use it to fuel their cars; the south uses it to make liquor. God forbid somebody eats the stuff. But Oconee County uses corn for a very different reason: to get lost in.
Washington Farms has been making a living for the past 18 years using interactive activities with their customers, such as the "pick your own strawberries" attraction, picked straight from the field on site. Every October, their fall activities start. This year's activities include a corn canon, a pumpkin patch, hog racing, a petting zoo, a pumpkin slingshot, and of course, the infamous corn maze.
The corn maze has been a tradition for the past six years, starting in 2002 when the outcome of the summers harvest looked bleak; John Washington decided to take a chance. "Our number one thing has always been the strawberries," said Washington. "Our third year in business, [our strawberries] got wiped out completely… so we added the pumpkin [patch] and we made enough money… and I heard about the corn maze at a convention." He decided to add the corn maze to the list of "ag-ertainment" activities and never looked back.
"This year it's really gonna be tough," said John Washington, owner of Washington Farms. "We're putting a lot of strategic clues all through the maze. So if you find a clue and get the answer right, it's gonna send you in the correct direction. If you get it wrong, in about fifteen minutes you'll come back to that sign."
Most of the fall activities are targeted at the younger crowd, with field trips and family friendly activities. But the corn maze stands out and appeals to many different age groups, and is even separated into two different parts: an easy maze and a tough maze.
"We've got two sides… a small, short side for the young children; they can go through that in probably 15 minutes, maybe 20. Depends on how quickly they want to get out," said Washington. "The big side right now would probably take an hour to get through just one half."
So allot some time one weekend this month and head to the corn maze. Bring a flashlight and have an old-fashioned night of fun at Washington Farms; you'll be counting down the days until next October, guaranteed.
Washington Farms has been making a living for the past 18 years using interactive activities with their customers, such as the "pick your own strawberries" attraction, picked straight from the field on site. Every October, their fall activities start. This year's activities include a corn canon, a pumpkin patch, hog racing, a petting zoo, a pumpkin slingshot, and of course, the infamous corn maze.
The corn maze has been a tradition for the past six years, starting in 2002 when the outcome of the summers harvest looked bleak; John Washington decided to take a chance. "Our number one thing has always been the strawberries," said Washington. "Our third year in business, [our strawberries] got wiped out completely… so we added the pumpkin [patch] and we made enough money… and I heard about the corn maze at a convention." He decided to add the corn maze to the list of "ag-ertainment" activities and never looked back.
"This year it's really gonna be tough," said John Washington, owner of Washington Farms. "We're putting a lot of strategic clues all through the maze. So if you find a clue and get the answer right, it's gonna send you in the correct direction. If you get it wrong, in about fifteen minutes you'll come back to that sign."
Most of the fall activities are targeted at the younger crowd, with field trips and family friendly activities. But the corn maze stands out and appeals to many different age groups, and is even separated into two different parts: an easy maze and a tough maze.
"We've got two sides… a small, short side for the young children; they can go through that in probably 15 minutes, maybe 20. Depends on how quickly they want to get out," said Washington. "The big side right now would probably take an hour to get through just one half."
So allot some time one weekend this month and head to the corn maze. Bring a flashlight and have an old-fashioned night of fun at Washington Farms; you'll be counting down the days until next October, guaranteed.
Be the first to comment on this story