No...that's not a play on words. It seems that farmers have found a new way to make the most of their corn fields. They're taking several acres of their fields and cutting designs into them, and selling passes to walk the mazes.
Mazes are common in England, but the farmers have a new twist. Their mazes can be made from scratch each year, and the designs are complex. Most of them are new designs that don't bear any resemblance to the boxwood or evergreen mazes which take years to develop. Maze Play is one company that helps farmers create the designs. Take a look at some of their photos.
The invention of GPS gave the farmers the tool they needed to cut precision designs in the crops. Early in the year a design is chosen or created, and the crop is planted. The paper design is covered with a grid of GPS locations, and the information is converted into a device that the designer wears in the field.
As the designer walks the field, guided by the GPS device, he is followed by a tractor which removes specific cornstalks to create the alleyways of the design.
There is a farm in Northern Illinois that has nine miles of trails. I heard of this phenomenon while traveling through Indiana, but there are mazes all over the US and Canada.
If you haven't been to a farm lately, go and see the newest aspect of 21st century farming! Depending on your location, mazes will be available from August to November. Surf the web to find the one nearest you, or call your county extention service for more information.
Comments (6)
Oregon has a couple..a pumpkin patch and a corn field, that I know of for sure.
Posted by Greg | August 2, 2003 8:13 PM
Posted on August 2, 2003 20:13
FANTASTIC! I love the advertising, but most dear to my heart was Old Abe himself..."Honor." The Dole Pineaple people have a maze here as well, but nothing as extravagant as those.
Posted by Sgt Hook | August 3, 2003 2:25 AM
Posted on August 3, 2003 02:25
...once got lost in hampton court maze...the worst part about it was I was with a school group of 20 kids - and they all found their way out...can you imagine how frantic I got, stuck in a maze and yet could hear my 'wonderful' pupils on the outside :^)...
Posted by billy | August 3, 2003 4:35 AM
Posted on August 3, 2003 04:35
The Amish in Pennsylvania have been doing that for years (without the aid of a GPS). It is a way for them to bring in tourist dollars, and I know many people that make the trek every year to see what the new maze is like.
I don't know if their trails are up to 9 miles long though . . .
Posted by bogie | August 3, 2003 6:19 AM
Posted on August 3, 2003 06:19
Greg, I'd like to see that pumpkin patch! It's gotta be tough to keep the vines from trailing into the paths.
Hook, I hope the site I sent you to was the one with the Statue of Liberty. As I browsed through the maze sites, I found quite a lot of patriotic mazes.
billy...I was a teacher, so I can envision the scene in terrifying clarity! *G* I've heard that if you put your right hand out....and make every right turn in the maze, ultimately it will bring you back to the start. I don't know if that's true. Maybe someone will help us with the answer so that you'll never be "amazed" again. btw...that had to be a gorgeous maze!
bogie, those of us who live in the interior of the country are frequently behind the times! *G* I've found that a lot of trends start on the coasts and work their way to us. Aren't the Amish amazing? I have tremendous respect for their lifestyle, and their QUILTS!!
Posted by Buffy | August 3, 2003 12:01 PM
Posted on August 3, 2003 12:01
Yeah, if I was still living in Kansas, I probably wouln't have ever heard of it before. I wonder if they do the same thing in wheat fields?
Posted by bogie | August 4, 2003 5:29 AM
Posted on August 4, 2003 05:29