posted 09-12-2011 06:17 PM               

Nation's Top Agritourism Farms Embark on Space Farm 7 Mission

In Collaboration with NASA, Seven Farms Across U.S. Will Invite Public to Get Lost in Space this Fall

In a special outreach titled Space Farm 7, seven of the nation's top agritourism farms have been selected to celebrate and honor the U.S. space program in collaboration with NASA this fall.

Each farm has planted corn mazes that will feature designs celebrating NASA's achievements and progress in space. An increasingly popular phenomenon of crop circle-type creations, each of the seven corn mazes will open this fall to challenge and delight visitors.

NASA has ten regional research centers located in the United States, each of which has a different responsibility. The individual Space Farms have each been paired up with their local space center in order to highlight that region's contribution to NASA.

The objective of this outreach project is to expose guests to NASA space exploration and educate children across the United States. The celebration is very timely as this year NASA celebrates the 50th anniversary of the first American in space, the 30th anniversary of the first Space Shuttle mission and the 20th anniversary of the Hubble Space Telescope's deployment in space.

Games and activities in the mazes will reinforce the educational missions of the space program so maze-goers can learn and have fun at the same time. Other activities proposed for the farms include traveling space displays, NASA sponsored activities and online educational materials.

The group is also working together to schedule astronaut visits and to host a national contest where winners earn a visit to Kennedy Space Center and the chance to dine with an astronaut. To enter, maze visitors simply visit spacefarm7.com and vote on their favorite of the seven maze designs. A winner will be randomly selected at the end of October.

"We are honored to be chosen to be part of this program," said Brett Herbst, founder of The MAiZE Inc., which designs and carves the mazes. "Not only do we get to collaborate with other farm operators across the nation in a unified effort to entertain and educate families, we are also going to be part of history in paying tribute to NASA."

Participating farms include Belvedere Plantation in Fredericksburg, Virginia; Liberty Ridge Farm in Schaghticoke, New York; The Rock Ranch in Rock, Georgia; Vala's Pumpkin Patch in Gretna, Nebraska; Dewberry Farm in Brookshire, Texas; Cornbelly's Corn Maze & Pumpkin Fest in Lehi, Utah and Dell'Osso Family Farm in Lathrop, California. All are associated with The MAiZE Inc., the world's largest maze design company.

posted 09-03-2014 04:40 PM               

This is a cornfield with a familiar-looking maze cut into it. Fun in Thamesville, Ontario.

posted 08-25-2018 10:32 PM               

P Bar Farms Gets Lost in Space with Stafford Air and Space Museum

The Stafford Air and Space Museum is excited to partner with P Bar Farms for their 2018 corn maze design. In honor of the museum's namesake, Astronaut Thomas P. Stafford, the maze contains a 500 foot tall image of General Stafford!

"We couldn't think of a better way to celebrate General Stafford's birthday this September, but also the museum's 25th anniversary this year. Opening day for the P Bar Farms Corn Maze will be the same day as our Wings over Weatherford (WOW) event on September 15th as well!" Assistant Director Chaney Larsen exclaimed.

P Bar Farms is located only 3 miles from the Stafford Museum making it a fantastic day trip opportunity for families and school groups to enjoy both the maze and the museum this fall. The educational program for the maze is called A Walk to the Moon and individuals will learn knowledge about General Stafford and space exploration as they wonder through the maze trying to complete their mission.

This year's corn maze design is 10 acres with over 3.5 miles of twists and turns. There are over 100 decision points throughout the maze, 10 of the decision points will have questions where you can test your space knowledge. The correct answers will lead you closer to the end of the mission, completing the maze.

Everyone that attends Wings over Weatherford on September 15th will have the opportunity to buy an admission package for both WOW and the P Bar Farms Corn Maze. The ticket cost for the package will be $8.00 each for adults (ages 13 & above) with children (12 & under) receiving FREE admission to both WOW and the corn maze for opening day.

During Wings over Weatherford, attendees will get a chance to purchase flights on many historic aircraft. As an added bonus, the aircraft can fly right over the corn maze giving individuals a great photo opportunity of Stafford's image from the sky. It's going to be a fun-filled day full of activities for all ages!

Wings over Weatherford will be held at the Stafford Air and Space Museum from 10:00am-4:00pm on September 15th, and P Bar Farms will be open until 6:00pm. Don't miss out on this incredible day!

posted 09-20-2018 09:47 AM               

To celebrate General Thomas P. Stafford’s birthday (Sept. 17) and the museum's 25th anniversary this year, the Stafford Air and Space Museum has partnered with P Bar Farms (Hydro, Oklahoma) for their corn maze design.

The design is of a 500 foot-tall image of General Stafford, and an orbiting satellite was able to take a photo of the maze from approximately 400 miles above Earth yesterday afternoon (Sept. 18)! What an amazing birthday gift to our beloved hometown astronaut!

posted 10-03-2019 09:29 PM               

Kregel's Pumpkin Patch is excited to share how we are celebrating local history this year. We are honored that Jerry L. Ross agreed to be the focus of our corn maze. He is so local that when Mr. Kregel was in 1st and 2nd grade he rode the same bus as Jerry Ross.

posted 10-09-2019 10:38 AM               

Covering more than 18 acres and featuring 494,000 stalks of corn, Exploration Acres is Northwest Indiana’s largest corn maze and pumpkin patch. Its design includes images of alumnus Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon; and Amelia Earhart, the first woman to attempt to circumnavigate the globe and an advisor for young women at Purdue in the 1930s.

“We focused our (maze) design around Amelia Earhart and Neil Armstrong because they are two of the most recognizable figures in Purdue history,” said Tim Fitzgerald, president and CEO of Exploration Acres. “They represent Purdue’s unmatched contributions to flight and aeronautics in the past. We also included symbols to show the areas where Purdue will make its mark in the future. The DNA strand, heart and leaf in the bottom left-hand corner represent biotechnology, health and sustainability. The brain and footprint in the bottom right represent artificial intelligence and space exploration.”