It's All Coming Together

Well, dear reader, I have big news to share with you, and I could not be more excited. I am happy to share with you that all the stars have aligned, and we are going to attempt to create a sunflower maze right here on our farm! We have met with the USDA, the terrific farmer who leases our land, and the seed expert who has officially ordered enough Mammoth Grey Stripe Sunflower seeds to cover approximately five acres. Eeek!

A sunflower maze is an adventure I have been excited about for quite some time. My bib overall wearing buddy is on board. I have done the legwork, made the phone calls, and done the research. It became official when Eric ordered the seed. This is not an endeavor to be taken lightly. There are many components to making this successful, beautiful, safe, and supportive for the farm, the wildlife, and the community. It's a little bit scary to think of all that could go wrong, but nothing is ever gained if one does not try. This year, we will do our best. I am well aware of the learning curve, and not everything will be the perfect vision I hold in my wild, little overactive brain. However, it is the first step to creating something that, hopefully, will infuse lives with joy, support our vision for our farm, give back to our community, and support the environment. 

My motivation is this: I love my farm. I love the family history. I love that this is the place on earth where my dad was happiest. I love the joy this farm brings to my family and me. Opening my farm to my soap family twice a year is hands down my favorite event during our selling season. I love the feeling of positivity these events create. I love to see people enjoy the place that brings me such peace and happiness. As my friend Jane likes to say, "It's all very Kum Ba Yah."  I'm all about Kum Ba Yah, dear reader. 

My vision is this: a four to five-acre maze that is complex enough to be interesting, but not so complex that you are frustrated or afraid. I want to incorporate a variety of "rooms" for photo opportunities, education, peace, and joy. I want it to be beautiful, surprising, and inspiring. There are a lot of other ideas that create my vision for the farm, but I am trying to be conservative, intelligent, and realistic instead of the ADHD spaz that I usually am. One step at a time. Rome was not built in a day, and neither will my vision be. Also, when I talk too much about my ideas, I can literally see The Bibbed Wonder begin to twitch and jerk with anxiety. I need to pace myself for his well-being. 

The goals are: successfully plant the flowers, create the maze, and maintain them until they reach full growth. Open the maze to the public for three to four days per week for three to four weeks beginning in early September. Create an atmosphere of natural beauty and environmental education focused on pollinators, responsible land management, and wildlife conservation. Generate enough revenue to increase the maze size each year, sustain the farm land, and restore natural resources to a more original state. I'd also like to preserve the farm's historic buildings and restore them to their 1880s glory—mainly the spring house and the barn. 

Acts of charity: I'd like to "donate" the maze to charitable organizations for fundraising a day a week. These are still in the idea stage; however, I believe we can create something that will support local charities and organizations. More to come on that idea. Also, a portion of the admission will go to a local charity that changes each week. 

I see so much potential for growth in this idea, dear reader. I am so excited to create an event that supports the wildlife, brings beauty to our world, educates people about the importance of farmland and its legacy, and brings people joy. I view this life as a gift, and I hope to take this opportunity to share my joy. We're only here for a little while, and it's important to spread kindness, joy, education, and knowledge while we are here. 

I won't go into details about all my ideas for The Bibbed Wonder's sake. Seriously, I make the poor man twitch with all my ideas. I hope to partner with other local small businesses, create unique opportunities to enjoy the sunflowers during their brief life, and give back in some way. I am genuinely thrilled about this idea, and I hope we can make it happen. 

Some pitfalls we know we need to consider are deer. Deer love sunflowers, and we have a lot of deer around our property. This is where the USDA is helping us. They have engineers designing a drainage plan for the land because the old terracotta drainage pipes are failing, causing large, shallow sinkholes. When discussing the drainage plan with them, they informed us that we can plant a border of barrier grasses in hopes that the deer will prefer the grasses and fill up before they attack the sunflowers. I am more hopeful than Eric is that this could work, but I think it is worth trying. Also, we will be at the mercy of the weather for the success of our sunflower field. We have seen firsthand just last week how fickle and cruel the weather can be. It can't be too wet, too dry, or too windy. All we can do is hope, try, and educate ourselves.

I prefer to look at the benefits. The benefits to the natural world: birds, pollinators, and helpful insects are wonderful. Some choose to go with pollenless sunflowers for mazes, but why do that when it is so beneficial to the wildlife? I'm all about restoring balance. I'm also hoping that eventually, The Bibbed Wonder agrees to get beehives. Just think, sunflower honey! The thought of that makes me smile. Of course, there will be sunflower-themed soaps and moisturizers available during the sunflower days. That is an idea I can guarantee. Won't it be lovely to look out and see acres of bright, yellow, happy sunflowers? It's going to be good, dear reader. I can feel it. 

So, that is my big news. I hope you, too, are excited about the idea of coming to the farm, having fun with sunflowers, learning a little, and enjoying the place I love most. On this March Monday, stay safe, be smart, keep your fingers crossed we can make this work, and keep washing your hands.