The Sunflowers Are In

Well, dear reader, late last week, the farmer who leases our land planted our sunflower field. This aspect of farming is as new for him as it is for us. We are so grateful to Garrett for keeping an open mind and being willing to give this idea a chance. Now, we have to practice some patience, pray for good weather, and hope that, despite turkeys, deer, and groundhogs, our eight acres of sunflower fields will grow like crazy and be ready to bloom in the last week of August or the first week of September. 

Timing is going to be the issue. In August, we spend three consecutive weeks in Ohio for the Shaker Woods Festival. Our hope is that the sunflowers will bloom the last week of August or the first week of September so that we can hit the ground running after Shaker Woods. This means, dear reader, everything, absolutely everything, will have to be completed, set up, and ready to go without a minute to spare. If I'm being transparent, this makes me very nervous. Timing will be everything to make this a success. 

Now that the sunflowers are in the ground, I can share my ideas with you. So, obviously, the sunflower maze will be open throughout the week. During the day, it will be a traditional maze experience. I am planning five rooms for photo opportunities, educational opportunities, and simple enjoyment. Each room will have a theme, a photo opportunity, and an educational aspect. There will also be an interactive scavenger hunt for maze attendees, with a chance to win a prize at the end. On weekends and in the evenings, I would like a flashlight option for the more adventurous types. Being in the maze after dark with only flashlights will be a completely different experience. I fully anticipate this will be more for the younger set. 

Along with the maze experience, I would also like to offer yoga in the sunflowers. I need to find a certified yoga instructor who is willing to give up their weekends to teach. I would also like to offer a painting class. I think painting sunflowers amongst the sunflowers would be a lovely experience. And finally, I am considering dinner in the flowers. Where food trucks are set up, we have dining tables and benches, and people can enjoy dinner and the sunflowers in a quieter, more intimate setting. There are many working components to consider, and details still need to be decided, but I think September on the farm is going to be very lively and exciting. 

Once the sunflowers are finished, we will roll into our corn maze idea. Next week, The Bean and The Bibbed Wonder will design and cut the corn maze. Again, there will be several components to the maze. During the day, it will be a traditional corn maze experience. However, after dark, it will become a haunted corn maze with guides, jump scares, and scary stories to tell in the corn. The haunted aspect is completely up to The Bean. She is the creator, facilitator, and master mind behind it all. She is taking this all very seriously, and I am confident it will exceed even my high expectations. I will keep you posted as the plan develops. 

There will be a charity component involved, this much I know. I'm unsure how we will facilitate it. Whether we donate the maze and the profits for a day to a charitable cause, or we donate part of our proceeds to a different charity each week, is yet to be decided. However, I am open to ideas and would love it if you shared your ideas with me. It's important to give back, build community, and make this something that everyone can enjoy. I think it's important to spread the love. 

So, dear reader, look forward to drone footage of the sunflower field and corn field. There will be a countdown until the mazes open, along with footage of the growth and changes in both fields. It's all very exciting, and we look forward to this new aspect of our farm. On this lovely day, stay safe, be smart, look forward to fun things, and keep washing your hands.