The Hiatt Farm pumpkin patch and corn maze, dubbed "Mazed and Cornfused", officially opened Saturday to customers looking to fill their fix of fall fun.
For more than three years owner Keith Hiatt and his family have been selling pumpkins on the side of Highway 67 near their Muncie home.
The roadside stand has since made its way onto their property with pumpkins overflowing on a table and varying in size and color.
Despite the location change, each year he is intrigued by people who visit the farm.
"We take the open space for granted. So many people are not associated with the farm or rural anymore," he said. "They're just really tickled to be able to come out and walk through the corn field and the grass."
From start to finish, upkeeping the farm is always a family effort and bonding experience.
Hiatt and his son manage the family's 2,000 acres of corn, soybeans and wheat while wife Linda is in charge of running the maze and its business.
Hiatt's daughters-in-law designed the maze and painted welcome signs while Linda's other son orders pumpkins and chooses what varieties they want to grow.
"It's really a family affair here," Linda said.
To be ready for the fall picking season, a new batch of pumpkin seeds are ordered in February and March and are planted in May and June, Linda said.
Pumpkins on the family's farm range in size from decorative miniature gourds weighing 2 to 5 pounds to standard 15-pound pumpkins best used for carving and pies, she said.
The gourds also vary in color. For the first time this year, the Hiatt patch includes white pumpkins, per the request of a visiting couple to the farm last year.
Linda also has a few pumpkin preservation tips for visitors looking for the perfect gourd.
To preserve its freshness, Linda recommends creating a solution composed of one gallon of water and a tablespoon of bleach and dipping the pumpkin into it.
Drying seeds for eating can then be baked until crunchy.
Even though growing pumpkins is part of the family's fall business, Keith personally doesn't like pumpkins all that much, he said.
"I like to look at them but not eat them," he said.
While the pumpkin patch has spanned 2.5 acres of the family's farm for multiple years, sometimes the yield seems to be much larger, Linda said.
"I always think we're not going to have enough, and we've picked and it looks like we haven't picked at all," she said. "But we always get rid of all of them."
Not too many people stopped by for a tour at this year's opening, Linda said. But she expects business to pick up in October when the weather gets cooler and people get into the spirit of fall, hay rides and mazes.
More people visited the farm compared to previous years, she said.
"Repeat customers knew they had a good time and wanted to come back," she said.
Since opening Mazed and Cornfused, the Hiatts have sold out of pumpkins and have continued to attract a steady crowd of pickers looking for an afternoon agricultural escape. Last season drew in 2,200 customers and grossed around $4,500, both totals higher than the previous year, Linda said.
Keith attributes these numbers to an increased interest in local agritourism, highly consumer-focused types of agriculture.
While agriculture has drifted away from its more traditional roots, a trip to the farm is still a one-on-one way for people to connect with nature, he said.
"Even though it's a commercial enterprise, it's still kind of folksy," he said. "This is kind of a luxury, the pumpkins and coming through here, but people want to do some entertainment for an evening or an afternoon."
Navigating your way
Mazed and Cornfused
Hours:5-9 p.m. Thursday 5-10 p.m. Fridaynoon-10 p.m. Saturdaynoon-6 p.m. Sunday
Special Fall Break HoursOpen at 2 a.m. Oct. 15-16, 22-23, 29-30
Admission:Adults (12 and up): $7Children 6-12: $5Ages 5 and under: free
Bean maze for children and other games are free.
Hayrides
Mazed and Cornfused will be offering hayrides during regular business hours on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.
Hayrides cost $3 per person. Rides last approximately 30 minutes. Haunted hayrides will be announced later this month.
For more information visit mazedandcornfused.com
For an interactive graphic about types of pumpkins and where to buy them, and more photos from Mazed and Cornfused, go to ballbearingsonline.com
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