Bourbon County corn maze designed with unity in mind

Just a couple of blocks from the main street of North Middletown in Bourbon County a large colorful sign greets visitors. “Middle Springs, Family Farm Fun, Main Entrance” hangs on a wood post next to a large banner with brightly colored pictures of sheep, fields of flowers, pumpkins, and a corn maze.

It also includes a calendar of upcoming events: “Daffodil Days & Easter Fun, Memorial Poppy Festival, Fireflies & S’more Fun, and Flower Fields”. Welcome to the dream come true of Justin and Susie Menke.

The 34-year-old Justin grew up on a farm. He and Susie went to the University of Kentucky and dreamed of one day owning a farm that would be open to the public.

Justin says, “The definition of agritourism, I suppose, is inviting people onto a farm to experience a farm and to hopefully learn something about farming and to have a good time. And that was something that was kind of a dream of mine.”

Susie remembers that dream. “I think it's always been a dream of his, and then it kind of transformed into being my dream as well. I mean, really, we were talking about this since we were in college many, many years ago.”

The Menkes bought the fifty-acre farm in Bourbon County and now have three young children.

Susie likes where they are raising their family. “Having room to run and play and just get in fresh air and being able to let the kids go out and run and play. But also, we are kind of in a unique position too, where we're real close to this small town, so we also have a real small-town community that's been super supportive of us as well.”

Two years ago they opened their farm to visitors, and say they’ve had thousands of people enjoy various farm activities beginning in the Spring.

Justin says, “In the Fall, we have a four- or five-acre corn maze, and we'll have a couple acre pumpkin patch where you can pick the pumpkins right from the vine, and we'll have some sunflowers, a couple acres of those. We also have a play area and some farm animals that people can come hang out with.”

Susie says the fields of flowers like larkspur are her favorite. “The flower fields in full bloom are pretty amazing. I love seeing other people's pictures come out of there, but also being able to get our family's pictures out there and have them have that extra special connection of it being our fields and our farm has been really special to us.”

The couple turned a three-story silo into a welcome center by adding a porch, front door, and some windows.

Behind the silo is a play area for children with old farm equipment refitted into fun activities. An old grain carrier has a couple of basketball goals, and a bunch of balls to shoot with. Hay bales surround two slides. Nearby a former water trough is full of pea gravel that children can play in like a sandbox.

A short stroll down a slight hill takes visitors to a four-acre corn maze that Justin designed and made.

Each year the farm features a different design. This year Justin came up with a design that has the outline of the United States, and the words “United” and “We Stand” cut into the corn field.

He hopes the corn maze sends a message of unity. “Especially in a kind of divisive political year, divisive politically. But you know, do we have to be divided in every other way too? So, you know, finding ways to be united through, you know, helping one another, strengthening community ties, just kind of doing some blocks of kindness for one another. So, you know, forget about the politics for a second. And, you know, trying to find other ways to be united.”

Justin starts making the maze when the corn is about four feet high. He explained the technology he uses which includes a drone and his phone.

“The initial design is from a drone photo of the field, because I've got to get kind of the design to fit on the actual field. And so, after the corn has been planted, I took a drone photo, and then I actually just print that out and start sketching the design on top of that drone photo. I'll scan that back in and overlay it in Google Earth on the field. I'm scaling it to the size of the field that sketch that I made. Once it's in Google Earth, I can just use the GPS on my phone.”

Justin uses orange spray paint to mark the maze paths he will cut with his riding mower.

At times he disappears in his field of dreams.

“It's a lot of marking it out and then actually cutting it doesn't take too terribly long, as long as I can, you know, see my painting and follow it and remember what the design was without getting too lost in there.”

Susie is impressed with each year’s corn maze. “Yes, Justin's ideas always amaze me. He goes out and he plans, maps out these awesome corn mazes, and then I feel like I get to be surprised, just like everybody else. I get to see him first, of course. But it's really awesome to see it all come together.”

They enjoy watching families experience a little of farm life. “Walk around and meet our pigs and sheep and llama and we've got a peacock and a pea hen, chickens, and ducks. And then, yeah, we take a hayride, kind of loop around the back of the play area and around the back of this corn maze, and then we'll come around on the other side and let people out near the pumpkin patch. And then we'll have a couple field of sunflowers as well. And then, of course, the corn maze.”

The couple says an added bonus is connecting with the people of North Middletown.

Justin says, “we have been really welcomed into the community here. North Middletown has been great to us. They, I think, really appreciate what we're doing and are excited about it, and so that's great to kind of be welcomed in. Then, you know, we've made new friends here. And so, we're, you know, we think we're really a part of this community.”

For more information about Middle Springs Farm go to www.middlespringsfarm.com.

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