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| Contributed photo by Paul Cyr This year’s corn maze at Goughan’s Farm is themed “Amazingly Grateful” and with the corn reaching 12-feet high, creator Mark Goughan is confident that this will be the toughest maze yet. |
CARIBOU — This year’s corn maze at Goughan’s Farm in Caribou is themed “Amazingly Grateful” and was designed after the iconic image of five soldiers raising the flag on Iwo Jima’s Mount Suribachi during World War II; the maze also features representation of a purple heart award and a large “Thank You.”
Designing and shaping the maze for each of its 10 years is Mark Goughan, (aka Farmer Mark), who explained that this year’s maze was created to celebrate Veteran’s Day, which is on Tuesday, Nov. 11 this year and pays tribute to all American veterans, living or deceased.
“It especially gives thanks to living veterans who served their country honorably during war or peacetime,” he said, noting that Canadians similarly recognize their veterans on Remembrance Day. “We would like to give our veterans an Amazingly Grateful thank-you for their service to their country — this year’s maze honors those men and women.”
The canvas for the six-acre corn maze was planted back in mid-May, seeded in both directions so that the maze’s adventure seekers can’t peek down rows, and optimal conditions for growing corn have allowed the crop to grow up to 12 feet high.
“This will be the most challenging maze developed over the past ten years,” Goughan said with pride. Normal cultivation efforts aside, it took him about 60 hours to painstakingly weed-whack the maze’s shape after converting the field’s surface to what is essentially five acres of graph paper. He credits Gloria, his wife and co-farm owner, with the arduous task of creating and hand painting all the signs to hang in the maze.
“Farmer Gloria does a great job in creating the signage that make up the five different games that maze-goers try to solve while walking through the maze … children are usually running,” he joked.
When participants complete any one of the games (sometimes even if they don’t) they are rewarded with a free homemade ice-cream cone.
How many free ice-cream comes they give out can vary from year to year, as the maze’s attendance can be different from year to year in accordance with weather fluctuations.
“A usual season can bring 2,000 to 2,500 visitors to the maze,” Mark commented.
The corn maze opens on Saturday, Aug. 30, from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. and will be open at those hours Monday through Saturday; on Sunday, the maze is open from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m.
Admission to the corn maze is $7.50 per person, children under 5 are free.
Group rates are available with hayrides to the maze or pumpkin field, and additional information can be obtained by calling the farm’s hotline at 498-6565.
Previous versions of the annual maze have included a moose, Mr. Potato, an eagle, the state of Maine, the solar system, education, freedom and winter recreation. Goughan explained that corn mazes are an example of agri-tourism, which combine the food production of a conventional farm and recreational opportunities that allow families to enjoy the farm environment.
“It helps smaller farms diversify and it is also a source of economic development in rural communities,” Goughan added.
