hilltopics Images People Features 6A
Monday, October 30, 2000
for comments, contact Clay McCuistion at 864-4924 or e-mail features@kansan.com
Farmer's maze open despite weather, regulations
By Rebecca Barlow Special to the Kansan
Local farmer Richard Strong hopes he can find his way out of debt with his corn maze this fall.
Strong, who farms for a living, found a way to make extra money. He converted the 4.2 acres of his sweet corn field into a haunted maze.
Strong uses the money he earns from his haunted corn maze and pumpkin patch to make up for the money he lost on his crops because of the summer drought.
"I lost $6,000 to $8,000 last year due to the drought," said强 to strong, whose farm is located five miles east of Massachusetts Street on North 1500 Road. "I am trying to make up for that."
Richard Strong, a local farmer from rural Douglas County east of Lawrence, wants county officials to pay more attention to established small farmers. He converted part of his farm into a maze in hopes of working his way out of debt after the summer's drought harmed his crops. Photo by Nick Krug/KANSAN
But the drought hit Strong's haunted corn maze as well as his crops.
He lost at least 8 acres of his sweet corn this year and harvested his corn crop 30 days early.
But the problems the drought created weren't the only problems Strong encountered.
Strong couldn't start working on his maze until he received his temporary business permit from Douglas County.
"I lost $6,000 to $8,000 last year due to the drought.I am trying to make up for that."
Richard Strong
He said he applied for the permit May 28 and didn't receive it until two months later on July 29.
Strong said the county issued permits to other farmers in the agricultural entertainment business faster then it did to him.
"If I am not allowed to run this business in a timely manner for my customers and for my crops, I can't make it," Strong said. "I never will make it."
The delay forced him to make a simpler maze. Instead of using a lawn mower to mow down 8-inch to 10-inch corn stalks, he had to use a tractor and to mow down shoulder-high stalks.
Keith Dabney, director of zoning and codes for Douglas County, disagreed that Strong received his permit after everyone else. Dabney said that anyone who applied for a temporary business permit had to go through the same process and local rules.
Strong was able to reopen the last three weeks in October after he paid a $500 bond.
The county wanted Strong to close at 8 p.m. last year. He argued against the closing time, saying that it didn't get dark until 7:30 p.m.
The county forced Strong to shut down last year because he didn't have the proper permit.
This fall, the maze is also open until 10 p.m. The pumpkin patch is open from 10 a.m. to dusk.
Strong said the county didn't take an active interest in the farming community anymore.
"A haunted business has to be dark to be a business," Strong said. "If it is not dark, it's not haunted." He was able to extend his hours to 10 p.m. after he paid the bond.
"I'm trying to have fun, remain in the farming business and am trying to make some sort of a living out of this," he said.
Strong said he wanted to cover his expenses this year.
"The county used to be in favor of farming." he said. "Today they are more interested in how the county is developing with housing, sewer and water. They are not conducive to doing anything for the farmer."
In spite of the drought and his problems with the county, Strong managed to open hjs maze.
Because of expenses, Strong has increased his prices to $8 for adults, $6 for students and $4 for children under five. Customers can receive a $2 discount if they bring a food donation.
Abbord his tractor, local farmer Richard Strong transports some customers to his pumpkin patch. His pumpkin patch is open from 10 a.m. to dusk. Photo by Nick Krug/KANSAN
Family's farm offers seasonal activities
By Megahn Snyder Special to the Kansan
The summer's heat did not stop the Starr family from preparing for their first Fall Festival.
The festival, which runs through tomorrow, celebrates the fall season with fall-related activities.
The festival offers a corn maze where people of all ages can get lost in the stalks of corn cut into the shape of Noah's Ark.
The farm is open Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. It is located on Decatur Road, just off of Highway 24, 8 miles west of Perry.
"I spoke to Chuck Marr at the K-State Extension Office and he told me about the web site that gave me information for the maze."
said Gary Starr, co-owner of the maze.
The family withstood the summer temperatures to build the maze from the rows of corn in their small backyard cornfield.
Julie and Gary Starr said the maze was the most difficult part of the festival. Gary Starr and his oldest son Michael
There's the whole gamut of a business here that the family's involved in."
Gary Starr
Local farmer
"There's the whole
had to continually cut the corn in the summer heat because it kent growing back.
"We ended up going through the maze with a paint sprayer painting everything that needed to be cut," Gary Starr said. "Then we sprayed that with Roundup to kill the corn."
Customers can buy pumpkins the Stars already picked or ride the hay wagon to choose their own.
Julie Starr said the pumpkin harvest was very good this year, despite the summer drought.
"We have an irrigation system that helped out the lack of rain this summer." she said...
Pumpkins ranging in size from mini, one pound pumpkins to 35 pound pumpkins grow in 3 acres of the farm.
Gary Starr measures each pumpkin against an already priced pumpkin of similar size.
At about twenty-five cents per pound, local grocer's pumpkin prices are less expensive for smaller pumpkins, but the Stars give customers a better deal with the bigger ones.
The Stars started their farm as a project for their home-schooled children to learn business.
Gary Starr says his pumpkins will not rot as soon because the family picks them later than the grocers do. The Starrs started their farm as a project for their
The three children, who range in ages from 8 to 13, learn about the products, how to sell them and how to count change back to the customers.
Gary Starr said his children also learned to explain their products because they sell their produce at the Lawrence and Topeka Farmer's Markets.
In the summer the family sells strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, and rhubarb. The Starrs employ 10 additional people during the summer, but Gary Starr says that the big decisions are still made by the family members.
"There's the whole gamut of a business here that the family's involved in," he said. "And we have family meetings in order to discuss issues or decide if there is anything that needs to be
anything that needs to be changed."
Julie Starr says that the festival is a nice break from the summer berry farm and that the family would most likely do it again next fall.
More information
For video footage of both
Richard Strong and the
Starr family's farm attractions, go to:
www.kansasan.com
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