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Farm families hope agri-tourism catches on in corn mazes

Story and photos by Rose Hooper and Lisa Majors-Duff
Corn Woman, as drawn by artist Deb West

The Cherokee legend of the Corn Woman, as drawn by artist Deb West, was used by Kathy and John Dugan as the outline of the Kituhwa Corn Maze in Ferguson Field. Those attempting this maze will learn facts about the Cheorkee people as they find their way through the corn.

What started out as an expansion of agriculture has turned into an amazingly fun operation for two area farm families.

Amy Darnell, excited over her family's new Great Smoky Mountains Corn Maze, is just bursting with ideas for "corny" adventures.

"Wouldn't it be great to take two rival football teams, say Swain and Smoky Mountain, and challenge them to see which team could make it through the maze first?" she said.

Darnell also plans nighttime runs through the corn with each person bringing a glow stick or flashlight. She's already brewing up scary ideas for a haunted maze on Halloween, decorated with pumpkins from Darnell Farm's big pumpkin patch. With her family's long-time commitment to community service, Darnell says she's planning to set aside several evenings as fund-raisers for local non-profits.

8-year-old Aston Darnell

Winding her way through the 15-foot tall cornstalks, 8-year-old Aston Darnell navigates her family's new Great Smoky Mountains Corn Maze, which will open to the public Sept. 2. Below is the maze, which features a sun, a bear, and the words "Great Smoky Mountains" as it appears from the air.

Just down the road, John and Kathy Dugan have opened their Kituhwa Corn Maze on land that is thought by many to be one of the "mother towns" of the Cherokee people. The maze is located at Ferguson Fields, which was just recently acquired by the Eastern Band.

"We hope you enjoy finding your way through the maze and at the same time learning about the history of the Cherokee people," John Dugan said.

Artist Deb West of Cherokee drew the image of the corn woman, a mythical character in Cherokee legend. The drawing was then transferred to a computer image and graphed with points. With the aid of a satellite, the pattern was cut with brushcutters over about a two-week period.

Darnell and her husband, Jeff, designed their maze pattern to reflect the Great Smoky Mountains, using the words, mountains and a bear, "Since we are considered in the 'Land of the Noon Day Sun,' we also put a big sun in the design," she said.

The Darnells contracted with Bret Herbst of Utah to produce the maze. Herbst has designed mazes throughout the country.

"We gave him our design and the dimensions, he entered the data in a computer, which gave him a formula and grid pattern. When the corn is 1-foot high, it's sprayed with Roundup by counting the rows of corn in each grid," Darnell said.

Corn Maze w/bear Click to zoom The Darnell's corn is a pioneer hybrid with "an enormous root system." "It's not sweet corn like you'd eat, but we'll grind it up for silage later." The Dugans say they are not sure yet what they'll do with the corn when the season's over.

Even though their maze isn't officially open yet - opening day is Sept. 2 - dozens of Darnell's friends couldn't wait to try their luck at the 20,000 linear feet of pathways.

"The shortest time anybody has made it through is one hour," she said, "and they really did have a good sense of direction." When you enter, you receive a grid to assist your sense of direction. Upon request, you'll also be given a flag to wave if you need help.

Corn Maze overhead Click to zoom "Some people don't want a flag; they want to get lost," Darnell said. But to track those who might need some assistance, the Darnells are building a bridge at the highest point of the maze. The corn stalks tower at 15 feet, with a 5-foot-wide maze pathway.

Those attempting the Dugans' field will be given cards as they start their walk. The scavenger hunt includes 10 stations where walkers can then punch their cards and prove they found all the areas listed. Along the way they learn the seven clans of the Cherokee, that the houses and fields surrounding a Cherokee village belonged to the women and that the Kituhwa mound was not built as a place to bury the dead.

With the decline of tobacco, many small farmers in Western North Carolina are looking to expand and diversify, said Darnell. "It's a challenge today for small farmers to stay afloat." she said.

The Dugans received assistance from both the reservation's and Jackson County Cooperative Extension services on their project. The thought was that agri-tourism, in the form of a corn maze, would be a way to bring more people to the region.

Hours of operation at the Darnell maze are Tuesday through Thursday from 4 to 10 p.m.; Fridays until 11 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. They are closed Sundays and Mondays. The price is $5 for adults, $3 for children 6-11 and those under 5 are admitted free with an adult.

Hours of operation at the Kituhwa maze, which opened last week, are Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 4-10 p.m.; Friday, Saturday and Sunday from noon until 10 p.m. Cost is the same as the Darnell maze.

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