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Finding the Value in buying local

Thursday, October 16th, 2014

Part of the tent crew from Portage Awning

A shout out to Portage Awning who helped us this past weekend by providing a 120 foot long tent for one of our corporate groups who came to see Megasaurus.

Mega flame thrower

This is a local story about how buying local works, read “the rest of the story”.

A 40' by 120 foot long tent

We get many great corporate groups ranging from 20 people to in this case 400. The Ariel Corporation is located over near Green and is one of the worlds largest manufacturer of natural gas transfer pumps. They are smart hard working people who have visited with us on many occasions over the years.

Ariel Corp. CEO Karen Buchwald Wright is “the last 'man' standing” to run the company that her father founded.

This local shop was started by a local man Steve Smyers as Standard Jig Bore and purchased by Ariel from Mt. Vernon Ohio a few years ago. Steve started the shop from his garage many years ago and was a customer of ours when we were a grain elevator and agricultural supply provider.

Old pop can vs. new

Among other things Steve helped develop the top of pop cans when you open it the tab stays with the can, remember the days of those little tabs you pulled off??!!

Portage Awning is the Bogdanovich family. Three brothers working together one of them lives just up the road from me. One of the brothers wives is a Stark County Sheriff deputy and is stationed at Marlington High School. They hire lots of local kids to help set these tents up and are right around the corner when the wind starts blowing on our hilltop to help keep those big tents upright.

Michelle behind our catering trailer loaded to the MAX!

On Mega-day Ariel opted for one of our full catering packages that included a meal for their employees and they wanted everyone to be able to sit down together so we needed a big tent.

One big tent!

Seating for 400 people.

A humble welcome sign we have.

So their is nothing wrong about buying where you find the best value we just wanted to highlight and say thanks to all our guests who come out and support our efforts in the fall. Oh we don’t always please everyone, trust me we hear. That takes some sorting out and we are not always a fit for everyone and that is okay.

So what is everyone waiting for?

Personally I have received so many thanks from people this fall “for doing this” as we stand near the pumpkin cannon or the NASHOG pig race track or wherever. But it is by so many people coming and supporting us (Mega-day was our biggest single day ever in 15 years) that we are able to hire local and provide opportunities for companies to give back to their staff.

Mega having a snack

All this together helps improve the quality of life in our community, generates opportunities for growth and in a small way is one of those things that help make life worth living in Northeastern Ohio.

We had so many campfires our Police chief patrolling said it was like a "Village".

Tags: Agri-tourism, Corn Maze, Family Farm, Homegrown, Megasaurus, Ohio Winery, Ohio Wines, Pumpkin Chunkin
Posted in Buy Local, Corn Maze, Fall Harvest Fun!, Fun, Things to see at Maize Valley | No Comments »

A Winery with ADHD you might say….

Thursday, October 2nd, 2014

Marketing our place is well…..challenging. Let’s see back in the 1800’s my wife’s family settled here in Marlboro Township Ohio. Since then they have been hunters, farmers, leather tanners, school teachers, truck drivers and what ever else put food on the table.

Making Hay while the sun shines

Today we are a farm, farm market, “Agri-Tourism Destination” with a corn maze, pumpkin patch and whole host of family centered attractions and activities. We even have a pumpkin cannon that can heave a pumpkin about a half mile. Back in 2005 we opened a winery and have about 10 acres of grapes mixed in with the 600 or so acres we farm. Most recently we have opened a craft brewery that is doing very well.

New stainless tanks this year!

Try and fit all that in one blog, face book page, G+ page or just about any other vector that makes sense. I’m often unsure if my post about the latest beer bread we made from spent grain from the brewing process will motivate someone to stop liking our face book page. After all they liked us after a trip to our pumpkin patch and corn maze.

GoPro view of our 2014 Corn Maze "Sea Turtles"

You might say we offer a Vintage for all the seasons of your life. On the same day we have hosted birthday parties for one year old’s and 92 year old’s and even threw a bachlorette party in between. We serve five course paired wine dinners and craft beer tasting events as well and toasted cheese and hot dogs. It all depends when you are here and what you like.

One day they left me to watch the beer boil!

At the same time we don’t try and be all things to all people. We offer a reflection of our personalities combined with what the land we live on and work with provides for us in the form of a competitive advantage. We are not the cheapest place around but feel we offer one the best values for your time if you enjoy an authentic agricultural based fun experience.

Crusin' the Vines, Metal Muscle Nites

We do weekly car cruises that connect generations. Families come out to see grandpa’s car outside instead of just covered in the corner of the garage on holiday visits. This blogs author grew up with the older guys in the neighborhood wrenching on 57 Chevy’s and 68 Chevelle SS’s etc.

Three generations returning from our pumpkin patch

So before the sun sets on another Ohio summer please visit with us if you have the chance. And don’t worry well will be here all winter open as well getting ready to bring you new things to see and do down on our farm.

Our goats up on Goatapalooza ramp walkway enjoying a sunset view.

Tags: Corn Maze, Craft Brewery, Ohio Corn Maze, Ohio Winery, Ohio Wines, Pumpkin Cannon, Pumpkin Patch
Posted in Breweries, Buy Local, Corn Maze, Fun with Wine, Things to see at Maize Valley | No Comments »

Craft Beer, Cask Beer Grand Opening Monday Sept. 1st 2014 10:00am

Sunday, August 31st, 2014

Monday, Labor Day 2014 we are set to embark on yet another new adventure at Maize Valley. If you enjoy Craft Beer please come and join us for our Grand Opening of Maize Valley Craft Brewery. But WAIT there is more!

We will be tapping a Cask of Stout too! What does that mean, I asked Jake our Brewmaster and here is a description:

Cask Beer is a traditional method of conditioning and carbonating ale before the advent of pressurized forced carbonation.

A modern Cask

After primary fermentation, ale is transformed to it’s serving vessel with the addition of priming sugar or unfermented sweet wort. The residual yeast still suspended in the beer eats the sugar and CO2 stays in the beer solution.

Permeable plug used to release excess pressure before tapping

Casks were traditionally kept in tavern cellars to keep the cool and pumped up to the bar with a beer engine. Cask Beer is a living beer that changes over time.

Tap that will be pounded into the Cask

It takes a skilled cellarman to ensure the quality of the ale at time of serving. If done right, it should produce an ale that has a creamy head and soft carbonation.

Our "Itty'Bitty" bright or carbonation tanks

Above are our “Itty-Bitty” carbonation tanks. Starting out we are not even a Micro-Brewery but rather what they call a Nano-Brewery. But that is okay we want to learn how to crawl and then see how the walking goes.

Tags: Craft Beer
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Craft Beer, More of the “More” to what we are

Saturday, August 30th, 2014

Well maybe we need to change this Blogs name? It is hard for us to get across the marketing message that is Maize Valley. We span a lot of different things.

Here we grow again

Briefly “Maize Valley Farm” was began by Kay and Donna (Rohor) Vaughan my wife Michelle’s parents in the 1960’s. Kay’s ancestors were the third settler’s in the township dating back to the 1800’s. Donna’s parents moved into Marlboro township in the early 1900’s. After graduating from Kent State Kay and Donna were married and started the farm and family. They taught school and farmed as many as 6,000 acres. The farm included grain crops and dairy with their son Steve as well as other livestock over the years.

Michelle lower left, Breanne upper left, Donna upper right and Brett

In the late 90’s the farm changed again selling the cows and some equipment and adding a produce market and agri-tourism venture including pumpkin picking and a corn maze. As houses closed in more in 2005 a winery was added and now in 2014 a craft brewery is set to open on Labor Day, September 1st 2014. Today we still farm about 600 acres, with a wide variety of crops ranging from garlic to green beans to grapes to pumpkins and hops.

Harvest 2014

Todd Vaughan is the wine maker and overseeing the beer production with the help of brewmaster Jake Turner. Michelle (Vaughan) Bakan manages the market and food service with the help of main staffer Scott Mann and a whole host of great employees. Bill Bakan is the Fun TSAR in charge of most all outside operations from grounds maintenance to all things “Corn Maze” and such.

Marlboro Madness our Pumpkin Cannon

Stay tuned as we work at using this blog to give “The Rest of the Story” of what goes on and how we try and manage folks expectations. We hope we do well for you. Thanks for stopping by.

Hot Chicks, Breanne and Cara Bakan at Maize Valley

Tags: Buy Local, Craft Brewery, Family Farm, Farm Market, Sustainable Agriculture.
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Ohio Wine and Fun! We make great wine….FUN!

Friday, March 14th, 2014

Quick note blog post! Did you know we have live entertainment every Friday and Saturday night all year round? A lot of people come and ask, “When do you start having music again?”……Word is we never stop unless an act backs out on us.

Mike Lenz and Peggy Coyle

We have a rotation of performers that roll through each month and then we sprinkle in some special acts just to shake things up. So if you have a regular you like to see we try get them back about once a month. If you want something different be sure to follow our face book or G+ pages or visit our website and click on the entertainment link.

Bongo Joe and Little Steve-O

Bongo Joe and Little Steve-O play all around the greater Akron Canton Cleveland Ohio area. They play some pretty big events but we were one of the first places they played together and like us so they keep a place for us on their calendar and can be found here once a month.

Cranberry Pomegranet Chicken

We have some really tasty Weekend dinner specials too. We grow over fifty different crops and do a variety of special events and meals where we try and incorporate as many locally grown items as possible. Pictured above is our Cranberry Pomegranet Chicken.

Flatbread goat cheese

Our menu varies by the season and by the fair. We do casual as well as five course wine paired full service dinners depending upon the need.

Mike and Peggy outside in the pavilion

Soon summer will be here and we will be able to get back to doing what we do best…..that is have fun outside. We have lots of wide open spaces and places to roam around the farm. So come on out take a stroll this summer, have a bite to eat and if you like hang around and listen to some great local music. The Wagon rides to the pumpkin patch, corn maze and more will soon be back. But soon after that the snow flies and it is time to be done with that for a while!

Tags: Agri-tourism, Farm Market, Local Produce, Ohio Winery
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Ohio Wine and More… and Pigs???

Friday, February 14th, 2014

Ok, If you are a “Hoytie-Toytie” wine snob….you are not going to like me or my blog. Save yourself some time and click on that little red “X” in the upper right hand corner. This is a story about how we ended up raising hogs (pigs, farmers call them hogs more than pigs) again, and how they end up in the hands of Chefs in and around the HOT emerging Cleveland local food scene.

Hi, Watcha' doin'?

I am a family farmer, winery owner and soon to be brewery owner along with my wife, brother-in-law and my in-law’s. Brace yourself we are incorporated so technically a “corporate farm” I guess, you have to be for liability concerns. I drive a 2000 F-350 with 194K+ miles on it, I bought my wife a “new car” last year it was a 2007. We don’t live large we work hard. We are a Winery with ADHD, basically I shoot pumpkins out of a cannon for a living and also build corn mazes.

Me, on the deck of our pumpkin cannon getting ready to fire.

I was scanning the web and stumbled across a article about a local Chef in Cleveland following his dream and opening a butcher shop behind the West Side Market. I thought cool, so I followed up and read about it. His name is Adam Lambert and is currently a chef at bar cento . He will open a butcher shop in the “Palace of Fermentation,” Sam McNulty’s multi-faceted project currently taking shape in the Culinary Arts Building behind the West Side Market. You can read the story here.

As I read the article I came to realize the hogs we raise end up with him via Fresh Fork Market ! But here is the story behind how we got back into raising Hogs…..

My brother in laws Steve and Todd getting ready to load some hogs.

We used to farm “large” about 15 years ago. 3,000 acres, milked 150 head of cows, trucks, grain lots of equipment. We eventually got run out by houses and low commodity prices. We sold stuff off and tried to survive. We opened a farm market and started raising small vegetables. My wife’s family has lived here (Marlboro) since the 1800’s. Her family has done everything, sheep, hogs, cows, dairy, tanned leather, taught school etc. etc. But one thing they had never done was “Agri-tourism”, corn mazes, pumpkin picking, hayrides and such.

2013 LoCo Motion corn Maze

After a few years corn maze’s were just not enough we needed to add more things for people to see and do. So we heard about racing pigs and thought we know pigs lets give it a try. But we don’t just race pigs…..we do NASHOG! The finest in Flat track pig racing in Ohio! We even built them a new track this year without a “Sin Tax”!

NASHOG race track

Our pigs have lots of room to move, run and have fun. They mostly just like to eat and sleep however. To train them to race you need cookies! Pigs like to eat pretty much the same stuff humans do and they run for Oreo’s!

"Pig Pile" soaking up some rays

We do “NASHOG” races on fall weekends starting at about noon and going till dusk. We get enough pigs so no one has to run too much but still have enough time to get cookies. They get a BIG shot of grain at the end of the day. Even giving them full feed they still grow slower than their buddies back at the farm who don’t get the opportunity to run the flat track every day. Maybe the stress of “celebrity” holds them back too? They do have lots of fans.

A small crowd catching a pig race

But at the end of the Corn Maze, Pumpkin Picking Season what is there to do with a bunch of highly trained athletes that have a bit of ego and celebrity? At first we took them to auction and took an absolute beating not even getting back our costs. It is the wrong time of the year for people to want pigs to feed out. So we took them to the home farm and started feeding them out ourselves for our freezers. We had few people buy one here or there but not too much of a consistent market for them.

Feeding time, that's all the time really.

That’s where Fresh Fork market and the patrons of Cleveland area restaurants and other customers of Trevor and Fresh Fork came in. Trevor starting buying our “Surplus Racing Pigs” and soon more. We starting raising hogs again year round now. Some regular breeds some special breeds depending upon what is asked for.

Now That's FAST FooD!

So thank you for supporting local folks doing cool new things and next time you sit down in Cleveland for a special dinner with friends, it may not be McDonalds…..But it still could be, “Fast Food”!

Tags: Agri-tourism, Buy Local, Family Farm, Farm Market, Ohio farm market, Ohio Winery, Ohio Wines, Sustainable Agriculture.
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2014 New Food, New Fun, New Friends, New Wines, New Events!

Friday, January 10th, 2014

Wow here we go again a new year a year of new possibilities. The cool thing about farming and the winery is we really do get start all over again new each year. That is one huge reason many of us stay in the agriculture business. Each year brings a new chance to do better than years past. You can take lessons learned and apply them going forward. You read, surf the web, attend conferences, network with other growers. A new year is like Christmas morning with new gift of opportunity just waiting to be opened.

I love being out working when the sunrises!

A Big part of what we do is a long list of special events on the farm. We can talk about farming and the joys and challenges that go with it but we also have to answer the question: what can we do for you? How can we bring you Hakuna Matata? Being authentic is very important to us. Out of these two ideas we try and develop things for people to come, see and do while visiting with us. Some things are grand some are simple, some are weekly, some are monthly some go on for weeks on end, some are seasonal. But we always want people to ask, “what is going on at Maize Valley?”

2013 LoCo Motion Corn Maze Adventure

Way back in the day we pretty much got started with our Corn Mazes and pumpkin picking. We still do this every year and it continues to grow each year. But we also do a wide variety of other events starting in January.

Here is a quick list of what we have on the books for 2014 with more to follow.

January 18th – The Island Doctor in the Winery

About now people are asking "Snow or Sand?"

February 14th – Valentines Day dinner

March 6th – Locker Club Dinner
March 22nd – Winery Open House

Todd (my bro-in-law the wine maker) chatting up folks at Open House

April 19th – Breakfast with the Easter Bunny

Who Da Bunny!

May 7th – “PINK” Party (Breast cancer fund raiser)

Pink Party ladies

May 11th -Mothers Day Dinner
May 15th – 1st Cruse In of the Season

Metal Muscle Nights

June 28th – 1st Lt. Ashley White Stumpf Memorial Day

July 19th – NEW EVENT! Food/Farm/Fun/Farmathalone, Kids Dream Day

Farmathalone gang

July 26th – International Dance Day special event

August – We have no scheduled on farm events as we go into final approach for the Fall Harvest Season

Oh Boy Here comes Fall!

September 13th – Corn Maze Opens ( This is a time of year where more things start to happen as we approach October)
September 27th – Balloon Lift; This also marks the beginning of expanded offerings centered around the corn maze and pick your own pumpkins

October 11th & 12th – Megasauras Days, Big event details on web site and will have its own blog post later.

Mega flaming car 2013

November 28th & 29th – Christmas Tree Viewing Days

Breakfast with Santa

December 13th & 20th Breakfast with Santa

This is a listing of our “Core events”. Please keep in mind we will be also going off site to wine pours if you would like to join us.

Vintner's Dinner seating

Plus we have the monthly events such as our Vintner Dinners held the 3rd Thursday of each month, Wine’d up Wednesdays starting May and more. I’d keep going but you’re probably tired to scrolling already! In future blog post we will break down each event on its own, thank you for stopping by!

Tags: Agri-tourism, Farm Market, Homegrown, Ohio Winery, Ohio Wines, Special events, Susan G. Komen 3 day walk
Posted in Buy Local, Fun with Wine, Things to see at Maize Valley | No Comments »

How do you make a Snowman Blush?

Wednesday, December 18th, 2013

It’s easy…..Give him a really cool “Package”! www.maizevalley.com

Every snowman should have a nice package!

Who doesn’t love snowmen?!? And can you imagine anything more fun than a whole bunch of snowmen drinking wine? If you haven’t been to Maize Valley, then you probably haven’t seen one of our newest wines called “Winter Wine”.

He needs to be priced right too!

The wine is a sweet blush that is very similar to Hanky Panky. But what sets this wine apart, and makes it such a GREAT gift is the label. The label is completely covered in snowmen. . . drinking wine, sled riding, celebrating, and having fun. Winter Wine is currently on special at only $5.99 per bottle – and if you are looking for stocking stuffers, or co-worker gifts, that equates to only $64.69 per case of 12! Wow – what a fantastic, fun gift to both give and receive!

A nice "stocking stuffer"!

Don’t worry if you miss this before Christmas we should have some left in stock for the rest of “Snowman season”! The price may change after this special holiday offer.

Tags: Blush Wine, Christmas gifts, Ohio Wine, Ohio Winery, Snowman
Posted in Buy Local, Food and Wine, Wine Info | No Comments »

Award Winning wines, sometimes it is about the bottle itself.

Wednesday, December 11th, 2013

We recently won one of 2013 Glass Packaging Institutes (GPI) Clear Choice Awards. The prestigious industry awards are given to products packaged in glass that demonstrate strong consumer appeal, shelf impact and commercial success.
What is under a label? Hard to tell because if the package doesn’t compel you enough to pick it up, let alone buy it you never know.

The sun was setting on the way we used to farm.

We started out with some pretty artistic and sophisticated labels, telling the story we were farmers on the label. They were very nice and we still use them today on certain wines for a certain markets. These labels while doing a good job when we had the time to tell our story were not the best for standing alone in a crowded market place.

Original artwork bottle label

We then started to look around at what other beverage companies were up and we got some ideas. What if we applied some of those practices combined with our story? Because we have a real story that spans generations. We had cows that had generations all living at the same time. We had pictures of cows of multiple generations all living at the same time.

Plenty of authentic Dairy was in our blood.

Pictured below is a cow named “Edith” on the left My mother in law Donna is holding her. In the middle is my wife Michelle with one of Edith’s daughters and my sister in law Deb on right with one of Edith’s granddaughters.

We actually used to Have COWS!

Edith was not a “Happy Cow” getting her “gussied-up” for this picture was tough. She liked to be milked, eat and sleep that was pretty much it. She had a special stall next to the walkway out of the bar. It had a cool breeze in the summer, and was far enough in the barn it was warm in winter. Pictured below is what is left of her stall 15 plus years after she lived here over 13 years since we last milked cows. We have removed most of the “furnishings” that were in the barn.

Edith's old stall minus the mat, water bowl and name tag.

On the wine side what was “our story” we asked ourselves. Of course, cows came up. But what name would catch your ear, and what picture would make you stop and pick up that bottle?

Mad cow reached out and grabbed us.

Mad cow is a sweet white table wine. It is easy drinking for the new wine drinker and a wine for light summer fun and good times. It is not a wine you want to spend too much time analyzing, breaking down and over thinking it. It still needs to be made quality and free from faults but it is not a wine you are going to want to age and wait for that special moment, just drink it.

And finally the winning effort

And finally the winning effort, we didn’t set out to make an award winning label. We set out to create a package that people would want to pick up, own and give as a gift. It is a bottle that has a plastic sleeve covering the entire outside surface of the bottle. We think it is prettty cool, other must too as we beat out some pretty heavy weight competition.

Tags: Farm Market, Grapes, Homegrown Produce, Ohio farm market, Ohio Winery, Ohio Wines
Posted in Buy Local, Farm Stuff, Food and Wine | No Comments »

Come Ski with Us….And we’ll bring the Ohio Wines!

Thursday, December 5th, 2013

At Maize Valley….We Make Great Wine….FUN! Many trips around the sun ago my wife Michelle and I learned to ski with friends. Later her “little brother” Todd, now our wine maker learned as well. Our daughter’s Cara and Breanne and now our “special” son Brett joined us. I ended up as a “chaperon” for our schools ski club and Scott our main man in the market/winery straps on the sticks as well. So why not take a gang over to Western New York and play in the snow?

Todd, Scott and Michelle on a trip to Holiday Valley

Valley to Valley…..few years back we put together an inclusive ski/wine/food package where our skier wine/buds-bums went with us over to Holiday Valley Resort in Ellicottville N.Y. (bout 4 hrs.). You prepay us we set up all the details, we leave MV at 7:00am Sunday Feb. 16th 2014 Depart 7:00 am SHARP! Return about Midnight, +/- a few minutes?

Holiday Valley outdoor "Chalet"

We handle transportation to and from Holiday Valley, lift tickets (8 hr.), Morning coffee and pastry, wine & non-alcoholic beverages and a lite supper for the return trip. You would be responsible for equipment and any food alcohol/beverages etc. while on the slopes.

Need a lift?

Cost per person is $100.00 pre-paid reservations only. We will take reservations and payment, when count hits 50 it is a go and will notify all by order of reservation. If we don’t hit 50 by January 16th 2014 the trip will be canceled and we will refund your reservation fee in full. Please call market at 330-877-8344 to make reservations.

Todd carving an "S" & finishing his "C's"

We handle all the details and you don’t have to drive home. After last trip everybody wanted us to do it again, we just had too much farm/winery stuff to get it all done.

Todd (our wine maker....sigh) with our Nephew, Scotty

YOU MUST CALL OR STOP IN THE WINERY/MARKET AND MAKE YOUR PRE-PAID RESERVATIONS TO SECURE A SEAT.

So let us know soon, if you would like to go

Date: 02/16/2014

Time: 7:00 am – 11:59 pm

Tags: Holiday Valley, Ohio Winery, Ohio Wines, Ski
Posted in Buy Local, Food and Wine, Fun with Wine | No Comments »

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