Posts Tagged ‘Agri-tourism’

Finding the Value in buying local

Thursday, October 16th, 2014
Part of the tent crew from Portage Awning

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 thorwer

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

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.

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

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!

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!

One big tent!

Seating for 400 people.

A humble welcome sign we have.

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?

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

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".

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

Balloon Lift off September 27th 2014, Corn Maze wagon rides and a whole lot more.

Thursday, September 11th, 2014
Lots of hot air!

Lots of hot air!

We open our Corn Maze in Mid-September but our Balloon Lift has grown into our sort of unofficial Kick Off for the fall harvest season. It takes a few crisp mornings and few trees changing color to get people thinking about a trip to the pumpkin patch or corn maze.

Up close and personal

Up close and personal

Our balloon lift started over a dozen years ago when I asked a neighbor who owned a balloon if he would get a few friends together and take off from our farm. It has gotten to be a fall tradition. We launch between six and eight balloons from the meadow up back near our corn maze and campfire site area. Folks are welcome to get a up close view of the balloon crews at work as they prepare to take to the skies.

Grab a seat wherever you can!

Grab a seat wherever you can!

You can bring a blanket a lawn chair or grab a seat wherever you can! Our giant hay/straw crawl is a favorite place to relax as the balloons unfold and inflate and take to the skies.

Or just keep crawling!

Or just keep crawling!

Kids just love to climb on things! One thing we learned over the years is if it sticks up out of the field, Kids love to climb on it so we just go with it. We try and build as many farm theme consistent safe and fun fresh air opportunities to get out and have fun!

Wide open spaces!

Wide open spaces!

One unique thing about our farm is the setting. We sit up on a nice gentle hilltop surrounded by fields. The field we launch balloons from we make hay off of.

Somebody left their "sippy cup" unattended!

Somebody left their "sippy cup" unattended!

Some people ask can you have alcohol at a “family event”? We say yes you can. There are three to six hours worth of activities depending upon your level of abilities and interests. Folks can easily enjoy our wines or now new craft beers responsibly and be safe going home.

Did I mention kids like to climb?

Did I mention kids like to climb?

We encourage parents to get out and have fun with their off spring! We have lots of places for fresh air and exercise. So come on out September 27th, visit the balloon lift link on our web site for more information.

Ohio Corn Maze Cutting the design part 7

Friday, August 29th, 2014

In past blog posts have talked about what we do to get the corn growing in the field that we use to create a corn maze. Now it is time to bring the field to life you might say!

Our 2013 Corn Maze Aireal Photograph

Our 2013 Corn Maze Aireal Photograph

The above photograph is of our 2013 “LoCo-Motion” corn maze adventure. Each year we theme our mazes to reflect an idea we think our guests will find enjoyable. Inside the maze are games and activities to do that reflect the designs theme. We have done NASCAR, the BIG FOOT monster truck, the Pony Express and more over the past 13 years. At first we cut the designs by “hand” with flags and grid paper. Later we hired it done by a professional maze carver. Two years ago we purchased our own Global Positioning Satellite guided system to guide us as we cut the corn. Yes we plant the corn first as discussed in a previous blog post, then we carve the design into a solid field of corn.

Maze design in file form on computor

Maze design in file form on computor

The above pic shows what we start with. We hire a graphic artist to design a cool design and put it into a share able file that we can load onto software on a laptop that we connect to a specially designed GPS system. The the design for 2014 features a Sea Turtle and the trivia games in the maze will be Sea Turtle related as well.

The 2014 Design displayed on my laptop

The 2014 Design displayed on my laptop

The GPS system is very accurate so you need a machine that is very maneuverable to take advantage of the detail in the designs. We do what we call “Art Mazes” for a reason.

Commercial Toro Zero Turn Mower with GPS system mounted

Commercial Toro Zero Turn Mower with GPS system mounted

You could say you cannot tell what the maze looks like when you are in it and you are mostly correct. But we do more we wrap a whole game and experience around the maze and the photo needs to reflect that. We take pictures and hang them on the walls of our winery/brewery for people to look at all year long, people love to stop and stare and take in that we can actually take the design and actually transfer it to the field so well.

Path right after cutting

Path right after cutting

The above photo shows what the paths look like right after we cut them. We do not stop there. About two to three weeks later we go over the entire design with a roto-tiller to kill any remaining corn, grind up the cut off stalks and level the paths better for strollers and power or wheel chairs.

Paths after roto-tilling

Paths after roto-tilling

The above photo shows the paths after roto-tilling. In order to get the proper look to the design we sometimes take our wider sections of corn. The below pic is what it looks like before we hit it with the tiller.

Pre-rototilling, a lot of corn survives the mower!

Pre-rototilling, a lot of corn survives the mower!

Following the mowed paths

Following the mowed paths

Click Here to watch a video I made using my Go Pro as I cut the maze.

Now we wait till a few weeks before opening day to come back in and set the games and activities portion of the corn maze. It usually takes about an hour to complete the game sheet and find the various trivia questions and other things to follow along with if the guest choose to do so. The corn maze at one time was all we were about along with picking pumpkins. Over the years we have evolved into a unique fall harvest destination with a winery and new for 2014 we will be one of Ohio’s newest craft breweries also.

Corn Maze, planting the field part 6

Wednesday, August 20th, 2014

Since the fall harvest season makes up a huge part of who we are and what we do we spend some time talking about it. People ask us many questions about how we create some the designs. From a produce market and pumpkin patch with a corn maze we have grown into a winery and now a craft brewery. This summer’s weather has been very challenging. In fact we got about another 2-3 inches of rain again last night.

Sweet Corn field

Sweet Corn field

This blog post about our Ohio Corn Maze shows how we actually plant the corn. We are “old school” by modern agriculture standards in the sense our planter is about twenty years old but it gets the job done.

John Deere 7200 Corn Planter

John Deere 7200 Corn Planter

The corn planter plants six rows at a time each row is 30 inches apart. Our planter can plant No-Till or conventional where you till or work the soil from plow to field cultivator as discussed in past posts. Click here for tillage information Our planter is a vacuum planter.

Seed box for an individual row

Seed box for an individual row

What that means is we use the tractors hydraulic pump to run a air vacuum pump like on a floor sweeper that draws the individual seeds against a depression with a small hole in it positioned around the rim of a circular planter “plate”.

Seed box removed, black disk top of photo is the plate.

Seed box removed, black disk top of photo is the plate.

One bag of seed plants about 3 acres.

Bag of seed corn

Bag of seed corn

Seed corn in planter seed box. We “drop” or plant, between 24,000 to 35,000 seeds per acre (an acre is approximately the area of a football field) depending upon the type of corn, and the end use. For corn mazes I shoot for the low end because we plant the field twice at a right angles to each pass.

Seed corn in planter seed box

Seed corn in planter seed box

A individual planter “Plate”. Plates come in different sizes depending upon crop and seed size to be planted. The larger the seed the larger the “cup” in the plate, you also adjust your vacuum if the seed is heavier to hold it in place as it travels around the until it is dislodged by the brush.

Planter plate below seed box

Planter plate below seed box

A chain drive turns the plate and as it rotates once a revolution it comes in contact with a brush that pushes it away from the plate.

Chain drive

Chain drive

The seed travels down a tube and into the soil where another part of the planter creates a trench and then closes it after the seed is deposited. Row wipes lead the way directly in front of the seed disk openers. Which are located under the above mentioned planter boxes.

Row wipes are mostly used for No Till planting

Row wipes are mostly used for No Till planting

A Fertilizer Disk opener is positioned two inches to the side of the seed opener and a depth of two inches below the seed. “2 Down and 2 Over it is called. This helps to ensure the fertilizer is where the plant needs it when it needs it and is not wasted.

Fertilizer Disk opener

Fertilizer Disk opener

A closing wheel travels last closing the seed trench to ensure good soil to seed contact.

Closing wheel

Closing wheel

When planting you try a drive as straight as possible, it is a matter of pride and it also helps to maximize field area and yield. Our planter uses old style row markers. An arm extends from the side of the planter towards the side of the field yet to be planted. At the end of the arm is a disk that leaves a small trench that you line up the center of the tractor on. Today’s modern planters use a Global positioning satellite system to do this. Many tractors have this tied into their steering systems such that the computer/satellite actually drives the tractor.

Row marker trench you follow

Row marker trench you follow

The difference when you plant a corn maze field vs. a normal field is you make a second pass at a 90 degree angle to your first pass thereby creating a grid. This makes for a denser field of corn with great vegetation coverage which makes for a better corn maze experience.

View looking back toward planter from tractor seat.

View looking back toward planter from tractor seat.

If you have good weather and soil temperatures are good your corn should emerge in about seven to ten days.

Corn coming up in rows!

Corn coming up in rows!

We wait now about five to six weeks to start the maze carving process where we carve the corn maze design into the field from a solid field of corn. We like to have the corn be large enough a mower will kill the majority of it but not too tall to make cutting difficult.

Cutting the paths that make up a corn maze design

Cutting the paths that make up a corn maze design

Coming soon the “nuts and bolts” of how we create those crazy Maize Valley Ohio Corn Maze designs!

Ohio Corn maze building part 5 seedbed preparation

Monday, June 2nd, 2014

Seedbed, maybe you never thought of it that way but but making a nice cozy place for a seed to germinate is very important. Keep in mind planting corn for a corn maze is different that planting corn just to raise to harvest to sell. We spend a bit more time and money getting this field prepared than a “normal farmer” would.

Planting Corn Maze "No-Till"

Planting Corn Maze "No-Till"

In past years we planted the field “No-Till”, that is we would just plant into the field as we left it after harvest the previous fall. The planter has what are called “Row Wipes” that push aside the “Trash” (leftover organic matter and other plant material) left from last year and the row unit has steel disks that open up the soil, place the seed and close the seed trench. It worked fine but we wanted to start using cow manure as fertilizer and we needed to work it into the soil. This required we go “old school” and back the the moldboard plow.

Four bottom Moldboard Plow

Four bottom Moldboard Plow

At one point in time the Moldboard plow and it evolution through the 1800’s was as technologically advanced as Global Positioning Satellite systems are today. Click HERE to read it’s history. Advancements in design and materials changed the face of agriculture and thereby our country.

Disk

A picture of a "Disk" field working tool

After we plow the corn maze field we follow with what is called a “Disk”. Timing can depend on soil moisture, time of year or equipment availability. It has a series of disk shaped blades mounted on a shaft or an arbor. They are positioned at a slight angle to the direction of travel and to each other. There are usually four arbors with disks mounted on them. This is called a gang that is mounted to a frame via roller bearings that allow the disks to rotate as the tool is pulled across the field.

Field Cultivator

Field Cultivator

Again as I’ve mentioned building a Corn Maze in Ohio and planting the corn for a corn maze we do things a bit different than we would just planting a “regular” corn field. This corn has to not only yield but also be part of an experience for our guests. After the disk we work the ground with a field cultivator. It has small shovel-like tools mounted on a spring loaded arm and steel bar that runs from one side of the tool to the other. The purpose of this tool is to level the soil bed. It fills in ruts left by the disk and knocks down high spots as well.

Cultipacker

Cultipacker

The last pass across the field before planting we use a cultipacker to further level the soil and also break up some of the dirt clods some more. We want to provide a firm but not overly packed soil bed for the seed. You want the soil fine enough to get optimal seed to soil contact without packing the soil and compacting it to the point it can crust if and when you get a rain. It is a judgement call. You can plant right into disked ground but again for purposes of the corn maze we do things a bit different.

Corn Planter

Corn Planter

In out next post about planting a Corn Maze we will talk about the planter itself and how we actually place the seed in the soil.

Corn Maze (part 4) or Grapes the right type and timing of fertilizer counts!

Thursday, May 15th, 2014

At Maize Valley We Make Great Wine…FUN! Special events are a big part of that. This blog post number four in a series of blog posts about how we build a corn maze. In part three we talked about weathering, freezing and thawing, applying cow manure and plowing. This time we talk about putting down some fertilizer to help the plants that make up the Corn Maze grow best.

Hoopes Fertilizer Plant in Alliance Ohio

Hoopes Fertilizer Plant in Alliance Ohio

As mentioned in an earlier blog post we test the soil to determine the needs for next years crop. We also know a great deal about what is needed by the yield of the previous years crop. If you remove so much material it also removed known amounts of nutrients. We begin our manure applications based upon that number and supplement with other fertilizer to fill in the gaps to our best approximation based upon soil test report. I say “best approximation” because weather ultimately determines the crops potential.

Loading a blend of Ammonium Sulfate and Pelletized Lime

Loading a blend of Ammonium Sulfate and Pelletized Lime

I like to use Ammonium Sulfate and here is why. Ammonium nitrogen (NH4+) carries a positive charge and is adsorbed onto soil particles. In this chemical form, leaching of nitrogen does not occur; however, NH4+ is changed to the NO3- form by bacteria. This process occurs rapidly (beginning within 2 to 3 days) as the soil temperature climbs above 50°F. Complete conversion from NH4+ to NO3- occurs within about a month of application. source We will plow this field before it reaches 50 degrees, thereby trapping the nitrogen underground until the plant needs it. Sulfur in necessary in the manufacture of proteins in the plant and you need as much of it as Phosphorus.

Ammonium Sulfate

Ammonium Sulfate

This information is to let you know that before we started planting corn mazes we used to farm a fairly large number of acres. In fact we used to farm over 3,000 acres before we evolved into the winery and soon brewery aspect of agriculture. I also blend in an equal amount of pelletized lime. Pelletized lime is made by granulating finely ground agricultural (ag) lime. It may be dolomitic or calcitic depending on the nature of the original limestone. Some questions have been raised about recommended rates of this material and the speed at which it reacts compared to standard ag lime. Source

Pelletized Lime

Pelletized Lime

I blend in the lime as both a calcium source and to help balance the the acid formed when the Nitrogen breaks down into Ammounium Nitrate. One disadvantage of Ammounium Sulfate is it can lower your soil pH below optimal levels if not accounted for.

Spreading the blend on the field.

Spreading the blend on the field.

We apply the blend at a rate of 400 pounds per acre, (43,560 ft. sq.) or approximately the area of a football field. That may sound like a lot but consider that half of that is pelletized lime, and the ammonium sulfate is only 21% nitrogen. This works out to only 42 pounds of actual nitrogen evenly distributed over and entire area the size of a football field. Picture the volume of a large bag of dogfood and try to imagine how thinly spread that is. Still this one load cost over $500.00 so we are very careful how we use it and do not use too much.

White pellets are fertilizer granuals

White pellets are fertilizer granuals

The while pellets are the fertilizer granules. The brown lime pellets have already dissolved into the soil. The fertilizer will do the same and attache to the soil particles since the fertilizer has a positive charge and the clay particles in the soil have a negative charge. When temperatures warm and bacteria become active Denitrification will begin. Denitrification is a microbially facilitated process of nitrate reduction (performed by a large group of heterotrophic facultative anaerobic bacteria) that may ultimately produce molecular nitrogen (N2) through a series of intermediate gaseous nitrogen oxide products. This makes the nitrogen available to the plant. Source . All forms of nitrogen both commercial fertilizers or natural or “organic” sources undergo this process. Plants don’t really care the source is as long as the soil is healthy and in balance.

Corn coming up in rows

Corn coming up in rows

So way before we get this, there is a lot of preparation to do to bring a corn maze to life. Stay tuned next time we will talk a bit about how and why we prepare the soil the way we do.

Corn Maze…part 2, Harvest is done, time to get a soil sample

Tuesday, March 25th, 2014

Farming is science, pure and simple. Agronomy is the term used; Agronomy is the science and technology of producing and using plants for food, fuel, fiber, and land reclamation. Agronomy encompasses work in the areas of plant genetics, plant physiology, meteorology, and soil science.

The science of food

The science of food

My background includes a degree from “Thee (LoL) Ohio State University” in Agricultural education. I was set to teach vocational agriculture to high school students when my wife’s father in law offered us a job on the family farm. My wife and I decided being farmers was our best option. Over the years I’ve added various continuing education credits along those lines.

New and Old School

New and Old School

When in comes to raising crops you have got to know science, and you have got to know and understand the chemistry of what your soils have going on. After you know that you can apply the “art” part. We use a blend of Old School things for nutrients like cow manure, crop rotations, and lime. We also use some of the latest technology available to us. You need both.

Robotic soil sampler

Robotic soil sampler

The Rubber-tracked Autoprobe, Left, Pulls Soil Samples On-the-go At The Rate Of 20 Cores Per Minute And Is Aimed At Large Input Dealers.

Soil sample tools

Soil sample tools

For sake of this blog post on how we take soil samples in our corn maze we will keep it simple. The tools in the picture above are similar to what I use when pulling core samples. When you pull a sample you go out to a field and remove actual samples of soil from around the field.

Soil sample farm layout

Field Sampling. Sketch your fields before sampling to reflect known differences in soils. In our case the corn maze is in one specific field but the field does have two very distinct soil types and I sample those separately just like they are two different fields.

Soil sample grid pattern

Soil sample grid pattern

Usually, it is recommended that a single soil sample should be collected for any given field or management unit. However, a single soil sample should consist of at least 25 individual cores collected from representative areas of the field or management unit, which are then mixed together into a common “composite” soil sample.

It is best to pull soil samples in the fall when soil is dry

It is best to pull soil samples in the fall when soil is dry

How much of this sample to send into the soil testing lab will depend on the analyses to be performed and the specific lab, but usually about 20-30 ounces (volume) are required.

Soil sample report

Soil sample report

Therefore, of the 25 or more soil cores which are collected from a field, management unit or problem area, only the amount needed to fill an appropriate soil sample container is actually collected from the composite sample and sent into the lab.

Soil sample bags

Soil sample bags, after you pull the sample be sure to use a plastic bucket or other non-ferrous container. For instance if you use a metal bucket you can pick up Iron from it.

Depth of sampling is usually at least six inches, but may extend to 12 inches or more, depending on the situation.

Soil sample potassium levels

Soil sample potassium levels

Sampling technique (depth and placement) may also depend on whether the field is irrigated, bedded or flat, and also on what is needed from the analysis such as nitrate-nitrogen (NO3–N), sulfate-sulfur (SO42–S), phosphate-phosphorus (PO43–P), sodium (Na) or total salt concentration, etc.. In reference to sample frequency, depth, amounts of soil needed, and tests to run; this will all depend to some extent on the nature and intent of the sampling process as to whether it involves routine management or diagnosis of problem areas in a field.

Soil sample core depth

Soil sample core depth

At the core of creating a great corn maze……..Ok, a little agronomy humor….. is getting all of this done timely and correctly. You do not want to sample soil when it is wet for instance. Doing so can affect the results you get back reflecting inaccurate Potassium levels which are a huge part of the equation. We sampled our corn maze right after harvest and are waiting on the Lab report to make fertility recommendations and applications. Based upon crop removal data we know a bit of the story already and will apply liquid manure and then balance the rest of the needs at planting time if need be.

Technology tools in the form of handheld and tractor mounted GPS systems are commonplace today.

Technology tools in the form of handheld and tractor mounted GPS systems are commonplace today.

We
Tools like the GPS are used in the actual design of the corn maze and when we go into the field to cut the design paths which I will touch upon in a upcoming blog post.

Winery Open house and Anniversary!

Thursday, March 20th, 2014
Newest winery construction summer 2012

Newest winery construction summer 2012

Well nine years in the wine business has flown by oh so fast! Thank you to everyone who has visited with us in person or who has supported us by picking up our some of our wine at your local wine store. The winery may have just saved our family farm market, it sure has at least changed it a great deal.

Progress on the Winery....soon to be Brewery!

Progress on the Winery....soon to be Brewery!

In 2012 we built the biggest addition yet pictured above. To that point we had been “re-purposing” other old buildings or “farmer building” structures. We originally began producing wine in a renovated “potting shed”. That was the small poll barn we had attached to the greenhouse that we originally used to pot plants and baskets for the greenhouse business.

Original Potting shed

Original Potting shed

As we grew we built an addition off the East side of the Potting shed or “Head House”. We built this ourselves on a shoe string budget and it came out okay but didn’t last us too long.

Farmer pole barn addition

Farmer pole barn addition

A lot changed since we opened the winery in 2005. There were about 75 wineries in the state of Ohio that year. This year there are over 200 Ohio Wineries currently in operation. They range from growers/farmer style wineries that grow large quantities of grapes, to what are known as “kit wineries” that focus on just the wine making process separate from growing fruit. We are somewhere in the middle. We farm about 700-800 acres of cropland a year. We grow about 40-50 different types of crops from garlic to grapes, peppers to pumpkins.

Lettuce growing up in the "Hartville Swamps"

Lettuce growing up in the "Hartville Swamps"

We have a wide variety of soil types on the farm, and we are on the Southern edge of the Hartville Swamps a very special and unique growing area and soil.

Inside of new Winery/Brewery building

Inside of new Winery/Brewery building

The latest building will open. It will help us open the next chapter in Maize Valley’s history. It will house the new expansion of the brewery.

Newest outdoor patio seating area

Newest outdoor patio seating area

But don’t think we have just built a bunch of buildings. NEW this year we have expanded our outdoor seating area behind the “Gateway Pavilion” which is directly attached to the back of the winery/market building. The new area should seat between 40-60 people and we have also built some gentle walkways that take you up the hill to the Hill top party barn.

Walkways leading up the hill take the long and easy way up.

Walkways leading up the hill take the long and easy way up.

So soon the snow will stop falling and the sun will shine! This hill has a South face and we will put seating along the paths, a perfect place to relax with a nice glass of wine and enjoy the Ohio summer that is in store. Check out this link for details on our web page.

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

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

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

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

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

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!

Corn Maze, yea we do that!

Tuesday, March 11th, 2014

Ok, yea what does “Ohio Wine and More” have to do with an Ohio Corn Maze? We make great wine (and soon beer)….FUN! Agritourism, corn mazes, wagon rides, pumpkin picking and a whole bunch of other “Fall Harvest Activities” are a big part of what we do. We start planning and getting ready for a corn maze season soon after the last one is finished. We get a lot of questions that go something like how do you make a corn maze? This is a big subject to we will try and break it down into a few blog posts not to get too long.

2013 LoCo Motion Corn Maze

2013 LoCo Motion Corn Maze

Harvesting last years crop. As one season winds down we start looking to the next. While one maze is up and running we watch to see how it performs, how the design actually works for people. Are there paths that didn’t get used, if so why? Were there things that made this maze particularly good? Once we close the season we roll the combine as soon as possible.

John Deere Harvester or "Combine"

John Deere Harvester or "Combine"

Why is it called a “Combine” people ask. Because it does a combination of things. First of all it is self propelled. That may not seem like a big deal but did you know that self propelled harvesters were part of the War Effort in the 1940’s? There were self propelled machines before that but it took a war to get them mass produced.

Pull type combine

Pull type combine

Tractor and pull type combine

Tractor and pull type combine

Not to take the “way back machine” too far but pictured above is a combine that was pulled by a tractor. The real early ones had a separate gas engine on the combine itself and you had one on the tractor as well. During World War Two this was a big deal because if you could get that down to one engine you saved both raw materials and fuel. Learn more about the History Here.

Battle for bread

Battle for bread

It was about 1942 when they came up with the idea to mass produce self propelled combines. Steel was rationed and you had to get approval from the government to build things like this. The 1952 Massey pictured below is one we have on our farm. A neighbor sold it to us in the summer of 2013, it’s engine finally gave out he was heading to the field to combine some oats.

1952 Massey Harris

1952 Massey Harris

Ok, so these machine combine the tasks of cutting the crop with a cutter bar. Then elevate it up a feeder house into the machine where a rotor (modern machines) separator or a concave and screen (older machines) begin to remove the grain from the seed hull or cob. The material passes back through the machine where further separation and final cleaning takes place with the “trash” or chaff being expelled out the back and the grain moved up into a storage tank. This used to all be done by hand or animal back in the day and was very labor intensive as well as slow.

Corn head or cutter bar in this case.

Corn head or cutter bar in this case.

Corn head or cutter bar in this case. There are things called “snapper rolls” underneath that “snap” the ear off the stalk.

Tractor pulling a grain cart runs along side

Tractor pulling a grain cart runs along side

Tractor pulling a grain cart runs along side. This allows the combine to keep rolling and not have to take the time to stop to unload the grain tank on the combine. This saves time and weight the machine needs to carry. When a single machine can cost between $300,000.00 to $500,000.00 you need to keep them rolling every second you can.

Semi trucks on the fields edge waiting to take away the harvest.

Semi trucks on the fields edge waiting to take away the harvest.

Semi trucks on the fields edge waiting to take away the harvest. You try and never drive on a field more than necessary or when the field is too wet. You stay off not to compact the soil. And this field is done for the 2013 harvest season! Look for our next blog post about the steps we take in making a corn maze. Thanks for stopping by!