{"id":2439,"date":"2016-09-06T18:11:50","date_gmt":"2016-09-06T18:11:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.sportspaper.org\/?p=2439"},"modified":"2016-09-06T18:11:50","modified_gmt":"2016-09-06T18:11:50","slug":"corn-maze-turning-minder-farm-into-an-agri-entertainment-center","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.sportspaper.org\/?p=2439","title":{"rendered":"Corn maze turning Minder Farm into an agri-entertainment center"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Terry<\/a><\/p>\n

TERRY MOSHER<\/p>\n

\"Minder<\/a><\/p>\n

BREMERTON BOTTLING DESIGN AT MINDER FARM CORN MAZE<\/p>\n

If you drive along Waaga Way on Highway 303 heading from Bremerton to Silverdale and look to your right you will notice the Minder Farm that is turning into a sort of entertainment-natural food center springing from the annual corn maze that attracts thousands each fall<\/p>\n

I\u2019m not exactly sure what drives this corn maze craze, but farmers have discovered a new way to make money in an effort to keep their farms in the black. This has led to a new English word \u2013 agri-entertainment \u2013 which combines what we know about the old traditional farms \u2011 raising cattle and other animals, barns, haying, growing food and dairy products, and endless hours of difficult work \u2013 with new age entertainment that starts with a corn maze and builds on that to include all kinds of games within the maze to selling banners, signs, pumpkins, snacks and assorted other materials along with providing music at some venues.<\/p>\n

Then, on top of that, there are the designs within the maze, which is amazing in itself. Those designs can be anything \u2013 at Minder Farm, which is run by JC Carlson of Minder Meats \u2011 there have been designs of the Seahawks and local businesses, including this year Bremerton Bottling Company (Pepsi) that are etched into the corn maze from the start of seeding of the corn.<\/p>\n

This is the 11th<\/sup> year of the Minder Farm corn maze that covers 4.5 acres and the first year the design was a Seahawks\u2019 helmet with a different Seahawk version the second year. Then it was a chicken, then a barn that said Minder Meats on it followed the next year with a design of Minder Meats with a bull and then one with a Buffalo.<\/p>\n

The seventh year it was ESPN, then Minder Meats with the head of a bull. Then the designing went corporate with the 70th anniversary of Bremerton Bottling with a couple of bottle caps and the company\u2019s old logo. That was followed by Robison Plumbing, no overtime, celebrating its 30th<\/sup> anniversary, then this year Bremerton Bottling again with designs of Pepsi and Mountain Dew.<\/p>\n

These designs are done by Shawn Stolworthy and his crew of maze makers. Stolworthy is a Firth, Idaho resident whose business has taken him to maze making all over the West, Midwest and into the South.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe sells me the punch cards, banners, signs, and games you can play,\u201d says Carlson of Stolworthy, who shows up Memorial Day weekend with a tractor and crew that look like they are \u00a0sci-fi aliens from another planet with all their electronic gear used to design the maze and plant the corn.<\/p>\n

This year, Carlson purchased the Farm Tracks game, which on the Stolworthy\u2019s company Website Mazeplay.com is describes as a mystery designed for kids 2-8 where they learn about different animal tracks while trying to find who stole Farmer Joe\u2019s pie.<\/p>\n

Also in Carlson\u2019s corn maze this year is a game \u2011 The Farm Scene Investigation \u2013 that is centered on trying to solve the mystery of Farmer Joe, who has gone missing. So the corn maze isn\u2019t just you in an ordinary maze where you try to find your way out once you enter it. This is pure entertainment at its finest, and all done outside.<\/p>\n

What is interesting is that Carlson used to be heavily involved with the Kitsap County Stampede Cowpokes, an organization that was formed in 1997 to help out with the Kitsap County Fair & Stampede Rodeo (the Cowpokes no longer exist).<\/p>\n

\u201cOur goal was to get the rodeo on ESPN,\u2019 says Carlson of the Cowpokes. \u201cFive years into the rodeo we were going to be on ESPN2, tape delayed. We knew it in advance, so that year we planted the corn maze with a cowboy on a horse with one hand up in the air holding a cowboy hat with ESPN across the top.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a true story. It was either 2009 or 2010 and ESPN opened the show in a plane and they said, \u2018Welcome to beautiful Puget Sound\u2019 and showed the boats, the ferry, the mountain range, the shipyard and said, \u2018this is not the place you would think would have a rodeo, but they love the rodeo here.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u201cThen they fly over Minder Farm and the corn maze and they see \u2018Welcome to ESPN\u2019 and the whole thing. That was great.\u201d<\/p>\n

It was about seven years into creating the corn maze that Carlson attended an agri-entertainment seminary in Portland, Ore. and discovered he could have sponsors for the maze.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey asked who had sponsors for their maze and everybody raised their hand except me,\u201d Carlson said. \u201cI just didn\u2019t get it. All of this was just fun and games for me.\u201d<\/p>\n

So a little later, Carlson was at the 19th<\/sup> hole Bar and Grill in Bremerton when he ran into Bremerton Bottling president Carole Aughnay Dawson and mentioned that some maze owners had sponsors paying $2500 to have their design in the maze.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe said, \u201cI\u2019ll do $2500,\u201d Carlson said.<\/p>\n

So began annual corporate sponsorships of the Minder Farm corn maze.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s remarkable that a corn maze that once was done for fun and games has moved into a profitable phase that helps the bottom line of Minder Meats, the company Carlson runs from Auto Center Way in Bremerton and that also includes also 19 head of Black Angus cattle pastured at Minder Farm along Waaga Way.<\/p>\n

Carlson has hired planes to fly over his corn maze to take promotional photos. Once, he took his own photos, once he hired a professional photographer, and once he hired an owner of a drone to take some photos.<\/p>\n

Prices for playing the games and being in the Minder Farm\u2019s corn maze has never changed from the original prices of $8 for adults and $6 for kids. Children five and under are admitted free. Last year around 5,000 people went through the maze and another 2,000 just came and hung out.<\/p>\n

Carlson could make everybody who shows up pay, but, he says,\u201d That\u2019s just the way we are.\u201d<\/p>\n

Carlson\u2019s dad Jim is usually in charge of selling the pumpkins.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy dad is the pumpkin salesman,\u201d says JC, laughing. \u201cHe just eyes (the pumpkins). He doesn\u2019t use a scale. He knows the value and makes it work. Last year he sold a bunch of them for $20 to a family that looked like they needed them and I tell him, \u201cyou are giving away the farm.\u2019 But he knows what he is doing.\u201d<\/p>\n

The corn maze opens this year on Sept. 16 and stays open through Halloween. It is not open Monday or Tuesday. Those days are reserved for private parties that in the past have included retirement communities and students that are bused in from local schools.<\/p>\n

Another part of his whole thing is that the farm has become a favorite spot for people who want a private party or for a place where a farmer\u2019s market can be held to sell people\u2019s home-grown foods. The Kitsap Food Co-op recently held a farmers\u2019 market there and Carlson said about 1,000 people came through.<\/p>\n

Arrangements for Minder Farm can be made by emailing jcarlson@mindermeats,com<\/p>\n

. Local singer\/songwriter Joey Dean will likely play on the stage at the farm on opening night this year, although that has not been firmed up yet.<\/p>\n

So from humble beginnings, a big thing is now developing at Minder Farm, It\u2019s eye-catching, both from the sky with its corn maze designs, and from the ground for it entertainment value.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s hard work, but as long as people like it and come, Carlson will build it.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s it for today. Football season is here and the weather has cooled off to welcome the gridiron sport and I got some work to do around the house while waiting for the weekend to arrive and more football, high school, college and the NFL.<\/p>\n

So, in the meantime, take care.<\/p>\n

Be well pal.<\/p>\n

Be careful out there.<\/p>\n

Have a great day.<\/p>\n

You are loved.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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