| | A few years ago Albertans would have been hard pressed to find more than one or two corn mazes in the province. Now, in 2006, there are at least seven. From Grande Prairie to Lethbridge, these Ag-tourism attractions provide fun for tourists and added profit for growers.
"In Alberta, corn is grown as a forage crop for animal feed, for human consumption and now for on-farm activities," says Sharon Stollery, co-leader of the Ag-tourism initiative, Alberta Agriculture, Food and Rural Development, Stony Plain. "Adding a corn maze to an existing operation can mean the addition of a profit centre in and of itself. It can also provide an added attraction to raise awareness of other products for sale. Case-in-point is Robinpick Berry Farm near Lethbridge. Theo and Esther Slingerland set up a corn maze to increase awareness of their berry farm, and ultimately sell more berries - and it works!"
Putting in a corn maze does involve research. Advance preparation includes determining:
- what design to use
- how to design it (there are companies that specialize in designing mazes)
- if the business has the needed land base available (at least four to six acres)
- if there is a large enough local population to support a maze and make it pay
- if the business has the capital for set-up, promotion, administration and labour
For more information on adding a corn maze to a business, visit the Ag-tourism website at www.agtourism.ca, and look under Ag Tourism Examples.
"For some great Alberta summer fun, grab the kids, hop in the car and visit one of Alberta's corn mazes," says
Stollery. "In the daytime and after dark, corn mazes are fun for the whole family."
Alberta's corn mazes are located in:
Grande Prairie - www.cornfieldmaze.com/sites.php?ID=&username=cangrandeprairie
Bon Accord - www.prairiegardens.org/
Edmonton - www.edmontoncornmaze.ca/
Leduc - www.amazingfieldmaze.ca/Info.htm
Lacombe - www.lacombecornmaze.com/
Bowden (sunflower and corn maze) - www.sunmaze.ca/
Lethbridge - www.lethbridgecornmaze.com/
Contact: Sharon Stollery (780) 968-3514 |
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