Fall corn mazes are the 'ultimate New Hampshire experience'

For nearly two decades, Wes Thomas has been creating the corn maze at Moulton Farm in Meredith.

The first corn maze there was about an acre, and across the street. Then, in 2007, owner John Moulton handed him the reins to take care of the maze.

“John said, ‘Here you go kid. You’re going to do it this year,’” Thomas said. “I’ve been doing it ever since. I’m always the one who does the design.”

Each year has a different theme, and this year those attempting the maze will have to weave through the emblem of the farm.

“I actually did this theme for the employees to see, recognize and feel good about,” Thomas said. “We put these shirts on every day. We’re a family here, and we’re a team. Every great team has a logo, and at Moulton Farm, this is what we’ve got.”

Thomas said the first thing he does after planting the corn maze is decide a theme. The corn is planted in two directions, so it looks like a grid, which he draws out and designs on graph paper.

Last year, there was a representation of an American flag with an eagle’s head, during the election year. Other years, he's created patterns after the M/S Mount Washington, tractors and other farm equipment.

“Most of the time, it is a farm-oriented theme, with pumpkins, hay bales, tractors, things like that,” Thomas said. “Low budget, we go out and draw it all by hand. No GPS or anything. I cut it with a weed whacker when it is only 8 inches tall, and roto-till it afterwards.”

Thomas said this year they were shorthanded, so he did the whole process himself. It took a whole day to plant 8 acres of corn for the maze, making it about an acre per hour. Then it took about a day-and-a-half to finish it off.

“A week before I have to cut it, I think about a design,” Thomas said. “I have 8 hours thinking about what it is going to be when I’m out there planting it.”

The corn maze takes about 20 minutes to complete, and features a game that involves Moulton Farm trivia.

“There are 10 questions that you get before entering the maze, and the answers are all hidden,” Thomas said.

The corn maze sprouts up in the fall, but Thomas plants the stalks in July, and starts planning from there. The first maze day was Sept. 19, and he said the first weekend in October was probably the busiest so far. Weather-permitting, he expects the maze to be going until Halloween weekend.

While the drought did affect the growing of the corn, as there is some yellow showing, Thomas said they got a few showers when they needed them, and the corn is still standing strong. However, he said it has affected farming across the board.

“It’s been one of the toughest growing seasons we have had, but we have also been fortunate to have beautiful weekends where people come out and have a good time.”

Locally, they have had school groups come and enjoy tractor rides and the corn maze. Thomas said people come from all over to check out the maze, and the farm in general.

“We’ve seen license plates from Massachusetts, Connecticut and down to Virginia,” Thomas said. “They come from all over. The leaf peepers are out, and that puts them in our area, so we get to capitalize on that.”

On Wednesday, there was a couple from Miami checking out the farm. Suzy and Bill Turner were on a fall foliage trip to New England, in the area for the first time. They were on their way back from the Omni Mount Washington Resort and decided to stop into Moulton Farm before they caught their flight down south.

“We thought this would be a good stop,” Suzy Turner said. “I love the changing of the seasons.”

Bill Turner added, “We just have the palm trees.”

There are other corn mazes around the state, but Thomas said the atmosphere at Moulton Farm really makes it a special spot. Moulton Farm has wagon rides on the weekends, and Stoneboat Farm in Loudon offers horse and carriage rides, as well. There are also goats for people to visit with, Cider Bellies Donuts onsite, and plenty of quality food at the farmstand.

“Once people get here in the fall, they’ll be here for hours,” Thomas said. “We’ve got plenty of picnic tables, and there’s a view of the Ossipee Mountains over the fields. We’ve got hot soups inside and a commercial bakery. People like to come here and spend the day.”

Another Lakes Region farmstand has a corn maze on their property, serving as a fun family event on a crisp fall day.

Beans & Greens Farm owner Chris Collias said since he and Lindy Consentino purchased the Gilford farm in 2021, they have been building a corn maze where families can spend about 20 minutes or so finding their way around.

The corn maze is about 1.5 acres, and this year there is a crossword puzzle associated with it. Throughout the maze are different markers corresponding with the crossword grid. Clues to complete it are hidden throughout the maze.

Rather than cutting a maze design into the corn, he instead plants it tactically so it grows into the shape. He admits it takes a little more planning, but always comes out well.

Collias said there are some twists and turns that make it somewhat challenging, as well as a sitting area under a tree and a place to take photos.

This year the maze is a bit smaller, as Collias noted it tends to be smaller children and young families who take part.

Unlike the haunted corn maze of years past, the farmers have instead created the Beans & Screams Fear Farm on Friday and Saturday nights throughout October. This involves 20 actors, a walk through the woods and three separate greenhouses, and 10 themed rooms.

There are plenty of other fall activities on the site, including hayrides, apple cannons, a fun park, and the Notch Biergarten to enjoy a beverage. The café is open, and the farmstand has what Collias described as “the best of the best” items from other growers.

Thousands of people make their way through the corn maze, as well as take part in the activities at Beans & Greens each fall. Collias said people have come from as far as California. He invites the public to not just stop in, but spend a full day there.

“We like to be the place the community meets,” Collias said. “It’s a good way to get off their screens and engage in the great outdoors. We think this is the ultimate New Hampshire experience.”