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Fall Means Corn Mazes and Pumpkins

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Joe Deal was just a 20-something year old young man when he pitched the idea of a corn maze to his dad, a seasoned 30-year tobacco farmer who quit growing tobacco after the federal government deregulated its price in 2004-2005. Trouble was the long-time Southern farming staple was about 50 percent of the elder Deal’s income.

But, junior had a plan.

“At that time we weren’t partners,” Joe Deal said, of his dad, Butch Deal. “I was just his son helping out with the farm. I think he was surprised and skeptical when I first told him about it, but he let me try it and he has since seen that thinking outside the box of traditional ways of doing things is successful and sometimes a necessity.”

And so began a new tradition at Deal Farms: full-fledged agritourism, featuring hayrides, corn mazes, Cinderella pumpkins, and a bird’s-eye view of real, rural farm life. A diversified fruit and vegetable operation, started in 1951 by Butch Deal’s parents, Deal Farms features a retail roadside stand—run by Pat Deal, Joe Deal’s mother—and wholesale business.

“I graduated from college in 2004,” Joe Deal said. “My wife and I started the corn maze in 2005 and we already had the pumpkin patch there; they go hand in hand. Adding the corn maze and hayrides was an expansion to our farm. With the tobacco buyout in 2004 and 2005, we had to look at ways to further diversify that income we lost from tobacco. The corn maze and pumpkin production filled that void.”

As a result, fall is one of the busiest times of the year at the Franklin, N.C., farm, drawing visitors from across the country, especially during leaf-looking season. The farm features 26 acres of pumpkins in various shapes, sizes and colors, which keep the pre-picked pumpkin bins filled. The most popular pumpkins, Deal said, are the Cinderellas—flatter, orange pumpkins—and Fairy Tales—they look like the pumpkin carriage that Cinderella rode in. Popular with Western North Carolina residents are Candy Roasters—long and slender—and Peanut Pumpkins, which look as if they have peanut shells on the outside. 

For the adventurous pumpkin seeker, Deal Farms also features a one-acre U-Pick pumpkin patch for those searching for their own great pumpkin. Pumpkins range in size from two to 40 pounds.

While Deal Farms has been selling pumpkins for more than 40 years, the number of harvested acres of pumpkins in North Carolina has been on the rise. In 1997, there were 1,063 harvested acres of pumpkins in all of North Carolina, according to the United States Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service website. In 2016, there were 3,600, with a steady increase in between.

But pumpkins aren’t the only star of the show at Deal Farms. The farm also sells fruits, vegetables, sorghum—made from their own sorghum cane—apples, corn, and other products. 

And then there are the two, 10-acre corn mazes: the Haunted Trail, which will only be haunted October 14, 21, 28, and on Halloween, with a portion of the proceeds going to Special Olympics, and the Special Olympics-themed maze, a family-friendly maze open to everyone six days a week. The Haunted Trail is not recommended for young children. 

From tobacco to family-friendly farm activities, Joe Deal said he was happy to make the switch to a healthier business, despite the financial setback. 

“We’re still licking our wounds from not having tobacco. We could count on tobacco every year for income to be profitable for us,” he said. “Vegetables and other crops are volatile. Sometimes we’re at the mercy of Mother Nature. We’ve had our share of bad years like other folks. We’ve had a couple of uptick years, the last two years we’re trending upward.” 

While the hay rides, pumpkin patches, and corn mazes get all the glory this time of year, Deal believes the greater prize for visitors and his family is Deal Farms itself.

“We enjoy folks coming out to the farm to see where their food comes from,” Deal said. “That’s an eye opening experience for some people, seeing the corn and putting two and two together and connecting with the farmer.” 

And Deal’s dad, Butch? There’s a reason he has survived a lifetime of farming. He was more smart than skeptical about the corn maze plan.

“I was all right with it. If you don’t adjust to the times and the people, then you’re out of business.”

For more information, including a list of available products, visit dealfarms.com.

Finding Fall on the Farm

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