Corn Maze and Hayrides Planned on Matt Lark Farm



	The 2002 Corn Maze was in the shape of a sunflower. Photo by Stephen A. Deckard

Martin County residents will be treated to some enjoyable fall activities beginning next Monday, Labor Day, as the Matt Lark farm will be hosting hayride tours of the farm, as well as a 10-acre corn maze.

While Matt has built a cabin on the property, a new barn also features living quarters which he utilizes on the weekends with his three sons.

Matt Lark, who practices law on Monument Circle, in Indianapolis, bought some 600 acres of the land formerly owned by the late Tommy Crane, located in Perry township, a few years ago. Lark has been steadily developing the farm, and felt that “something special” was needed to showcase Martin County during the Fall months.

With the assistance of Jeff Lake, who was originally from Alaska, and has lived here for the past 25 years, Matt has been planting sweet corn, pumpkins, Indian corn, and sunflowers on the farm. This year, seven acres were devoted to sweet corn, which he has given away to friends.

Matt decided to do the corn maze and hayride project to promote local tourism, as well as to help out the youth group at Dover Hill Christian Union Church.

After the Catfish Festival each Summer, Martin County has not offered much in the Fall, but Lark intends to change that. He also hopes that some type of Fall Tour will be considered for the county, as was done several years ago.

This Summer, Matt planted a 10-acre field of “field corn,” and then cut a maze in the design of a sunflower with a face. The design was laid out with the help of Mike Kavanaugh, of White River Co-Op, who Lark notes was very helpful in the project.

The land was prepared by Roy Dale Grafton, a neighbor, and Dennis Walton, tenant farmer, did the planting around May 20th. The initial design for the maze was cut in mid-June, when the corn was waist high, using neighbor Steve Harrawood’s John Deere riding lawn mower. This first cut of the maze was done with the guidance of a GPS (global positioning satellite) system.

Jeff Lake was hard at work this past Sunday “trimming up” the maze with a special tractor and tiller owned by Rob Witt. The remaining corn stalks were mulched, with the equipment, in the pathways of the now 10-foot tall maze.

According to Matt, the maze will take about 45 minutes to one hour to complete, and there will be Martin County trivia questions along the route. There will also be volunteers present for anyone needing assistance in making their way through the field.

Matt has used some of the tractors from his Minneapolis-Moline collection to plant pumpkins, sunflowers, and Indian corn on the farm.

Unusual to this area, two acres of cotton will also be maturing in about two to three weeks. Lark notes that the nearest cotton grower is located about 200 miles South of Martin County, Indiana. He grew the cotton to give local children the opportunity to see what cotton looks like, since it is not normally grown in Southern Indiana.

Lark also is proud of the fact that he will have 25,000 to 30,000 pumpkins on the farm this Fall, with most of them coming on in September.

Ten acres of Indian corn planted is expected to produce about 500 bushel this year.

Ten acres of sunflowers should also be ready by the end of September. That crop, according to Matt, has been slowed this year by the lack of rainfall.

The Indian corn and the pumpkins will be available for purchase at the farm, however, some of the pumpkin crop will be donated by Matt to the St. Mary’s Children Center, and Riley Hospital, in Indianapolis.

Cost for the maze and hayride will be $5 per person, with Labor day being opening day. The farm will be available for the maze and hayrides every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, during September and October. Hours will be from 10:00 a.m. until dark, with food and refreshments also available for purchase.

Group reservations for hayrides, on any day, are possible. For information, call Jeff Lake, at 295-9555, and leave a message.

Matt is also planning several evening “lighted” maze events in October.

A separate pumpkin patch is located on another area of the farm, with a 1/2 hour hayride to that location. Pumpkins will be for sale there with everyone picking out their own choice.

Lark also owns another farm near Natchez, just off Highway 150, and notes that plans are in the making for a concert there in the fall of 2003 as a charity benefit.

The farm and maze is only a fifteen minute drive from Shoals, going through Dover Hill. It is also located just minutes from West Boggs Park, on Highway 231, North of Loogootee.

Signs will be posted on both highways for those desiring to try their luck at the corn maze, or those just wanting to see some of the real beauty Martin County has to offer this Fall.

Corn Maze at Lark Ranch is Ideal Southern Indiana Family Entertainment!

Corn Maze and Hayrides Planned on Matt Lark Farm