By SHERRI SMITH BROWN

You’ll find pumpkins of all sizes at pumpkin patches and corn mazes during the fall months. Most are operated by local farm families, who want to share the farm experience as well as a little farm fun with others.

When the leaves take on autumn hues, the air is a little crisper and pumpkins litter farm fields like orange confetti, it’s definitely time for a trip to a pumpkin patch. Pumpkin patches have seriously come into their own since my older children were young. In fact, I’m not sure where you went to visit one back then, but there sure weren’t any advertised in my vicinity. Not so now. Pumpkin patches and corn mazes are all the rage in the fall.

To run a farm these days, it takes a lot of hard work (sweat), patience, love and faith in the weather. You’ll find that a number of farm families want to share their farm experiences and their knowledge about animals and plants and let visitors, especially youngsters, have a good time doing it. Each September and October when the pumpkins are ripe on the vines, many farms open their gates, so to speak, to schoolchildren during the week and the public on the weekends. I’ve taken Brianna to Uncle Bob’s Pumpkin Patch in Coweta County a couple of times and to Ison’s Farm in Fayette County with a preschool group, but there are numerous ones around the state. (more…)

By SHERRI SMITH BROWN

Georgia

The corn is as high as an elephant’s eye so it must be fall and time for corn mazes and pumpkin patches at Georgia farms.

Corn mazes and pumpkin patches are a sure sign that Fall is on its way. You will find farmers all across Georgia harvesting pumpkins and cutting their intricately designed corn mazes – everything from psychedelic circles to spooky Halloween scenes. Besides twisting and turning your way through a corn maze, at many farms, you also will find other activities, including petting farms, hay rides and bonfires.

Listed below are some farms across the state where you will definitely find some fall fun for the entire family.

Cagle’s Dairy – Wonder through the maze, choose your own pumpkin, and enjoy a hayride and bonfire at this dairy farm in Canton.

Colonel Cob’s Corn Maze – This 7-acre cornfield in Oxford has 2.5 miles of fun paths and agricultural facts to direct you through the maze, pumpkins and more.

Connell Farms – They say it takes 35 minutes to over an hour to find your way through this corn maze of psychedelic circles in Hollonville. There are hayrides, food and drinks, too.

Joe’s Rows Corn Maze – There is a corn maze, hayrides, and a petting zoo at this farm in Sautee in the North Georgia Mountains.

Little River Farms Country Inn and Petting Farm – Try you luck in the Haunted Corn Maze. You will also find hayrides, a petting farm, and nature trails at this Resaca farm. (more…)