When Don Watts cut in his first corn maze at Shady Brook Farm in Yardley, in 1992, he had no idea that it would become his life’s vocation.
Trained as a graphic designer, Don grew The Corn Maze Guy into a business that now develops more than 120 small and medium-sized corn mazes in 22 states. Now, after three decades, Don is preparing to transition business operations to his daughter, Sarah Watts, a mechanical engineer and long-time contributor to the family business.
“It’s been a surprising and rewarding career that always leads people to ask followup questions when I tell them what I do for a living,” said Don.
While the corn mazes Don designs are all unique, they typically range in size from 2 acres up to 14 acres. An average corn maze that is 5 to 7 acres in size typically provides patrons with roughly 45 minutes of navigation.
In addition to Shady Brook Farm, Don and Sarah are the creators behind a number of Pennsylvania and New Jersey-based mazes, including Hellerick Family Farm and Delaware Valley University in Doylestown, Broyan Farms in Nescopeck, Coombs Barnyard in Elmer, N.J., and Donaldson Farms in Hackettstown, N.J.
Don acknowledges that technology has helped to modernize the business and enhance efficiency. During the first 12 years in operation, Don used graph paper, a grid system and spray paint, which Sarah was tasked with lugging around as a kid, to create his outdoor designs. In 2005, he began deploying GPS with an integrated agricultural software system that he further modified to suit his design needs. Now, precision planting technology allows farmers to strategically sow their fields to match the design of a future maze.
A typical maze previously took all day to complete, but with the advancements in technology, Don and Sarah can complete up to three mazes in one day.
Don noted that it’s not just the equipment that has evolved over the years: “Once we established an online presence, The Corn Maze Guy really flourished. Today, all of our marketing is done via Facebook and Instagram, and it’s really what has allowed us to attract clients in other states. Leveraging the free marketing potential of social media is thankfully one of the things that Sarah is extremely proficient at doing.”
In addition to managing all marketing aspects of the business, Sarah now takes responsibility for cutting in the majority of mazes on her zero-turn mower. While Don may no longer be the individual cutting in all of those corn mazes, he still intends to be involved in the business upon retirement.
Don now primarily handles logistics, opting to drive Sarah and their equipment across country for out-of-state clients so Sarah is rested and ready to get to work upon arrival.
“On those long drives, we often discuss whether we may need to rename the business The Corn Maze Girl,” joked Sarah.
Join our readers whose generous donations are making it possible for you to read our news coverage. Help keep local journalism alive and our community strong. Donate today.
