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From the Fields to the Table!

Thursday, August 11th, 2011

Lunch time!

Lunch time for everyone! Hey everyone it’s Cara, I could have just made something out of the freezer but why do that when we have fresh produce from grandpa right out the back door!
So how did I do it? Well, the sweet corn was cooked in the oven! Yup, throw it in there husk and all! At about 350, let it cook for 35 to 40 minutes. It is the BEST and ONLY way to cook your sweet corn. However, be careful when it comes out, it’s going to be much hotter than you think, but the little silks come right off!
The potatoes were very easy as well, just cut them up! And then I threw in some shallots, green peppers, and yellow summer squash, then I added some olive oil, garlic powder, salt, and pepper! Just let them cook untill they’re nice and brown.
It’s such a simple meal! And it’s made with all the fresh produce that Grandpa grows! Try it and enjoy!

Tags: Buy Local, Corn Maze, Family Farm, Farm Market, Homegrown, Homegrown Produce, Local Produce, Ohio Wines, Sustainable Agriculture.
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Time as a family!!

Tuesday, July 26th, 2011

Post by Cara Bakan (Daughter #1!)

At the Bahahamas!!

Although my mom and dad work a lot, and we somthimes don’t get to spend as much time as a family that we’d like. We took a really big vacation this spring, and we got to go on the brand new disney dream! As a kid I have been to disney 4 times, many of which when I was little.

Top deck at night

I wasn’t sure how the cruise ship was going to be, or if I was going to like the vacation. But I did discover, that the magic of Disney is still there for me! It really made our vacation truly, magical. And yes, even at almost 18 years old, I STILL have fun with my mom and dad. I know that everything that they do is for us!

A "Angle" 4 Brett!

Posted in Family Time, Fun, Fun with Wine, More Fun, Personal note | No Comments »

#Pumpkin Chunkin Blog Post 4, My trip to the World Championship Pumpkin Chunk, The People! #Agritourism,#Farm,#Ag,

Tuesday, January 5th, 2010

I think people are best summed up with pictures rather than words. I hear they had an estimated attendance of about 70,000 of them so you are bound to get some great shots!

The Chunkin for the Cure Cannon

I even snuck a quick ride in over the the Atlantic Shore

Cammo coat and a wedding dress!

Check out the Porta-Jon in the back of the pickup truck!

When you run out of Horse shoes

I just have a "wanna be beard"! I'm on the right....

I just have a “wanna beee” beard! I’m the one on the right!

Move over “Corn Hole”, when in Rome…

Awesome

Improvised field games

Take corn cobs, black electricians tape, beer bottles, add corn field and friends!

Finally a good use for a Harley!

I had a Daiquiri for Breakfast and $$’s went to St. Judes!!

Above are just a few of the shots that made people watching at this event as much fun as watching the pumpkins fly!

The following video is way too long, sorry. Just drag and drop to the last 30 seconds or so to see the shot.

Tags: Agri-tourism, Buy Local, Family Farm, Farm Market, Ohio Winery, Ohio Wines, Pumpkin Chunkin
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#Pumpkin Chunk, Blog post 3 of my trip to the World Championship Pumpkin Chunk, The Machines! #Agritourism, #farm

Saturday, January 2nd, 2010

Really BIG Iron!

Yea

Multi tank and stage cannons

What else can you say?

Big Air Cannons

You can visit their link I have with the pics above to get the history to how all this got started but as you can see it has just gotten way out of control. Just as it should, I hear there are some machines here that have around $400,000.00 invested in them. That was just the word on the street, uh er chunkin line, I can’t say for sure.

My little air cannon (pictured below) has about a 20 foot 8 inch diameter barrel. It was a grain leg drop tube used for filling bins back in the day when we were a grain storage facility. The tank I found at a propane supplier that was surplus material, and so goes much of the rest of the parts. I have a range of about 2500 feet, these big guys much more with a bigger pumpkin too!

Marlboro Madness Maize Valley Pumpkin Cannon

Low buck, safe, make a profit was my motivation these guys take it too a whole other level. I think Tim Allen would be proud! Again you can go to the Science Channels website or You Tube to see more but I will put a video clip here that I took at the event. It is sort of long and the shot takes place towards the end (1:45) as when you are filming them you never quite know when it is going to go off.

Next post, “The People” at the Chunk!

Tags: Agri-tourism, Family Farm, Farm Market, Ohio Winery, Ohio Wines, Pumpkin Chunkin, Pumpkins
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#PumpkinChunkin, Blog post 2, of my trip to the World Championship Pumpkin Chunk, #Agritourism,#farm

Wednesday, December 30th, 2009

Hanging out by their sound stage

Well this is post #2 of my journey to the Pumpkin Chunkin World Championships near Bridgeville DE. I am making several posts to show a spectators view of the chunk. I went as both a spectator and someone who built and owns a air cannon.

We have had ours for 5 seasons now and I am looking at expanding our fall events. One possible option is to create a chunk of our own on a smaller scale.

One thing about this event that struck me immediately is the sheer scale. It is just plain HUGE! From the Highway dept. signs you see coming in from miles away, the huge parking area and number of people working it, the walk to the grounds, big, just way big.

My first impression was that this event has a feel to me of a combination of events I am familiar with. If you are a Buckeye like me consider this. Combine the Farm Science Review, Hinneygate/Tailgate party, with a trip to the pumpkin patch and you begin to understand what I was walking into.

Tags: Agri-tourism, Family Farm, Farm Market, Ohio Winery, Ohio Wines, Pumpkin Chunkin
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#PumpkinChunkin?, Yea out “Researching” new Ideas for Maize Valley! #Agritourism,#Farm,

Tuesday, December 29th, 2009

The Big Guns on the firing line

I have sooooo much to tell about this event I rode out to see that I can’t squeeze it into just one blog entry! I would try, but my man Corey over at The Karcher Group (TKG) who helps with all my web stuff says “take it easy, post less content per entry but do it more often if you have a lot to say”.

That being said I am going to roll this story out in stages. Here is the approach and long view of the grounds, (over 200 acres plus parking) then we will get to more details later. You can also go to the Science Channel Web site to learn more too.

As many of you know we have been throwin pumpkins at our place for a number of years now. The main reason I went to the “Mother of all Chunks” is to see how a event like this works, feels, and rolls.

My wife Chelle and I are going through a battle with breast cancer and I thought to start a similar event at Maize Valley on a smaller scale just might be a great way to raise funds, awareness and have fun doing so.

A special thanks goes out to John Huber president of the Pumpkin Chunkin association for helping me learn more about this great event.

Tags: Agri-tourism, Buy Local, Farm Market, Ohio Winery, Ohio Wines, Pumpkin Chunkin
Posted in Fun | 2 Comments »

“Going Green”, Agri-Tourism, Wagon rides, Corn Mazes and so much more.

Friday, May 22nd, 2009

Stairway to Corn Maze Heaven

Fresh Paint makes everything look good!

At Maize Valley We Make Great Wine…FUN!!! At least we try! We are a muscular destination for food, fun and friends. Part of that involves our harvest season activities. This year we celebrate our 10th annual corn maze adventure. The preparation for that starts now.

This year we have moved our stair steps back into the maze itself and gave them a fresh coat of paint too. Another new addition this year is we have hired the folks over at Maze Quest to help us upgrade our corn maze experience with new games, activities and a whole new interactive text message game too! Stay tuned for more updates. Here are a few videos below for you to see how to “Go Green”

Wagon Rides, Pumpkins and so much more Make Maize Valley THE Place To BE!!! Where else can you sip a class of award winning wine, watch a pig race, see a pumpkin fly and who knows what else??!!

Come on out a build some memories to last a lifetime and see how at Maize Valley, We Make Great Wine…FUN!!!

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Tags: Agri-tourism, Corn Maze, Farm Market, Ohio Winery, Ohio Wines
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Last Sunday’s Fun

Tuesday, April 28th, 2009

One Awesome Bike!!

[caption id="attachment_157" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Bikes always gather here"]

[/caption]Just had to give a shout out about the way cool, good time I had on the bike last weekend. Only put on about 300 miles but still hit some real nice twisty turns down around Leesville and the Atwood lake region too.

Posted in Fun, More Fun, Personal note | No Comments »

Animal Rescue of sorts

Friday, April 24th, 2009

Pork Chop enjoying breakfast

[caption id="attachment_105" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Chip Chop and Pork Chop getting Breakfast"]

[/caption]You may have seen our lovely pigs on the website, There names are Chip Chop and Pork Chop. They came to us as sort of a “rescue of sorts”. Last summer a gentleman over the hill had a bit of trouble with the law. As a result he got to spend some time away from home. When he left on his “unscheduled vacation” the group of animals he had at home got left behind. Some of the people who came to help involved in “animal wellfare” found value in the chickens and other marketable and useful animals but these two pigs did not get any love and were just let go.

Well they lived right next to the vegtable fields of the “Hartville Swamps” and being summer they had quite the selection to chose from but the local produers did not like it so much, so they got ran off. I got a phone call late one Sunday night wanting to know if I wanted A pig. After twisting my arm I agreed and loe and behold one turned into two upon arrival and the rest is history.

These guys are so ugly they are cute and have found a home at Maize Valley’s Petting Pasture. The pics here show my wife Michelle giving them breakfast. They prefere white bread over wheat, and saved the Blue berry pie for desert.

Todd and Jessie were out in the vineyards yesterday tieing and pruning hope to have more about that later.

I gotta go get something done today! Awesome weather and I hope to get enough done so I can go out and ride the VStrom some this weekend.

Posted in Fun, More Fun, Things to see at Maize Valley | No Comments »

Gotta Have Fun TWO!

Saturday, April 18th, 2009

2007 Suzuki DL 1000 VStrom

Two years ago now our family lost our wonderful Sister, my brother Tim’s wife, Mary Ellen Bakan to breast cancer. Among other things Mary Ellen was our “pumpkin lady” in the fall. Always making sure everybody paid for their pumpkins just in case they “forgot” when they were leaving the field. She was a wonderful school teacher and very sweet lady.

Years before I sold my motorcycles when we had kids. But with Mary Ellen leaving our lives so early I decided I did not know what was around the next corner. So in 2007 I bought a brand spankin new Suzuki DL 1000 VStrom!

Yea we work a lot here on our farm, market and winery but I try and always remember to have some fun two. The reason I say “two” the VStrom is one of the baddest, most kick but TWO cylinder bikes on the road. Or in this bike case off road too as it can carve the “twisties”, climb the gravel roads, then hit the pavement and run up towards 140mph!

I feel the Need, the Need for speed.

Posted in Fun, Personal note | No Comments »

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