U can call me Frank!

Ok so if you havn’t seen the movie “Cars” you may not know who the i’ll tempered Combine “Frank” is that chases Lightning and Mater across the field protecting his flock of tractors from the “Tractor Tipping Duo”!

My father in law requested the tailings fan

Now I guess I just “think” different than other people??

My Son Brett lending a helping hand

Ya see some of the doctors say Brett is mildly “Autistic”. My “therapy” for him is to immerse him in hands on experiences that teach him to think and use all his senses to forge new pathways and live a full life. Farmer Bill’s take on a condition.

Parts and pieces parts

We will save all this stuff and haul it to the scrap yard this winter.

Looks like a Future ball pit if ya axe me!

Slide, slide, everywhere a slide blockin' out the.....

My wife is a "Survivor" more than I can say 4 this van!

Pink Van 4 Susan G. Komen 3 Day for the cure

Marlboro Madness getting ready 4 work

Straw Crawl "Pre-Season"!

Straw crawl "Post Season"!

It was a long and wonderful fall harvest season here at Maize Valley! BEST one EVER! Thank you to all of those of you who came out and enjoyed one of the best weather fall periods we have ever experienced. It all started on Sept. 18th with the balloon lift off and wrapped up with Oct. 31st finding our crew still hard at work in the Carnage in the Corn Haunted Corn maze which was way too much fun!

Great weather came together with great effort to make this season a rewarding time for all of us. The grapes had their best harvest ever with all the heat from the summer and a late frost letting them store up extra energy for the coming winter after we were finished picking.

The half marathon was a huge success, a new greenhouse is going up at the main farm and the vintner dinners keep selling out. We are looking forward to a great Thanksgiving and Christmas season and then we will start pouring the coal to next year’s slate of special events.

All this is only possible with great staff, great neighbors and wonderful guests each and every day. Thank you all and look for Maize Valley to “Bring it” even harder in 2011. At Maize Valley We Make Great Wine…FUN!

NASHOG Pig races

Megasaurus Corn Maze Adventure

Red lens decoder station helps you navigate

More than just a walk in a corn field

We think Maize Valley farm market and winery is Northeast Ohio’s most complete fall harvest destination. From Cabernet to Corn Mazes, from Haunted Scares to Syrah we have you covered. Years ago when we started corn mazes and pumpkin picking were about it. Now while they are still what you might call the “fulcrum” to our fall “lever” they are just one part of the Maize Valley experience. We have added NASHOG Pig Races, Duck races, an expanded play area, a haunted corn maze and woods walk, plus our awesome pumpkin cannon and more.

Factor in all the great food we produce on site, and even award winning wines if you so choose to enjoy with the rest of the experience while at Maize Valley, you can easily spend four to six hours with us on a sun drenched autumn afternoon. I guess we are a winery with ADHD and maybe more!

At Maize Valley we strive to deliver and experience packed full of value for the individual, family or group. Coming this fall for 2010, on September 18th the corn maze opens with a great big ole’ faarrrrr (fire), followed on the 25th by a balloon lift off. On October 1st our way fun haunted Carnage in the corn opens then on October 9th Megasaurus the fire breathing car crushing metal monster comes to Maize Valley to make it’s version of pumpkin pie! Add in campfires, and all the fall fun that build memories that last a lifetime.

The Chunkin for the Cure Cannon

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

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 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.

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!

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.

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.