More information about the U-Pick and Corn Maze at Noggins

Yesterday I helped out in the Farm Market in Greenwich all day.  Near the end of the day, I took a walk up to the corn maze area on the quest to educate myself a bit more about what Noggins does.  Lots of customers have been asking questions about U-Pick and the Corn Maze at the markets, and so I wanted to have some information to share, rather than just directing everyone to call the farm.

Debbie was manning the booth when I arrived.  It was cold and windy on the hill, but as yesterday seemed to be an off day for school in Halifax, she had had a busy day helping guide people to the maze and the million other things there are to do at Noggins.  In addition to the 8-acre Corn Maze, there is a tire structure, spider web, picnic tables, U-pick area, and tons of gorgeous farm sights and sounds.  Near Halloween they open the Haunted House.  I was actually blown away by all there is to see and do.  Above is a photo of Debbie, with some giant gourds that I thought were the coolest thing ever!
 Debbie says she planted every seed in the flower U-pick.  We went for a walk and I saw tons of sunflowers of all shades and sizes.  She says they were planted July 27th so that they would be ready now.  There are regulars who come every week and get a bouquet, and I can see why-- There is a huge range of flowers in the garden, from carnations to lisianthus to amaranth and sunflowers, and of course more things that I couldn't identify!  This is a neat part of the farm that I just learned about yesterday.

 Debbie particularly likes the dark and multi-hued sunflowers.  She exclaimed over a number of them!

2014 Corn Maze at Noggins

Noggins is well-known for their Corn Maze.  I collected some info and a map from Debbie, and listened in while she briefed a family getting ready to enter the maze.  In the maze there are 9 stations, and so there are some objectives to achieve in order to "finish" the maze-- There are folks who come and do it every year and collect the postcards as a trophy.  Last Friday a couple did it in 20 minutes, but generally it takes about an hour to an hour and a half.  There is also a mini-maze for young children, which takes only about half an hour.  Debbie took me into the mini maze so I could get a feel for the corn maze, and it is very disconcerting-- the corn is very tall, and once you're inside it's like entering a different world altogether.  I asked if anyone had ever gotten really lost and Debbie pointed out that you can hear the traffic on the highway if you stop and listen.  I plan to sweet-talk Jon into trying the maze with me sometime this fall, as I never fulfilled that in my childhood-- though I always wanted to!
There is tons more information about the Corn Maze available on the Noggins website, and Adrien recommends visiting the Frequently Asked Questions page if you have any questions.

Juice-- before it is juice

Apple U-Pick: Have gotten lots of questions about that as well.  The Apple U-Pick is open Wednesdays from 1 - 5, and on Saturday and Sunday.  More info about that here: http://nogginsfarm.ca/pick-your-own.php

 I saw Andrew L. emptying bins of apples into a big trailer, and couldn't help but find the piles of apples beautiful.  I asked if I could climb up and take a photo, and so he did one better and lifted me up in a bin on the tractor so I could get the shot.  It looks a bit like a bowl of ingredients-- a couple bins of these, a few bins of those, all ending up as the delicious sweet cider that Noggins is known for! 

Thanks for the lift!

It was great to learn more about the agritourism on Noggins Farm, as I have found the customers at Hammonds Plains, QEII, and Seaport Markets all very interested in coming to the farm to engage with the place their food comes from.  Hope you find a way to come have fun at the farm this fall, whether it's visiting the U-Picks, the Corn Maze, or the Farm Market in Greenwich.  I am now better equipped to answer some of your questions, too!  :)