Fun farm gives kids a taste of rural life

Those who grew up on the farm often regret that their children don’t have what they had — a knowledge of plants and animals, a sense of freedom, and most of all, lots of fun.

Matt and Jessica Norton, who farm near Greenwood, are realizing their dream of bringing rural life to city kids with Fiddlesticks Farms, where kids can shuck corn, go on a hayride and see pumpkins on the vine.

“Lots of kids have never been outside the city, have never felt the wind and the dust blowing the way it does out here,” Matt says. “They’ve never seen goats — yes, those are goats, kids, not dogs. Fiddlesticks Farms lets people get back to their roots, come back to the farm.”

In operation from the last Saturday of September through the last Saturday of November, Fiddlesticks Farms opened in September 2008.

“We have plenty of new attractions this year,” Jessica says. “There are lots of surprises, good reasons for those who came last year to come see us again.”

Among the new attractions are a huge bouncer and a gemstone mining sluice. Kids who pan for gold will be rewarded with pretty colored rocks and fool’s gold, plus occasional arrowheads and fossils.

Fiddlesticks Farms is rapidly becoming famous for its cornfield maze. Kids can wander through the cornfield, following signposts that let them answer a question to point them in the right direction. “Corn Cops” are also available to help whenever they’re needed. This year’s maze is in the shape of a belt buckle. The theme is “A Tribute to Rodeo: How the West Was Fun.”

Other attractions are a steep potato sack slide and a mechanical horse that lets you try your calf-roping skills.

You can buy authentic kettle corn and old-fashioned chuck wagon sodas, including sarsaparilla, and souvenirs at the concession stand. Indoor restrooms have replaced last year’s porta-pottis.

Starting and running Fiddlesticks Farms has been a lot of work, but reactions from the children make it all worthwhile.

“The kids are amazed by what they see,” Jessica says. “For them, Fiddlesticks Farms is a big fantasy world.’

“Our hayride driver says for him the great moment is when he drives through the field and the kids see the pumpkins,” Matt says. “They’re saying, wow, cool, and I want that one, I want that one. For him, that’s what makes it all worthwhile.”

“Every school field trip kid leaves with a pumpkin,” Jessica adds.

Fiddlesticks Farms is located at 5610 East County Road 120 near Midland. For directions, ticket information, hours of operation and events, call 432-687-MAZE or visit their website at www.fiddlesticksfarms.com.