Fall is finally here and many at the University are basking in the joy of the changing leaves or about to partake in the Halloween festivities.

Rodney Miller, assistant to the dean of the College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, and his family run the Athens Corn Maze, a business they say has done well for its first year. SEAN TAYLOR/Staff

The Athens Corn Maze is one of two owned by Rodney and Kendra Miller. The Millers have both grown up on farms and own a 1,500 acre row-crop operation in Illinois. Their second maze is located in Buford and attracts several thousand visitors a year.

This is the first year for the Athens Corn Maze, which opened Sept. 30. Last Saturday, the maze received 460 visitors.

“I think we’ve done pretty good for our first year,” Kendra said. “I hope we develop it a little more for next year.”

Rodney works as assistant to the dean of the College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences. When he is not working at the University, he plants the corn and cuts out the maze while Kendra manages the day-to-day operations.

‘It’s really different to grow corn here in Georgia because we had to grow it light during the Fourth of July and make it stay green during the fall,” Rodney said. “The crop did pretty well, but it still was difficult for us to maintain because we had to plant and irrigate at the same time.”

Since the corn maze was planted later, the crop has not had time to grow the full eight feet that complements the corn maze experience. Yet, at five feet tall, the maze is tall enough to have lost patrons.

“Some have gotten lost,” Rodney said. “We have a tower and we keep an eye on them and try to help them if we can.”

Upon entering the maze, patrons are welcomed to a 10-minute hayride around the 25 acre lot, which over looks a petting zoo of 26 animals, a wooded area and the Millers’ house.

The maze is five acres of grain corn, which is generally used as animal feed and ethanol when it’s not utilized as a tourist attraction. The pumpkins lined up along the maze, $5 refreshments and the pony rides complete the family friendly environment the Millers’ want to promote.

“The agricultural tourism with corn mazes is new, but I really love it,” Rodney said. “I think it’s because we have a great family experience. I love agritourism and I love giving a good family experience.”

A farming family

Rodney Miller has been a farmer his whole life. Raised on a farm by his parents, Rodney has made a career out of farming and agritourism. He was the chief executive officer of Montana Tractors for three years in Arkansas before becoming CEO of McCormick Tractors in Buford.

Kendra, raised on an 88 acre farm, is the daughter of a coal miner who instilled in her the importance of work ethic at a young age — a quality she wanted for her kids as well.

“I always wanted to raise my kids on a farm,” she said. “I wanted them to have good work ethic and this was the best way to do it.”

Rodney and Kendra’s three kids — Ried, Lindsey and Mallory — all help out with the maze. Ried and Lindsey live in south Georgia and drive upon weekends to help out.

The Millers also utilize students from the College of Agriculture and Environmental Science and Athens residents to help with the maze. One helper, Caleb, drives the tractor for the hayrides along with his dad, Jerry, and tells riders stories that happen on the maze, such as the time Ham, one of the pigs, ran loose.

“It took us almost an hour and a half to get Ham because he was so fast and outran all of us,” Caleb told the riders.

The jovial environment of the maze  attracts many patrons such as Nicole Duffy, who brought her friends along for the ride.

“I’ve been going to these for a while since I was 16,” said the junior environmental economics and management major from Alpharetta. “I didn’t want to miss out so I brought them along.”

The inviting, carefree atmosphere visitors see at the maze is only the surface. Maintaining the lot, planting the crop and caring for the animals all help to make the maze all the more welcoming.

As co-manager of the farm, Kendra wakes up at 7:30 a.m. to feed the animals, which include four pigs named Eunice, Ham, Naomi and Rosie; three ponies, one the Millers own named Ruth; and a horse named Jason, which was purchased from the University.

After she feeds the animals, Kendra makes sure the farm is clean, picking up any trash and emptying out animal cages.

Kendra also makes sure she plans out the employees’ schedules for the week and ensure that organizations scheduled to visit the maze are on the calendar and things are in lace for their visit.

This past weekend, UGA Heroes and UGA Relay for Life visited the maze as a part of their percentage nights. For every person that pays the $10 admission, the Millers donate $3 of the cost to the organizations philanthropy.

Once things are planned, Kendra prepares for the visits to the maze, often visiting the Buford Corn Maze in between, which welcomed more than 1,000 visitors last Saturday. Some days, Kendra’s schedule is more hectic, often resulting in late nights and early mornings. The process only lasts a month before Rodney comes in to harvest the crop and prepare for next season’s crop and corn maze visitors.

Harvesting a future

The Millers have only been in Athens for nearly a year, but already they want to cultivate an appreciation of farming life within the community. Kendra wants visitors to come back for the fun and for the helpfulness of the maze’s employees.

“We want people to come up to us and say the people who work for us are so nice,” she said. “We make sure the staff is involved. People love that. They feel special if you give attention to them.”

The Athens Corn Maze differs from the Buford Corn Maze in experience, Kendra said. The emphasis on farming and agriculture educates visitors on about farm life, giving visitors a new found respect for it.

Though the Millers enjoy the distinction, they hope to add a haunted forest to the Athens Corn Maze, similar to the haunted in Buford, which attracts long lines.

The maze is only in its first year, but the Millers said it has done well for it to only be open for a month.

“Since it’s the first year, the profits will be minute, but we’re trying to get it established,” Rodney said.

Next year, The Millers hope to have extended hours for the maze, which closes October 31.