What began as a classroom lesson in reading township and range maps has grown into a corn maze that Chase County agriculture students will share with the community on Halloween.
The Chase County FFA invites families and community members to enjoy “The A-Maize-Ing Corn Maze” Saturday, Oct. 31, from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Peterson Ag Barn, north of the football field. Visitors can explore the student-created maze while enjoying hot dogs and refreshments.
The project began last spring when Intro to Agriculture students studied the township and range grid system used to identify land boundaries. To put those lessons into practice, students worked with a one-acre plot of corn planted by Trenton Heathman for the school’s agriculture program.
Students placed rebar stakes at 20foot intervals along all four sides of the plot, then connected them with string to create a grid of 20-foot squares. The east-west stakes were labeled alphabetically, while the north-south stakes were numbered, allowing students to identify specific sections of the field.
Using an online maze generator, students voted on their favorite design. The selected maze was transferred to paper maps, and students were assigned specific grid sections in which to cut pathways through the six-inch-tall corn.
Once the pathways were completed, the stakes and string were removed, leaving the corn to grow throughout the summer.
This year’s Intro to Ag students are now preparing the maze for the Halloween event. The hands-on learning experience will continue next spring when the current students design and create a new maze, applying the same mapping and land-measurement skills.
The Chase County FFA encourages residents of all ages to come out Halloween evening, bring their families and friends, and enjoy a walk through the corn maze. The event offers an opportunity to celebrate the season while supporting local students and seeing firsthand how a classroom lesson became a community attraction.