by Bea Peterson
It rained Friday night and Saturday afternoon but the weather held for the official ribbon cutting ceremony at the Kettle Farms Corn Maze. On hand for the event were Rensselaer County Legislators Lester Goodermote and Stan Brownell, Hoosick Town Supervisor Marilyn Douglas and Hoosick Councilman Kevin O’Malley. NYS Assemblyman Roy McDonald was delayed and didn’t get to visit the Maze until later in the day.
The speakers heaped praise on Tammy Morgan and Charlie Bowers for showing initiative for this energetic project. They were proud to say they had the largest corn maze in the whole northeast, never mind Rensselaer County! All of them hoped the maze and the planned events will draw tourists to this beautiful area.
Tammy got a little emotional when she told the gathering how she and her husband had dreamed of this project for years. She couldn’t believe it was really taking place. A 20 acre corn maze and giant pumpkin patches are a huge endeavor for first time farmers. “We’ve lived here for 15 years,” she said. “We want to be a viable part of this community; we want to be a permanent fixture and continue to give back to the community.” She thanked the community for the support they have given the couple, especially Supervisor Douglas, Lorraine Robichaud, Charlie Filkins, her brother Randy Morgan, her father Leo Morgan and her husband Charlie. “No matter what idea I came up with or what I wanted done, Charlie did it,” she said.
The maze has 7.8 miles of trails. The trails range in length from .5 to 3.2 miles. There are maps to guide visitors through the corn. Saturday, September 13, is Community Day at the Maze. Everyone who brings something for the Food Closet will receive $1 off on a maze ticket. At 5 pm the Hoosick Falls Community Band will perform.