05/22/2026
**Friday Fall Fun Fact:** Technology has come a long way since 2001!
Back then, our maze designs were first drawn by hand on graph paper and sent to our local co-op, which already had the field coordinates on file for crop planning. The co-op would overlay the design onto a digital map of the field and use a GPS system to walk the pattern out in the cornfield.
As they walked the design, our dad followed behind on a lawnmower, literally cutting the maze design into the field. There were no drones or instant previews — it was truly a one-shot process that took all day! We never knew exactly how the maze design turned out until we received an aerial photo from a local pilot.
For our mom’s 40th birthday, dad surprised her with a special message cut in cornfield! She found out when a family friend shared a picture of the maze in a magazine they had received. The magazine caption read, “We don’t know who or what Bethann is, but happy 40th birthday!” 😂
