LIVE: Salisbury Farm Corn Maze Raises Money for Hemophilia Association
LIVE: Salisbury Farm Corn Maze Raises Money for Hemophilia Association
Wayne Salisbury, one of the owners of the farm, said that each year, the farm chooses an organization to feature with the maze.
"We design the maze with the organization in mind, so this year we have the logo of the association incorporated into the maze," Salsbury said on GoLocal LIVE.
Hemophilia is a bleeding disorder the prevents proper blood clotting, leading to extremely heavy bleeding from injuries, surgeries, or during menstruation. Treatment for hemophilia and other bleeding conditions is extremely expensive, costing an average of $250,000 per person, according to NEHA. Over the last five years, the organization has donated more than $40,000 to families in New England.
While the disease is relatively rare, NEHA estimates that 100 Rhode Islanders currently live with hemophilia, and an additional 10,000 suffer from other bleeding disorders.
To make the corn maze design, Salisbury and his two sons begin by planting the five-acre field thickly with corn, creating a grid. From there, the maze design is drawn on gridded paper and plotted out with flags when the corn has not yet grown very high.
"You have to make sure you plot it out early enough, or you'll have no idea where you are when it comes to placing the flags. Getting lost in a corn maze is fun, but getting lost while you're making the maze: not so much," Salisbury said. "Some farms use GPS technology to plot out and cut the designs, but do go the old-fashioned way."
After the design has been marked, the corn is cut in the design and continues to grow until it is tall enough.
"I'm very lucky in my case because one son is an engineer and the other is a pilot," Salisbury added. "The first can map out the designs really well and the other can take the aerial photos."
The corn maze opened to the public on September 1, and the farm is hosting a grand opening event on Saturday, September 8 starting at 11 a.m. The event will feature NEHA members who will help educate the public about bleeding disorders. Admission to the maze varies but is usually around $10 per person.
"I hope we have a good crowd since it benefits both of us. It helps raise money and awareness for the organization and helps us support the farm as well. I hope that at the end of the season we'll be able to make a large donation," Salisbury said.
The maze will be open to the public through November 4, since Halloween falls in the middle of the week. At the end of the season, the corn is mowed and distributed to other farms in the area, who use it as feed for livestock.
"Nothing is wasted," Salisbury said. "What isn't used as feed is left in the field and serves as fertilizer and mulch for the next year."
More information on the event and bleeding disorders is available on Salisbury Farm's and NEHA's websites.