A&H Farm welcomed the cool weather and changing leaves with the opening of its annual Fall Festival on Sept. 26. But this year, one activity carries a special weight — the farm was one of 20 in the United States selected to host a Dolly Parton-themed corn maze.
Andrea DeJesus, owner of A&H Farm, said the process began in spring and the farm worked closely with Parton’s team throughout the year.
“I was super excited,” DeJesus said. “We had a commercial she recorded for us, and it was just an honor to be selected.”
The day after DeJesus learned of Parton’s passing, she received a package in the mail containing supplies for the maze.
“I opened the box and just started crying,” she said. “She meant so much to me growing up, and she’s touched so many people in so many ways.”
Parton built a legacy of giving back to her community through philanthropic endeavors like her Imagination Library, which has donated millions of free books to children around the world. Likewise, DeJesus said A&H Farm gives back to the Manhattan community by supporting food access organizations including Flint Hills Breadbasket, Farmers Feeding Families, Common Table and more.
The local community is a fundamental supporter of A&H Farm. DeJesus said that before the farm switched to an agritourism business model, they struggled to make payments. But in 2010, she decided to open the farm to the public for their first Fall Festival, and since then it has grown into a yearly fall tradition.
“When we had our first one, I would say we had less than 500 people out, and now we’ll have that many in one day,” DeJesus said.
The Fall Festival is just one of many events A&H Farm hosts every year. In addition to the Dolly Parton corn maze, the farm will have a pumpkin patch, games and Kansas’ largest petting zoo open for the public to explore.
Lily Roy, junior in psychology, traveled to A&H Farm with her family on opening weekend.
“I have a cow back at home, and I love all things nature,” Roy said. “My whole family is visiting, and this is such a fun place to get together and hang out.”
A&H Farm thrives on community engagement, something Anna Lemmon, admissions manager of the farm, said she especially enjoys about her job.
“Manhattan is a farming community, even though we have a lot of people who do not come from a farming background,” Lemmon said. “So it’s a fun way to interact with people, show them farm animals and plants and be able to answer their questions.”
One of the farm’s priorities is raising agricultural awareness by educating visitors about where the food on their table comes from.
“We are an agritourism farm, but we’re also a fully functioning farm on top of that,” Lemmon said. “We have our own cattle herd, and all the fruit you see in the store, we grow 90% of it here on the farm.”
By educating customers and supporting local organizations, A&H Farm is bridging the gap between farmers and their community.
“With small businesses, it’s the community that supports us,” DeJesus said. “I love being able to give back to all the customers that come here.”
