Now that leaves have changed colors and the sweltering temperatures of another North Carolina summer have become more tolerable, many of us continue to enjoy the fall and the traditions the season has to offer.
While some believe that a perfect fall day is spent with a good book and a mug of apple cider, and others feel that visiting a haunted house more fully embodies the spirit of the season, one community mainstay, Gallberry Farm, strives to provide wholesome autumn fun for the whole family.
With a determination to preserve farmland in Cumberland County and to provide entertainment and education activities for children in the area, Gallberry Farm owner Marcus McLean purchased a 12-acre tract of land from his great-grandmother’s estate in Hope Mills and got to work. According to Marcus, the land, which he began purchasing in parcels in 2010, has been in his family since the late 1700s.
With its 11th year coming to a close, Gallberry Farm reflects on its mission and the wide variety of seasonal attractions offered from mid-September through the end of October each year.
“My main objective when I became the owner was to preserve a small family farm setting while offering a delightful, relaxing, healthy, and educational atmosphere for family members of all ages to enjoy!” Marcus wrote in a post on the farm’s website.
Among the activities, like taking a meeting with the farm’s mayor, a rescued donkey named Mr. Hee-Haw, watching as goats cross the famed “Golden Goat Bridge” or rooting for racing pigs at the Nas-Hawg Speedway, one attraction never fails to draw a crowd — the Gallberry Corn Maze.
Six acres in total, the maze offers both a one-acre kids course, complete with a storybook theme, and a five-acre main course, ensuring that even the most talented puzzle-solvers can get turned around.
This year’s design featured Mayor Hee-Haw and a baby alpaca, the newest edition to Gallberry’s animal family.
“Gallberry Corn Maze provides a unique way to show the public one of the many positive aspects of farm life through fun and entertainment!” Marcus wrote.
At its massive scale, the maze takes months of preparation on its own, not counting the day-to-day duties of the farm’s operation overall. From taking soil samples prior to the early July planting spree, submitting maze design plans, and preparing for scores of school field trips and weekend visitors, running the farm is a year-round job.
“It’s been a great experience,” Marcus told CityView. He emphasized that welcoming school field trips and seeing the kids smile has been a highlight of the farm’s autumn operations. “Having the kids come out has been a really rewarding part.”
Jeanette McLean, Marcus’ mother, told CityView that for the community, the farm is a labor of love.
“The farm gives people a chance to disconnect from everything and have fun,” Jeanette said.
The McLean family works year-round, feeding animals, maintaining land, and fielding calls from overly eager developers vying for the land, in an effort to protect their farmland and share the experience of farm life. Through hard work, and with unbendable values of education and preservation, Gallberry Farm’s mission undoubtedly makes Cumberland County a richer place for the community.
No matter how you envision your ideal fall day, whether it’s with a good book or your favorite spooky movie, there has never been a better time to lock your phone, get lost in a corn maze, take a hayride with your family, and maybe watch some pigs race.
Read CityView magazine’s “Giving” November 2024 e-edition here.
