OxfordPress.com

By Lindsey Hilty

Staff Writer

Visitors from miles away will now know what a Thunderhawk is, thanks to the owners of the Niederman Family Farm.

Since 2002, the family has hosted a corn maze with a new theme each year.

Bethann and Bob Niederman, who have two children in the Lakota East Marching Band, said helping the students with their trip to Hawaii was the main goal of this year's maze design.

"They're great kids," Bethann Niederman said. "They work so hard and we're just really excited to support them."

From above, the maze of corn forms a message to the band, which is heading to Hawaii later this fall to play at Pearl Harbor and in the Waikiki Holiday Parade. Visitors start in a section of the maze that spells out, "Hang Loose," and they have the opportunity to explore a Thunderhawk, the Lakota East mascot. "You can really picture it once you get into it," said East junior Dan Bray. "You can tell when you're in the writing, because there's a lot of loops." East freshman Michael Dudley said his planned route fell apart in the giant puzzle when he walked through during a Sept. 3 fundraiser for the band. "I've already gotten lost," he said. "It felt like I was exploring something." The design was mapped out by a global positioning system. Corn was planted twice in a criss-cross fashion to ensure more difficulty in navigating the 229-acre maze.

Bethann Niederman said it's a fulltime job for the family to manage the farm and all its tourist attractions.

Volunteer "Corn Cops" monitor the paths in case someone gets lost or needs help, she said. Her five children and in-laws assist with concessions and ticket-taking. The busiest time of the year is in October when people come out for hay rides and pumpkin patch visits.

"People get nostalgic in the fall and they want to connect with simple things like the harvest," she said.

Contact this reporter at (513) 755-5067 or lhilty@coxohio.com.