Community Highlights: Meet The Rausch Family of The MAiZE at Little Darby Creek & The Barn at The MAiZE

Today we’d like to introduce you to The Rausch Family.

Hi The Rausch Family, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Randy was raised on a dairy farm and has spent his life in agriculture. In 1990, we purchased the family farm and dairy herd from his parents and continued operating the dairy. Over time, however, we recognized the need to diversify in order to create additional, sustainable revenue for the farm.

In 2002, we launched our corn maze and fall agritourism operation, which quickly gained popularity. As the business grew, it became increasingly difficult for our small labor force to manage both the dairy and the expanding agritourism venture. At the same time, we faced challenges finding a full-time herdsman, and it became clear that our children were not planning to continue the dairy operation in the future.

Given the strong growth potential of the corn maze and agritourism side of the business, we made the decision to sell the dairy herd in February 2005. That same year, we further diversified by adding a five-acre you-pick raspberry patch, allowing us to continue growing the farm in new and sustainable ways.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
As we approach our 25th season of operation, we’ve certainly faced our share of challenges. One of the biggest is our reliance on weather, as we are an extremely weather-dependent business—both in terms of public attendance and crop production. Over the past two summers, we’ve experienced significant drought conditions that required us to take extra measures to sustain our operation. For example, we ran hoses from the front of the property to the back to irrigate our 1.5-acre flower patch, carefully setting timers and moving sprinklers every 30 to 45 minutes in order to preserve the crop for our season.

Additionally, mid-October is our busiest and most critical time of year. If we experience poor weather during those peak weekends, it can have a substantial impact on the success of our entire season.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
We are a fall agritourism destination located approximately 30 miles west of Columbus. In addition to our fall season, we host weddings and special events in our barn from May through Labor Day. This year, we are entering our 25th season of fall agritourism and our fifth year of weddings and special events.

We are best known for our intricate and large-scale corn maze designs. Some of our most popular past themes have featured Ohio State Football, Jack Nicklaus, LeBron James, Peanuts, and the Columbus Blue Jackets. Beyond the corn maze, we offer a wide variety of attractions for all ages, including a play area with more than 30 activities designed for family enjoyment.

In October, we also offer a haunted corn maze on Friday and Saturday nights, providing a completely different experience for guests looking for something more thrilling. We are open to the public Friday through Sunday during the fall season, and during the week we welcome school field trips. These trips give students the opportunity to learn where their food comes from, pick pumpkins, and enjoy hands-on activities in our play area.

We take great pride in being a place where families return year after year to gather, connect, and create lasting memories. Being part of so many family traditions is something we truly value.

What sets us apart from our competitors is our ability to offer both a family-friendly daytime experience and a haunted nighttime attraction, all in one location. We strive to provide something for every age group. In addition, we offer a bar throughout the season and live entertainment on select dates, making our venue equally appealing for a night out with friends or a date night.

So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
The best way people can support our family business is by visiting our farm and experiencing everything we offer. We are open yearly from mid September to Halloween. We have two admission options available: a Base Admission and a Combo Admission.

The Base Admission includes:
8 acre corn maze
Low Ropes Course
Cow Train
Barnyard Bouncer
Petting Zoo
Kiddie Maze
Ball Zone
Corn Ball
Tube Slide
PVC Roller Slide
Laser Tag
Dodgeball
Pedal Carts
Kids Fun Barn
Spider Web
Duck Races
Tetherball
Tug-O-War
Yard Games
Wall Ball
GaGa Ball
Bubble Barn
Giant Chair and additional photo ops
Flower Patch
Pumpkin Checkers
Pumpkin Tic-Tac-Toe
Spinning Chairs
Lasso Ladder
Stomp Lights
Hole-y Cow Putt Putt

Our Combo Admission includes all activities listed above and adds:
A hayride to the pumpkin patch
Paintball Pandemonium
Corn Cannon
A small pie pumpkin OR the Pumpkin Blaster

Pricing:

• Our pricing can be found here: https://www.mazeandberries.com/admission-hours/

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.mazeandberries.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themaizeohio/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheMaizeAtLittleDarbyCreek
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheMAiZEOhio
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@maizeatlittledarbycreek?lang=en