04 Jun 2021

The 2021 Sunflower Festival Tickets are LIVE as we plant the field with 51 varieties of joy.

Agritourism, Family Business, Maize Quest Corn Maze & Fun Park, Seasonal Business
The Flowers Are Coming Aug 6-8, 13-15, 20-22 ONLY. We are planting like crazy to create more vistas like these than ever. 2021 Sunflower Ticketing is LIVE! Hello from the farm! I know, I know, I say it a LOT, but a HUGE Thank You goes out to our staff working so hard to plant lavender, sunflowers, corn mazes & more! The plan for the 2021 Sunflower Festival is listed below. I hope you'll join us for Sunflowers and plenty of space to spread out and enjoy this beautiful crop in the countryside THIS AUGUST. 2021's ENTIRE FESTIVAL SOLD OUT - Please don't miss the…
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31 May 2021

Strawberries, Dairy, & Blueberries – Gratitude on this day.

Agritourism, Family Business, Seasonal Business
I thought this floral American Flag was cool as we are planting flowers like crazy this week:-) Thoughts from the farm on Memorial Day . Hey Friends, Though I didn't serve in the military, though, like so many of us, have family members who did. Today, as my most significant problems are wrapped up in figuring out when to plant sunflowers, how to prepare for blueberry season, and which opportunities my kids might enjoy as they grow into functioning members of society, I am filled with personal gratitude for all those who served and are currently serving this great country. Politics is not the subject…
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06 May 2021

Last 93 Flats, Slo-Mo Corn Trucks & what’s on a farmer’s mind.

Agritourism, Family Business, Maple Lawn Farms, Seasonal Business
Check out the progress on so many projects on the farm. Spring has sprung! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrijiNhl_zg Strawberries from Patterson Farms last ~93 flats and going fast! We have MORE treats for you, too. #1. is we have our Strawberry Wine ready for this year's event.#2. Get a pound cake and NEW Strawberry Syrup for dessert.#3. Why Cook? Pondview Farm is coming with Pit Meats, homemade Mac & Cheese, plus homemade Coleslaw meals for you to take home, too! Last 93 Flats, Slo-Mo corn trucks & what's on a farmer's mind. Hey [[ contact.first_name | default: 'Friend' ]], Drive-Thru Strawberry Festival is…
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29 Apr 2021

Mega Slide Lane 2, Strawberries & Blossoms. Spring has sprung.

Agritourism, Family Business, Seasonal Business
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CX00G3ShaZo See a video from inside the apple blossoms. Got blooms?!  Strawberries from Patterson Farms now 60%+ SOLD! We have MORE treats for you, too. #1. is we have our Strawberry Wine ready for this year's event.#2. Get a pound cake and NEW Strawberry Syrup for dessert.#3. Why Cook? Pondview Farm is coming with Pit Meats, homemade Mac & Cheese, plus homemade Coleslaw meals for you to take home, too! Mega Slide Lane 2, Strawberries & Blossoms. Hey [[ contact.first_name | default: 'Friend' ]], It's a busy time at the farm, and we're sending out this update to keep you in the…
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29 Apr 2021

God’s Will, Bruce Lee, and other possible futures.

Agritourism, Family Business, Seasonal Business
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PLBXAcKyDw After reading this blog, please enjoy one of my favorite old Bruce Lee insane moments as he lights matches thrown by an assistant in midair with sandpaper attached to his num-chuks. Hey gang, What if everything worked out? Today finds me at the crossroads of God's Will, Bruce Lee, and likely about how we think about the future. I've missed writing, but it has been a whirlwind of Zoom calls, Mastermind Classes, Virtual Conferences, and, oh yeah, farming & building at our home farm. I hope this finds you safe from frost damage and ready to have a great season. I've been…
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22 Apr 2021

Strawberry flats are going fast as we plant apple trees on the farm.

Agritourism, Family Business, Maple Lawn Farms, Seasonal Business
Our 2nd-ever Strawberry Drive-Thru is over 57% reserved and we don't want you to miss it! We're out planting apple trees as the strawberries ripen at Patterson Farms! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5R2TuV5Yjc See a Slo-Mo video of our digger in action. Got kids who love diggers?! Click Above... NOW: Strawberries 57% RESERVED Hey [[ contact.first_name | default: 'Friend' ]], Just a quick heads up: Strawberries are CONFIRMED for May 22nd, and we are sold through over half of the order. Unfortunately, we cannot get as many berries as usual for this event, so please reserve early! We have farm friends, the Patterson's in North Carolina…
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01 Apr 2021

Step-Over Maze Renovation hit a BIG snag with the Feds.

Family Business, Maize Quest Corn Maze & Fun Park, Seasonal Business
We never thought replacing the aging Step-Over Maze would bring the Federal Government to our door. Latest from the farm! Projects are underway for the 2021 season at the farm and Maize Quest. Many of you know our progress has been great so far! We're redoing the corn maze tower and adding a Mega Slide lane, and in the prep for a new (Still Secret) attraction up by the Pedal Kart track, we ran into a snag. You might have enjoyed the mind-bending challenge of the Step-Over Maze. The Step-Over Maze was a replacement for the Invisible Fence Maze - (YES, We actually…
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25 Feb 2021

The fallacy of the Swiss Army knife.

Agritourism, Family Business, Seasonal Business
87 tools and 141 functions in a Swiss Army Knife no one would ever carry that around. Hey gang, Are you a generalist? Are you flexible? A quick learner? Master of all trades? Multi-tasker? Are you a Swiss Army Knife? In 1891, Karl Elsener set out to manufacture a standardized, multi-use knife for the Swiss military. The idea is that the Swiss Army knife is the one tool that lets you do everything you might need to do when out in the field. The knife featured a blade, reamer, can opener, and screwdriver, the latter of which was for field stripping a…
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25 Jan 2021

Three 2020 Things I don’t want to change in 2021 – Part 2 of 3

Agritourism, Employee Management, Family Business, Seasonal Business, , , ,
Hey gang,  In Part 1 of this series, "Where do we go from here," We took a look in the rearview mirror at the year that was. In 2020 we dealt with extraordinary uncertainty and considered our reactions to uncertain circumstances; our team's reaction to uncertain circumstances.  The pull to "Get back to the way things were" is powerful. Sometimes I visualize 2019's ease of travel, freedom to go to church gatherings, and family friend get-togethers free of the invisible fear.  My challenge to you in Part 1 was to consider the idea that you DON'T want EVERYTHING to go back to normal. That you do not want…
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25 Jan 2021

Where do we go from here – Future Now – Part 3 of 3

Agritourism, Family Business, Seasonal Business, , , , ,
https://youtu.be/yoFYCXXmlcE In Part 1 of this series, "Where do we go from here," https://hughmcpherson.com/seasonal-business-blog/where-do-we-go-from-here-part-1-of-3/ We took a look in the rearview mirror at the year that was. Part 2 challenged us to think about what we did NOT want to go back to normal after this pandemic era is over. Part 3 is about where we go from here, what's going to happen in the future. It's about the Future: NOW. Predictions spoken with certainty are a fool's game. In my current favorite book, "The Art of Thinking Clearly" by Rolf Dobelli, he suggests that one can quickly appear to…
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