Growing Family Fun

On Friday, Oct. 9, singer-songwriter Scott Stilwell will be providing music in the Red Shed beginning at 7 p.m. to kick off Fall Fest weekend. Stilwell will perform selections from his self-produced CD “Witness.” He is director of music and fine arts at West Des Moines Christian Church. There is no charge to enjoy the music inside the Red Shed. There is a charge for those who wish to enter the corn maze. For more info on Scott and his music, visit his Web site at: http://www.scottstilwell.com/.

Maze for Marfan Fall Fest is Oct. 10-11. Representatives from the Heart of Iowa Chapter of the National Marfan Foundation will be working at the maze and providing information about Marfan syndrome, a genetic disorder that affects the body’s connective tissue; the glue that holds the body together. It affects 1 out of every 5,000 individuals in the United States. On Oct. 10 & 11, Geisler Farms will be donating $1 for each paid corn maze admission to the Heart of Iowa Chapter. For additional information, visit www.heartofiowa.org or www.marfan.org.

Ms. Wheelchair Iowa 2009, Angie Plager of Cambridge, will be at Geisler Farms on Sunday afternoon, Oct. 11 to discuss accessibility issues. Plager, who works part-time at Geisler Farms, completed the 10-acre corn maze in one hour.

Congratulations to Bob and Dora who were married in the Growing Family Fun corn maze at Geisler Farms on 09/09/09. The couple exchanged vows while standing in the first 9 of the 1969 that’s tilled into the 10-acre corn maze. This year’s maze theme is Apollo 11. 

The couple traveled by hayrack to the ceremony site in the cornfield along with the bridal party. They enjoyed a hayride around the field following the ceremony.

1953 Farmall Super M

It features new rear tires and rims, a rebuilt starter and generator. It also has a new battery. It runs great. $3,000. Please call Darrell at 515-240-8188.

Congratulations to Growing Family Fun staff member Angie Plager of Cambridge for being selected Ms. Wheelchair Iowa 2009.

Since 2007, Plager has welcomed guests, helped distribute maze maps and provided maze instructions at Growing Family Fun. She’s traveled the entire 10-acre corn maze and enjoyed a ride on our accessible hayrack, with a lift built on it for wheelchairs. She has also helped transport pumpkins by driving her accessible van.

As Ms. Wheelchair Iowa, one of her accessibility awareness projects is to increase accessibility and safety of refueling vehicles at gas stations for persons with disabilities, the elderly and parents with children with disabilities. While Plager drives her own modified van using hand controls, she is unable to refuel the van because of her physical limitations. She is advocating for this change by sharing her story with key stakeholders and a Chicago-based company. Plager says the current law states a gas station with more than one employee is supposed to send an employee out to help pump gas for persons with disabilities. Because of environmental noise and inadequate employee training, the current law is not practiced.

A car accident on Aug. 23, 2003, left her a quadriplegic. She can move her arms and wrists, but not her fingers.  She now volunteers as president of the Spinal Cord Injury Association of Iowa.

Plager will compete in the Ms. Wheelchair America Pageant Aug. 24-29, 2009, in Rapid City, South Dakota. Ms. Wheelchair America recognizes women of accomplishment that happen to use wheelchairs for mobility. The competition selects a spokesperson for individuals with disabilities. There are more than 52 million Americans living with disabilities.

Growing Family Fun at Geisler Farms will celebrate its fifth year beginning Sept. 5th. This year’s 10-acre corn maze commemorates the 40th anniversary of Apollo 11 and the first man on the moon.

Click image above for larger photo

The U.S. space mission took place July 16-24, 1969, and involved astronauts Neil Armstrong, Edwin (Buzz) Aldrin Jr. and Michael Collins. The corn maze features the lunar module that landed on the moon, an astronaut, flag and the Earth.

The Geislers selected Apollo 11 because it was such a historic event 40 years ago.
In addition to the corn maze, another NASA symbol, a space shuttle, is cut into the soybean mini maze.

The Growing Family Fun corn maze is open weekends during September and October. General admission is $6.50 per person. Children age four and under are admitted free. Growing Family Fun promotional partners are DEKALB and Van-Wall Group.

Growing Family Fun is the Ankeny area farm that offers affordable country fun.