The Gilbertsville Farm: A Farm without a Farmer

by Jane Stahl

Rachel Trettin, owner of Gilbertsville Farm, admits that she’s no farmer; however, she is an impressive, self-educated young entrepreneur who runs a 5-acre high-tech corn maze on County Line Road, Gilbertsville, each September through December.

“My dad is a serial entrepreneur,” Rachel explains, “I’ve learned from his example. When I was 6 years old, he created the second corn maze in the country, and I knew way back then that I wanted to run my own corn maze someday. And, I’m 31 now—married for almost 10 years, with two young boys— and living my dream!”

Lots of add-ons are features of The Gilbertsville Farm’s corn maze. The maze has a “Corn Colonel” who makes sure the participants are doing OK as they work through the maze. Each party or participant carries a 6-foot flag to alert the colonel if they become “corn-fused.” There are “corn cops” to assist maze-goers. Paths are marked clearly and groomed regularly for safety. And “down on the farm” music plays to add to the maze’s ambience.

Each season Rachel creates a sketch for the design for the maze, sends her design to a graphic designer and then to a company that creates software and a GPS map to follow as they cut the maze. “We learned that once we started cutting the maze, we couldn’t stop,” Rachel explains. “The software wasn’t accurate when we’d start again; it got tricky!”

To add to the activity, participants are given a game sheet with 16 puzzle pieces which show tiny pieces of the map; they build the maze as they travel through it which takes participants 1 ½-2 hours—depending on the design.

“One of my designs featured firetruck images that turned out to be really complicated. In some cases, it took participants between 2-4 hours to complete the maze,” she shares. “Reactions were divided; the maze goers were either super-excited at the level of difficulty that the maze presented to them or really tired.”

In addition to the corn maze, The Gilbertsville Farm is a family-friendly venue for events. In spring and summer, family-friendly events are held featuring a picnic area and Kid Zone play area; a kiddie corn maze; barnyard animals including two small donkeys, goats, and bunnies; a tunnel slide; and tricycle track. In the fall, there are birthday parties held inside the cornfield, a pumpkin patch and hayride to the horse farm adjacent to the Farm.

Food truck events are added to maze season, and Rachel is studying for her food handler license so that she can regularly offer food service.

Once the corn is harvested it’s preparation time for the following season. “It’s a lot of work,” Rachel confesses. She spends winter months creating a new design, the promotional and advertising material, planning social media campaigns, visiting other venues for fresh ideas, and speaking at local schools to recruit employees for the coming maze season.

Students from Boyertown High School have been members of Rachel’s staff. “Sometimes a mom will learn about what we do and suggest her teenager apply for a job. That teenager often has friends who want or need jobs, too, so my staff increases by word-of-mouth,” she adds. “And I need that; business doubles each year, so I will need more staff this coming season.”

“I’m always eager to talk to young people in schools with internship programs,” Rachel offers. “I want them to know that if I can own my own business—even without an official college degree—they can do it too. College is not necessary all the time—unless you’re planning to become a heart surgeon or something like that, of course! What I needed to learn, I knew I could do it myself.”

Rachel learns what she needs to learn through researching on-line materials. And following in her father’s footsteps, she has more to learn for her big plans for her future. One is to own a motel that can accommodate tourists who come for the corn maze. “I want our Farm to be a destination. When that happens, folks will need a place to stay; I have plans for that already,” she laughs. “There’s a motel I have my eye on that needs renovation but has potential.”

Renovation is not a new venture for this enterprising young woman. As a young girl, she was constantly organizing her bedroom. “My parents encouraged me; they let me paint and repaint my bedroom. I’d create hidden spaces and enjoyed designing houses and rooms as a hobby,” she adds.

And, in fact, she has renovated four houses: the first was her parents’ home, and then the house on the horse farm needed a total re-do. “We filled 2 roll-offs during that project,” she shares. “But it was the most fun: we exposed the brick in the kitchen and kept the original floor-to-ceiling cabinets.” The third home that needed help was a place the family purchased for the horse trainer to live. The fourth renovation was of her personal home—an older home that needed work.

Future projects include creating a reality TV show, running an Air B&B, and offering the farm for rent. There undoubtedly will be more projects that surface for this young entrepreneur—ones that she notes will fall naturally under the brand she’s created for them: The Gilbertsville Farm—a farm without a farmer, but a go-to destination to enjoy life and have fun for the whole family.

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