Corn confusion

A scarecrow greets visitors to the Tachenkos' corn maze near Keating.

By LISA BRITTON
For the Baker City Herald

We got lost in the maze.

Then again, I guess that’s the point of all the twists and turns and dead-ends — confuse you to the point that you have no idea if you’re coming or going.

In the words of my 4-year-old daughter: “Oh great, we’re lost!”

(At one point she proclaimed that we’d just have to live in the corn patch. Such drama.)

But Friday was a beautiful autumn day to be wandering in the six-acre corn field that Valerie and Rod Tachenko have turned into a maze.

To create it, Ryan Tachenko and Don Taggert drove through the corn, making a turn here, a dead-end there. At times they climbed up a ladder to figure out where to go next.

It’s definitely tricky — Valerie said 80 percent of people never find the exit. Instead, they come out through the entrance.

She encouraged us to be part of the 20 percent.

So we took off through the maze, soon walking beside cornstalks that towered 12 feet and darkened the path from the noon sunshine.

Definitely disorienting. And it doesn’t help that I have no sense of direction.

Along the way, the Tachenkos have posted 10 trivia questions about corn (some you have to wander a bit to find).

The answers are at the exit.

We found all but one. At No. 10, I knew we had to be close to the end — we could even glimpse the pumpkin patch through the corn stalks.

But we took a wrong turn and wandered deeper into the corn maze, coming upon the same questions we’d answered 10 minutes before.

I must admit, I have a strange fear of mazes, perhaps because the puzzling paths always have a sinister role in movies. (The end of “The Shining” comes especially to mind, with Jack Nicholson’s frozen grin.)

But Valerie assured me we’d be fine. In fact, she can look down on the maze from her house.

After more aimless wandering — and facing an increasingly cranky baby — we retreated back to the entrance.

We joined that 80 percent.

Not soon after, I heard two dogs rustling through the corn and then came Val, a grin on her face.

Then she pointed Olivia to the kid maze, through which we actually found the exit —  that made us feel a little better about our way-finding.

The main maze exit comes out at the pumpkin patch, where you can wander around (this time in plain sight) to choose your perfect specimen for carving.

Since we didn’t make it through, she loaded us up in the Gator and gave us a ride.

This is the first year the Tachenkos plowed a maze in their corn field, and Val said they’ve been surprised at the popularity.

During “Maze til Midnight” on Oct. 15, about 200 people came out to brave it in the dark.

She said they’ll definitely do this again.

“I’m already thinking of next year,” she said.

And there’s a bonus: driving out to the Tachenko farm is a chance to see where the “Val’s Veggies” produce grows, which they bring to the Baker City Farmers Market.

(Wednesday is the final market for this season, from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Geiser-Pollman Park.)

This is the last week for the maze. Monday through Thursday is by appointment only. Hours for the weekend are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday; 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday.

She said she’s planning some sort of special finale for the final day.

The cost is $8 for adults, $5 for age 12 and younger, and free for kids age 3 and younger. Also, a kiddie maze is available for $3 for ages 6 and younger. Pumpkins are $5.

More information is available by visiting the website, www.valsveggies.com, emailing This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or calling 541-853-2358.