A corn maze, train-ride and other attractions keep family farm
running
Since its original inception the 60-acre parcel
– located along San Felipe Road just north of the Hollister
Municipal Airport – that now houses Swank Farms has been a heaven
for plants and vegetables.
A corn maze, train-ride and other attractions keep family farm running
Since its original inception the 60-acre parcel – located along San Felipe Road just north of the Hollister Municipal Airport – that now houses Swank Farms has been a heaven for plants and vegetables.
The property originally held prune and peach trees. Later that gave way to more profitable seed crops.
At one point Swank Farms even grew alfalfa for dairy cows.
In 1989, Dick Swank took over. He started with a variety of vegetables and it grew from there. In the early ’90s he planted cherries.
For years Swank kept the farm alive by selling produce at farmers markets, to wholesalers, and at a produce stand Swank set up on his property.
By 2000, Swank was close to losing his farm. Swank was grasping at straws and knew that if he was going to succeed he needed to diversify.
They were looking for ideas on how to make money when a friend suggested he visit a corn maze in Woodland. Swank did and thought he could do the same thing at his farm.
A corn maze is a field of corn with pathways cut into it. The pathways have twists and turns and seem to go on forever. They are similar to the hedge mazes often found in English gardens.
Swank met Bonnie, his wife, that same year and she helped him create the design for his first maze.
“There weren’t any do-it-yourself handbooks on creating corn mazes,” Swank said. “But I went to the bookstore and bought a basic maze book.
In 2000, the Swanks planted seven acres of corn. People came out and seemed to have a good time, Swank said.
“That first year we weren’t sure how it would turn out,” Swank said. “It rained and it kind of turned into a mud fest, but it didn’t stop people. We even made a little money.”
Despite the hard work, they tried again the next year and made it bigger. They went from a seven-acre maze to a 12-acre maze. The design was more challenging. That same year they decided to add a haunted element to their maze.
While planning for 2001 Bonnie contacted someone to manage the haunted section of the maze.
After a few years, another friend told the Swanks about the North American Farm Direct Marketing Association (NAFDMA) Conference in Sacramento and suggested they attend.
“We found out at the conference that there were a lot of people who were doing the exact same thing we were,” Bonnie said. “We weren’t alone and we were doing it right.”
The Swanks learned about other things they could add to enhance the farm.
“We go to the NAFDMA conference every year now,” Swank said. “The jumping pillow idea came from asking people what was new this year.”
A jumping pillow is a giant air-filled plastic bag you can walk across. The experience is described as walking across a bowl of Jell-o.
This year marks the eighth year the Swanks have operated their haunted ranch and corn maze. The maze is now 30 acres and there are two haunted attractions. Though Bonnie would not give specific numbers on how much revenue is generated from the attractions versus produce sales, she said the attractions have allowed them to reinvest in the farm and expand operations.
“Every year both aspects grow,” she said. “It’s kind of hand in hand now.”
The Swanks have continued to add to their farm. The attraction now features peddle carts, a train-ride and the jumping pillow.
This summer the Swank’s also reintroduced a seasonal produce stand and are hoping to construct a permanent structure in the near future.
“The idea was that we wanted people to be able to come out and shop and the kids could play while the parents shopped.”
