By Maggie Edwards 

A mega slide, corn maze and silo sand boxes are more than fall fun for the faces behind Monroe County’s Laurie Farms.  

“It is our livelihood,” said owner George Laurie III. “Farming is our family heritage. The land has been in our family over 100 years. We’re trying to continue that.” 

What started as a row crop farm has turned into an appealing agritourism attraction for locals. 

“We knew we had to diversify the operation to continue farming,” Laurie said. “Three-dollar corn doesn’t pay the bills. Neither does 67-cent cotton.”

The Laurie family has raised row crops for 27 years. Cotton and corn are among their crop rotations, but green peanuts are now a prized possession. 

Value-added goods are a major seller, too. For 13 years, Laurie Farms has set aside green peanuts for boiling. 

From start to finish, over 7,000 pounds of peanuts were planted, dug, shelled, sorted, washed, boiled and bagged on the farm this year. That’s less than average due to drought and limited ability to dig in parched fields.

“We’ve grown a lot from when we started,” Laurie said. “Boiling is an all-day process. It takes about 8 hours, including rinsing and salting. Typically, we boil about 12 times a year.”

The long hours pay off. The Lauries have perfected the recipe for a juicy boiled peanut. Gallon bags of the perfectly salted snack are sold from their farm store. 

“We were looking for a way to make it when we began the boiled peanut business,” Laurie said. “It was extra cash and helped me look toward retirement while still farming.” 

Diversification also allowed another generation to work on the farm full time. That “still farming” mentality drives the elder Laurie and his son, George Laurie IV, to continue in production agriculture. 

“This is what I have done since I was tall enough to drive a tractor,” said the younger Laurie. “The idea of carrying out generations of agricultural traditions keeps me going.” 

The Lauries entered the world of agritourism last fall with a goal to share their love of farming with the public. The father-son duo said they hope to educate others about agriculture, too. 

“We see a lot of locals and some attendees from far off,” the elder Laurie said. “There are so many adults and children who don’t understand agriculture and where food comes from. It’s great to get people on the farm where they can see production agriculture firsthand.”

The Laurie Farms corn maze festival is open for visitors Saturdays and Sundays from Oct. 5 to Nov. 3, but the fall fun doesn’t stop there. Field trips are a highlight for local elementary schools.

“We’ve had over 100 kids out here at a time,” the elder Laurie said. “Adding the mega slide this year will help us accommodate even more. There is a lot of room to spread out, run, play and enjoy time with friends.”

This year’s corn maze design displays the Alabama Farmers Federation Farming Feeds Alabama tagline and showcases the Alfa Farmers logo etched in cornstalks. It shares the spotlight with the GreenPoint Ag logo, said Federation Area 9 Organization Director Cameron Smith.

“GreenPoint Ag’s Trey Colley, a Baldwin County Young Farmer, helped the Lauries with the planter technology for the corn maze,” Smith said. “GreenPoint Ag is a big resource to most all corn mazes in south Alabama.”

The corn maze and slides are a focal point, but the farm’s cow train, cotton wagon ride, pedal cars, duck races and corn pit deliver an array of activities for children of all ages. The concession stand stays stocked and ready to serve burgers, hot dogs and their now-infamous Laurie Farms boiled peanuts.

Smith said stopping by the farm in Uriah helps families make memories together while supporting local farmers.

“We brought my three sons here last year, and they loved it,” said Smith, whose family farms in nearby Conecuh County. “Some of the best fall activities are enjoying the crisp, outside air and family time. Laurie Farms is a great place to do that.”