IGNACIO – Just off County Road 318 near Ignacio, nestled among surrounding, russet-colored ridges and overlooking the valley below, sits a peculiar farm with a large corn maze sitting on one side of a sizable parking lot and a theme park sitting on the other side. Fiddle-infused folk music can be heard from the loud speakers and the competing smells of goats and apple cider waft through the air.
Two years ago, Ignacio residents Kristen Johnston and her husband, Luke, decided they wanted to grow and sell pumpkins on the land they were leasing from local land owner Ezra Lee. Sutherland Farms, a popular pumpkin patch spot in Ignacio, had permanently closed, and the couple decided there would never be a better time to get in on the fall tradition. Lee gave them the go-ahead to do what they wanted on the land, and the owners of Sutherland Farms gave them their blessing.
As Kristen surveyed the property, however, her entrepreneurial spirit began to see more potential than simply an area to grow and sell pumpkins.
“I’ve always loved planning events,” she said. “I did a bunch of research and joined a lot of groups on Facebook. Mostly other farms that had pumpkin patches. I got a lot of ideas from them. Then everything began to happen really fast.”
The leased farmland was then given the name of “Jack-A-Lope Acres,” and for the last two years, it has become a destination hot spot for families during the fall months. There are plenty of activities for both parents and children to enjoy, including barrel races, a bullring toss, hayrides and barrel train rides, giant slides, a giant swing, two separate jump pads, and potato and candy cannons. The farm also offers movie nights with private campfire pits and s’mores, and on Sundays, Sugar the Unicorn makes an appearance, to the delight of the small children in attendance.
One of Jack-A-Lope Acres biggest selling points is its corn maze. The labyrinth extends to 10 acres with corn stalks stretching 10 feet high, and there are two entrances: one for children and the other for adults looking for more of a challenge. The maze itself has been intricately cut into the shape of the United States, with God Bless America in one corner and the Statue of Liberty in the other.
Because of the boost in business from the previous year, Jack-A-Lope Acres has hired twice as many employees, between 30 to 35 on any given day, and their jobs vary from working the newly constructed ticket booth to cashiering inside the ever-expanding gift shop to monitoring the overly enthusiastic users of the potato cannon.
“This is a really fun environment to work in,” said first-year employee, Karen Godbold. “I love seeing all the people coming in.”
“Anything the kids like to do, the adults like it, too,” added second-year employee, Bethany Baker.
Another enthusiastic “employee” is Braylin Lesky, who is helping her mom work for a day inside the newly structured snack shop, The Food Bin, since Ignacio and Bayfield schools don’t have classes on Fridays.
“I like to help my mom out,” said Braylin, pitching in to make Jack-A-Lope Acres’ famous Signature Loaded Apple Pie Slushies that comes in Mason jars the customers can keep. “I just like hanging out here. It’s fun.”
Even after all the attractions Kristen and Luke have added to the farm over the last year, they are still looking at what they can add to Jack-A-Lope Acres in the future.
“My husband and I have talked about adding a miniature oil field park next year,” said Kristen. “A lot of the stuff we use here for the slides and rides is recycled oil field equipment. I would also love to put in an event center for weddings.”
Whatever new developments await Jack-A-Lope Acres in the future, Kristen knows that it ultimately comes down to providing something different and entertaining to the people of Ignacio and its surrounding areas.
“The community wants this,” said Kristen, “and we get to be a part of that. ... It’s just a really cool thing to experience.”
