Photo provided by Rader Family.

NORMAL — To commemorate the 100th Anniversary of the Illinois State University Department of Agriculture, the Rader Family Farm has carved a corn maze in the shape of the Reggie Redbird logo on over seven acres of farmland.

In the cornfield maze, the Reggie Redbird logo was carved along with the words “Illinois State” and a farmer with a horse-drawn plow. The words “100 years of Ag” were carved out in a small, adjacent bean field maze.
The maze design is visible only when traveling in flight, high above the mazes.
This is the third year the Rader Family Farm, 1238 Ropp Rd., Normal, has carved a corn and bean mazes. The Rader family selects a new theme for its mazes design every year.
“Every year we come up with a theme for our maze,” said Linda Rader. “One year it was our logo. Last year it was the (Normal) CornBelters logo.”
Linda’s son, Adam, an ISU graduate, came up with the idea of carving an ISU Department of Agriculture theme in the mazes when he learned the department was celebrating its 100th anniversary this year.
“This year my son got a postcard — because he’s a grad from the ISU Ag Department — about the 100th year anniversary and he thought that would be kind of a neat thing to tie in with them since we are all about agriculture out here,” said Rader. “We talked with Rob Rhykerd with the Ag Department and he was just really all about it, so we just went from there.”
Precision Mazes of Lee’s Summit, Mo., carved the corn and bean mazes in June.
“They (Precision Mazes) travel across the country from their home in the corner of Missouri and they come and they kind of size up the field with their GPS,” said Rader. “They kind of walk around the field and then plug in the design; however that is done. The corn was about 2-feet high when they cut it.”
To help celebrate the 100th year anniversary, Rader Family Farm is hosting a 100 Years of ISU Agriculture Celebration Oct. 15-16, during the university’s homecoming weekend.
“We’re going to give ISU alum and graduates a discount on the admission and then we’re going to have an area for them to be able to sit and visit and we’re going to have an antique tractor display,” said Rader.
Free kettle corn, face painting and live music will be provided for ISU alumni during the celebration.
The ISU Agriculture Department helped the Rader Family Farm come up with the agricultural questions and facts that are placed throughout the corn maze.
“Within the corn maze there’s some educational components,” said Rhykerd. “So not only is it something that people can have a fun time going through, but there’s also some information, ag statistics and things about agriculture that people may or may not be aware of.”
If they read all of the agricultural questions and facts, those participating in the corn maze can enter themselves into a yearend drawing for “a nice electrical gift.”
“As people go through the maze, we encourage them to read the facts and then punch that number on their card with the certain shape punch and then when they come out, if they’ve gone to all 10 stations, they qualify to be entered into our yearend drawing — where we give a nice electronic gift,” said Rader. “I’m not sure what it’s (electronic gift) going to be this year. It was an iPod last year.”
Anyone who completes the corn maze receives a free bag of popcorn.
No agricultural questions and facts are posted in the bean maze that was created for children.
“We have the children’s maze, which is the bean part of the maze,” said Rader. “It’s a one-acre maze, but we don’t have a game in that. They just go in and wonder through it.”
Children participating in the bean maze can enter themselves in a yearend drawing for a gift.
In addition to the corn and bean maze, Rader Family Farms offers pumpkin picking, food, a mountain slide, tram rides, steer roping and a variety of other activities.
Admission to the farm is $4 Monday through Friday and $6 on weekends for those 3 and older. Admission for those 65 and older is $3 every day. Children 2 and younger get in for free. Going through the corn maze costs an additional $4.