Last week I wrote about the corn maze at Liberty Mills Farm, the largest in the nation at 32 acres. Last weekend, on a beautiful September day, Nancy and I decided to take a Sunday afternoon drive out to the sprawling farm near Somerset, but we decided in advance that we would let others do the corn-maze thing.
Liberty has three mazes, the big one takes two hours (if you’re lucky), the middle occupies about an hour of time wandering in the corn, and the short course takes just 20 minutes. We watched others wandering in the cornfield, then walked around the farm, settling in the store where the homemade ice cream was calling my name. They offered pumpkin, vanilla and a couple other flavors, but I went for the vanilla, my favorite when it comes to homemade ice cream.
As I stuck my spoon in the cup I wondered if this would be real homemade ice cream or an imposter. It was the real deal. It was – almost – as good as our homemade ice cream recipe, passed down from Grandma Brewer. I ate one large cup, but could have eaten 3 more if given the opportunity. The ice cream alone was worth the 45 minute trip to Somerset, I know that. The store is packed with goodies, including jams and jellies, gifts, fresh popcorn and mini donuts. The farm also sells whole sunflower heads and will soon sell pick-your-own pumpkins.
The trip to Liberty Mills Farm is a perfect day trip on a pretty fall afternoon, and if there are children involved, it’s even better. They have a large park with tunnels and hay bales and lots of things for young children. Us old children can sit and watch – and eat a cup or two of homemade ice cream,
Go to www.libertymillsarm.com for directions.