Have a Ball This Fall at Lark Ranch by Kate Goelzhauser
I love fall! I love the smell of the harvest and leaves burning, the feel of the first frost and the warmth of my comfy down jacket, and the fun occasions associated with it as we celebrate Fall Break, Halloween, and Thanksgiving.
My daughter, Autumn, at Lark Ranch
It was fall 2010 when I was on a search for a puppy and traveled to Loogootee, Indiana, to meet with a breeder. With time on my side, I decided that since I was near Lark Ranch, I was going to pay a visit. My companions were my daughter, Autumn and her best friend, Sarah Hill.
Autumn taking a ride with her best friend, Sarah
Lark Ranch covers some 600-acres and is owned and operated by attorney Matt Lark, who practices law on Monument Circle, Indianapolis, but spends his spare time at the ranch.
The windmill and one of the many barns on Lark Ranch
The property lies between Loogootee and Dover Hill, in Martin County where Lark has been farming for over twenty years. “I have farmed since I was a boy, raising corn and soybeans,” recounted Matt. My grandfather raised pumpkins and Indian corn and I learned to do those types of crops from him.”
Minneapolis Moline Tractor at Lark Ranch
Matt started the pumpkin patch in 2000. Several of his friends were schoolteachers at Loogootee Elementary school and they asked if he’d plant a few vines in his field so the school kids would have a place to pick pumpkins.
Maze and Pumkin Patch Neon Sign
“We’d always raised a few pumpkins so we added a few more acres of them, just so there would be extras for the kids” Matt explained. “It evolved from there as families were requesting to come out on weekends. One thing led to another as we added the corn maze and other attractions to that.”
Autumn and Sarah exiting the Corn Maze
In 2002, he opened the corn maze on the suggestion of a friend from Illinois. When he bought the farm it had no buildings, but Matt liked rustic buildings and added one, constructing more as larger crowds came. And, that’s not all. Matt has real farm tractors scattered throughout the ranch not only to admire, but for the kids to enjoy. “As a kid we always used Oliver and Minneapolis Moline tractors and as time went on I bought more tractors and more buildings to put them in. Now I collect late model vintage Minneapolis Moline, Oliver and Cockshutt tractors. Those are my favorites.”
- Antique Cockshutt Tractor
Since purchasing the ranch, Matt has been steadily developing it with the help of friends and neighbors. A cabin has been built, as well as a barn with living quarters, where Matt and his three boys stay. “I have three sons who help me, and everyone else that helps is a friend and neighbor. They meet a lot of the same people year in and year out making it even more fun for them. I had around 10,000 visitors at the ranch last year. We all stay pretty busy.”
Matt loves the Southern Indiana countryside, and feels that the Corn Maze, hayrides, and other activities at the farm are his way of giving back to the community that has given so much to him. His dream for the corn maze is to provide entertainment that is enjoyable and affordable for local families.
Hay Ride sign at Lark Ranch in Indiana
One year Matt grew a field of cotton, both as an experiment to see if cotton would grow this far north, and as an educational experience for Southern Indiana kids, who might otherwise not have an opportunity to see cotton being grown.
The Tepee and The Trading Post
The ranch has many activities such as the corn maze, pumpkin patch, wagon ride, gem mining, dinosaur dig, bouncy house, pony rides, barrel ride, a trike track, go-cart track, a weaving exhibition, and many other activities.
The kids can race on their own trike track!
Of course, there are the buffalo, longhorn steers, donkeys, llamas, pigs, chickens, goats, cows, rabbits, and other animals on site.
Kids can play with toy tractors in the corn box
For 2011, Matt has added a maple syrup house, where they will boil sap to make syrup and have some bottled. They will also make kettle corn and ham and beans in a kettle. And as a true-blue Hoosier, Matt added, “We will also have an Indianapolis Colt’s themed corn maze! It will be in the shape of a Colts helmet with ‘Colts’ written on it. This year we will be donating some of the proceeds from Lark Ranch to Riley’s Children’s Hospital in Indianapolis.”
Big Slide at Lark Ranch in Indiana
Will the kids enjoy it? Based on the dirt and sweat on Autumn and Sarah’s little faces and the non-stop chatter on the way home begging for a return visit…yes, the kids will love it and so will mom and dad, grandma, and grandpa. It’s truly a fun visit for all ages.
A place for the kids to dig with backhoe toys
There are two locations where you can visit a Lark Ranch, one is in Loogootee, Indiana, and the other in Greenfield, Indiana.
- A Wooden Tractor and Wagon Slide at Lark Ranch in Indiana
Open Season:
Third weekend of September through the end of October
Hours of operation:
Friday: 4 p.m. 10 p.m. (EDT)
Saturday: noon – 10:00 p.m. (EDT) Bring a flashlight for after dark—lots of fun!
Sunday: noon – 6:00 p.m. (EDT)
More information can be found at www.larkranch.com or by calling 800-769-2560.
