Payson cornfields grow UVU spirit
Shaped in the familiar wolverine logo, the Payson corn maze draws students and members of the community alike
Ten miles south of campus is a display of school pride that can only be appreciated by getting lost within it. Located in Payson, a corn maze in the shape of the UVU Wolverine lies in the middle of local farmer Guy Larsen’s cornfields.
The Wolverine corn maze was constructed as a fundraiser for a scholarship. The scholarship will go to future UVU students from the Payson, Elk Ridge and Santaquin area. Making its first appearance, the mascot-shaped corn maze was a result of the combined efforts of the Alumni Association and the Payson City Council. Larsen generously offered his cornfield as the site for the master project.
Jolynn Ford from the Payson City Council talked about the progress of the corn maze from the early beginnings.
“The maze was designed using GPS tools to map out the large wolverine head shape amidst the stalks of corn,” Ford said. “After the corn had grown about a foot in height, Farmer Larsen cut down the stalks and plowed up the field to form the outline of the UVU mascot.”
UVU aviation students took an aerial photo of the Wolverine corn maze on one of their practice flights. The photo is being used as the map for visitors trying to meander and navigate their way through the massive maze. The maze takes about 45 minutes to complete.
Ford is hopeful about the scholarship fundraiser.
“This is the first year doing this corn maze fundraiser, but we would like to raise $2000,” Ford said. “We have raised $3300 so far in the first 10 nights. It would be fun if we could make it into an annual thing. We are very much supportive of UVU. We have a lot of kids from this area that go there.”
The UVU corn maze is the only large corn maze in the southern end of Utah County. As such Ford hopes that people will continue to come.
The maze is open Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturday evenings from 5 to 8 p.m. Admission is $5 per person and $4 for UVU students.