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, Minn. — From fresh strawberries in early summer to a large corn maze in the fall, is viewed by many to be a crown jewel of Otter Tail County.

Tucked along a scenic drive about 7 miles from Perham, the farm at 38132 470th Ave., New York Mills, blossomed from a dream that Kris and Cordell Huebsch had. They wanted to bring "city slickers" and country folk alike to experience life on a farm.

Kris Huebsch said the farm has been in the Huebsch family for four generations. Her husband grew up farming commodity crops like kidney beans and corn, while she grew up on a dairy farm before pursuing a degree in animal science.

When the two began their lives together, they decided to turn their 80 acres into a destination. A portion of the farm is wetlands and swamps, but about 10 acres is dedicated to strawberries, 1 acre is for raspberries, 5 acres for pumpkins and 7 acres for a corn maze. They also feature animals to see and pet, as well as games and activities.

People can pick the strawberries or order a pre-picked flat. Those who choose to walk in the fields are also invited to taste test as they go, and as often as they want. Huebsch said the pickers are plucked from the parking lot and taken into the field, where they are shown how to identify a plump berry and how to pull it from the plant.

Typically, Otter Berry Farm is open for strawberry picking around June 15.

"It's really super weather dependent when the strawberries are going to be ripe and ready," Huebsch said. "We try to always get through July 4 if we can. And, if the weather holds, we're open through July 10, sometimes a little later."

Huebsch recommended calling their information line at 218-346-5034 before making the drive.

"We never answer the phone, it's just an answering machine. You can listen to the whole spiel or just hang up. It'll tell you if we're open, if we're at capacity, if we're getting picked out soon, if we're open tomorrow, those kinds of things," she said.

Huesch said the information line is updated about every 20 minutes. They also update their and website, , to keep customers informed.

"We've had random Tuesdays where all of a sudden all these people show up," she said. "It's like planning a wedding, but nobody RSVPs."

Once the berry season is underway, Otter Berry Farm usually opens daily at 8 a.m. and concludes for the day at noon, or when they sell out, whichever comes first.

When the strawberries are all picked, the Huebsches begin to prepare for the fall fun, which includes a corn maze, a pumpkin patch and raspberry picking.

"The corn maze usually opens on weekends after Labor Day," she said.

The hours are Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Sundays from 1-5 p.m. Huebsch said when fall comes around, the hours may change some, so it is best to check in with their website or call. The special events sprinkled throughout the season, including night corn mazes and an adult microbrew tasting with live music and food trucks, will also be posted on their website.

Regardless of the event, all corn maze goers receive a map to help navigate their way. They also receive an emergency number to call if they need help out of the maze.

"We also plant at least 50 different varieties of pumpkins and a bunch of squash," she said. "Most of them are pre-picked. We do leave some out in the field if people want to go get them, but most people find, especially since we're in a sandbox, that it's like pulling a wagon full of pumpkins through a beach."

Huebsch divulged that there has been discussion of hosting a haunted corn maze with the help of members from the Perham Area Community Theatre. However, the details are still being worked out.

Huebsch said all the work they put into Otter Berry Farm is worth it to see families making memories together.

"And they just keep coming back," she said. "It's mind-blowing and really humbling that people just show up."

The Huebsch family began creating Otter Berry Farm in 2016. It all started with research. After digging for information, the two learned strawberry fields in the area had declined.

"The farms that were in business didn't go out of business because they didn't have customers," she said. "They just retired and they didn't want to sell their farm, and their kids didn't want to keep doing it."

The family planted rows upon rows of June-bearing strawberries, which take about 14 months to bear fruit.

"So opening day was June 19, 2017," she said. "Every year we plant a few acres, and then we plow a few acres under. So they're on a rotation about every three to four years."

Otter Berry Farm hires about 30 people to help on the farm, from cashiers to customer service and berry pickers.

"I usually always have at least 10 people out here picking for us to sell pre-picked strawberries because a lot of people either physically can't or they just don't have time," she said.

Typically, an acre of strawberry plants produces about 4,000 to 5,000 pounds of fruit, Huebsch said, adding that there have been years when late frost or inclement weather reduced their crop. Even during challenging years, their guests were able to harvest about 1,000 pounds an acre.

It was during one of those years when Mother Nature became temperamental that the Huebsches decided to diversify with a corn maze and other fall season fun.

"During our first strawberry season, there was a hailstorm and about 5 inches of rain fell," she said. "I remember standing in that red barn looking out the back window just crying."

During the winter, the two dreamed of ways to diversify, and her husband's longtime dream finally came true.

"Cordell, actually, had wanted to do a corn maze for many years," she said. "I had been dragging my feet on it. I was worried about people getting lost. But after that season, I was like, tell me more about this corn maze."

In 2018, the first corn maze at Otter Berry Farm opened and was an instant success. The two change the design each year. They've paid homage to area communities, cut a maze in the shape of Minnesota with the word "nice" in it, and said they have a fun design planned for the upcoming season.

"It starts with drawing out the concept," Huebsch explained, adding that once the design is done, they send it to a company that digitizes it into a map. The map is inputted into a GPS. "My husband built a desk and canopy to go over the (riding) lawn mower. It keeps it dark enough that he can see his phone screen and GPS map."

Huebsch likened creating the maze to playing Pac-Man. Her husband is a beacon on the map and has to follow the line to create the desired maze.

"It usually takes about two to three days to make the first pass," she said. "You want to make sure the lawn mower is full of gas when you start because you can't just drive out. Don't ask me how we learned that one."

After the path is cut, it is mowed a few more times as the corn grows into thick green stalks. The corn is planted in two directions, so those walking through it can't see if there is a path on the other side. Huebsch added the corn typically grows to about 7 feet, although some stalks sprout as high as 10 feet.

The Huebsches invited all to come to enjoy Otter Berry Farm this year, be it for fresh-picked strawberries, the corn maze or both.

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