FL MORRIS / FMORRIS@STARBULLETIN.COM Campbell High School junior Agatupu Sefuiva designed the corn maze at Aloun Farms, and he and his classmates planted the fields for families to enjoy.

a-MAZE-ment

Campbell students design
and staff a cornfield of twists
and turns on the Ewa plain

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By Nancy Arcayna
narcayna@starbulletin.com

One way in, one way out. Visitors to the Maze quickly figured this out as they wandered through 2.5 acres of cornfields at Aloun Farms in Kapolei.

Agatupu Sefuiva, a junior at Campbell High School, was the one responsible for designing the fun twists and turns. He now sits proudly in front of the Maze, umbrella in hand, luring people to chance 'em inside his puzzling labyrinth.

This year marks the first time that students from the Agricultural Learning Center and Future Farmers of America club at the high school were asked to submit maze designs. "My family was tripping (when his design was chosen)," said Sefuiva, who also won a $200 cash prize for his effort.

The Maze >> Where: 91-1440 Farrington Highway, between Waipahu and Kapolei >> Hours: The Maze and public produce picking hours are from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, and 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. April 18 and 19 >> Admission: $8 general, $7 per person for groups of 6 or more, $5 for children ages 6 to 12, and free for children under 5 (cost of picking produce extra) Call: Stacy Davis 306-0590 for more details >> Also: Pony rides, a petting zoo and inflatable jumpers add to the attraction tomorrow. Those who present a Times Royal Card will receive $1 off Maze admission. On April 19, there will be an Easter egg hunt and picture taking with the Easter Bunny from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and an adult hunt at 11:45 a.m. Bring a Kraft cheese wrapper or a non-perishable item for the Hawaii Food Bank and receive a $1 admission discount.

The learning center students gave the project a head start, sowing the fields with silage corn that is usually used as feed for cows and pigs. Seventy-two thousand seeds were planted close together to form thick walls that would limit peeking by those later trying to find their way out, explained Grace Botanes, a student from the learning center.

Then maze "sculptor" Brett Herbst traveled from Utah to carve out Sefuiva's design. Herbst is the founder and owner of the Maize, the world's largest corn maze company.

"The design is to remember how Hawaii came to be -- the older ways," Sefuiva said. His design features the Hawaiian flag, which for him represents the immigrants who made Hawaii a state, and an image of King Kamehameha that symbolizes the hard work of the alii. "King Kamehameha was the greatest leader of Hawaii, since he united all of the islands," Sefuiva said.

The students in the Campbell programs learn various aspects of agriculture including marketing, public speaking, career choices, hydroponics, landscaping and even cooking, said Derek Chow, director of the Agricultural Learning Center. "It can be a life-changing experience for them" when working on projects like the Maze or the pumpkin patch, he explained.

Several students are already employed through employer partnership programs. Some work on the landscaping for McDonald's, while others are employed at Aloun Farms.

Agriculture is not Chow's only focus. "He teaches us about life lessons by sharing his own experiences," said Romeo Mayrena, one of the students on staff at the Maze. "I've already learned how to grow my own fruits and vegetables, and now I can save money."

"Values, character, morals and foundational skills are all stressed," said Chow.

Cody Cabana wants to work as a groundskeeper at a golf course. "Experiences in the agricultural class and on the farm have helped me to learn more about landscaping," he said.

Botanes plans to pursue a career in marketing agricultural products. "Working here (at Aloun Farms) is a good experience," she said.

As for maze designer Sefuiva, he's considering going into the field of agricultural inspection. "It sounds fun. It would be interesting to see what kinds of things you may find."

FL MORRIS / FMORRIS@STARBULLETIN.COM Nanhee and Dantee Oliva, carrying his son Luciano, make their way through the maze with Agatopu Sefuiva as their guide.

THE ENTERPRISING STUDENTS didn't stop with one maze. They also built a small "no left turns" maze out of hay bales.

"It took about five hours," Mayrena said.

It rained the day they were setting up, and the hay bales that weighed about 20 pounds when dry became even heavier.

"We had to lift everything by hand. We were going to use the forklift, but it got stuck in the mud," he said.

The Future Farmers of America club receives a $1 donation for each hour the students work on the farm. The goal is to raise $7,000 to replace the air-conditioning system at the Agricultural Learning Center. The farm's Pumpkin Patch raised more than $3,000 last year for the Future Farmers program.

For those who do wander into the fields, it takes about a half-hour to 45 minutes to get through the maze, depending on how many times one gets lost. But not everyone inside the maze will be lost. Students make sweeps of the maze to ensure that rules are followed and are happy to point people in the right direction.

"We don't want anyone to end up living in there or kids to be crying because they can't find their way out," said Sefuiva.

Aloun Farms believes that educating consumers through hands-on experiences and allowing them to enjoy a fun day on the farm will ensure the future of Hawaii's agriculture, said Stacy Davis, the farm's marketing director. Many of the programs, like the corn maze, are designed to provide an educational experience for high school students, who, in turn, teach children about agriculture in a fun way.

The maze seems to provide a unique bonding experience for multigenerational families as well, as they're forced to work together to navigate their way to the exit. Dead ends abound, and in the end, kids usually prove who has the best sense of direction.

ALOUN FARMS Look closely and you will see an image of King Kamehameha on the right, in front of the flag of the Kingdom of Hawaii, in the corn maze designed by Campbell junior Agatupu Sefuiva.

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