<p>An easygoing breeze rippled through the dried corn stalks, rattling the leaves with a telltale whoosh.</p>
<p>Bright orange pumpkins bulge out from underneath vines. Ruby red apples weigh down the branches in local orchards, begging to be picked.</p>
<p>Fall on the farm is a sensory experience unlike any other season. As such, farms and orchards throughout Johnson County have taken advantage, putting together special events that not only show off the sights, smells, sounds and tastes of harvest time, but also showcase how vital agriculture is to our lives.</p>[sc:text-divider text-divider-title="Story continues below gallery" ]Click here to purchase photos from this gallery
<p>From live music to corn mazes to pick-your-own pumpkin, now is the time to get back to the farm. Pick up cider, fresh-picked apples and other seasonal produce. Enjoy a milkshake or grilled cheese from a working dairy. Find pumpkins in shades of orange, yellow, white and gourds of all different shapes and sizes for your autumn decorating.</p>
<p>Agritourism in Johnson County offers something different and unique at each farm. Find the best fit with the guide below, or visit them all and discover why fall really is the best time of year down on the farm.</p>
<p>Harvest Adventures at Dougherty Family Farms</p>
<p><strong>Details:</strong> 2248 W. 500N, Franklin; open 1 to 6 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, 1 to 7 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday;</p>
<p><strong>What:</strong> Anyone pulling into the Dougherty family’s Franklin plot of land are immediately struck by the colors. Bright yellow, white, purple and burnt orange mums are stacked throughout the entry way. Bulbous orange pumpkins spread out on hay bales. Gourds — some green, some pale pink, some striped and multi-colored — are arranged in stacks.</p>
<p>When the Doughertys, whose farm has been in operation in Greenwood since 1853, decided to start a fall-time activity, the idea was to use property off of Whiteland Road to create an entire harvest adventure. Not only could people enjoy the bounty of the season, but they could also learn a little bit about modern farm life.</p>
<p>Last year was the first year for the adventure, and it proved to be successful enough to bring it back again.</p>
<p>For $3 admission, venture out into the corn maze and try to navigate the seemingly endless stalks. At the same time, stops throughout the labyrinth will provide some background and education about agriculture and its role in everything we do. A petting zoo and other activities are also included.</p>
<p>The Apple Works</p>
<p>Details: 8157 S. 250W, Trafalgar; 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday; apple-works.com</p>
<p>What: The Apple Works in Trafalgar has proven to be a year-round attraction in Johnson County. Even in the cold of winter and early spring, people come out for their award-winning baked goods, apples and Indiana products. Summer brings fresh produce, from strawberries to blueberries to sweet corn and tomatoes.</p>
<p>But fall is when the orchard really comes alive.</p>
<p>The farm and its general store are overrun with pumpkins and seasonal decor. Bins of apples, from the explosively juicy honeycrisp to the pleasantly sweet-tart Swiss gourmet are arranged for browsing and, if you ask one of the helpful workers, a sample.</p>
<p>People trek out to the you-pick pumpkin patch to find the perfect gourd for their Halloween carving. For those who don’t want to walk, hayrides are available, only adding to the ambiance.</p>
<p>On the orchard’s beautiful grounds, people can relax along the wooded pond, or see ponies, goats and chickens in the animal areas. A super slide and bamboo maze provide activities for kids of all ages. And on the weekends, live music adds another level to the festive atmosphere.</p>
<p><strong>Kelsay Farms</strong></p>
<p>Details: 6 to 10 p.m. Fridays, noon to 10 p.m. Saturdays, noon to 6 p.m. Sundays through Oct. 27; admission $10, free for kids 1 and under; kelsayfarms.com</p>
<p>What: From the ground, it seems as if you’re staring into an impenetrably dense forest of corn. Once you’ve entered the corn maze, the twists and turns can have a disorienting effect until you’re not sure when you’ll get out.</p>
<p>That’s the fun of the 7-acre corn maze the Kelsays plant every year on their Whiteland farm. This year’s maze, when seen from the air, has been cut in the shape of a barn, silo and corn stalk. That’s fitting for a family who is so ingrained in the agricultural fabric of the county. The Kelsays have been farming their land for six generations, ever since President Martin Van Buren signed a land grant in 1837.</p>
<p>The fall festivities on the farm are a way to open up to the public and help people understand a little bit better what it is they do, Amy Kelsay said.</p>
<p>The corn maze is the centerpiece to the activities featured on the farm, where people can navigate the stalks in the daytime or in the evening with a flashlight. Trick-or-Treating through the corn maze is scheduled from 4 to 6 p.m. Oct. 26, and anyone dressed in a costume will receive $1 off admission.</p>
<p>But beyond the maze, people can enjoy a hayride, climb on the straw bale mountain, meet farm animals up close, frolic in the corn crib play area and ride the Moo Choo Express.</p>
<p>Whiteland Orchard</p>
<p>Details: 5559 N. Graham Road, Whiteland; 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday, closed Sunday; whitelandorchard.com</p>
<p>What: This will be the 44th season for Glenn and Becky Haverman as owners of the Whiteland Orchard, and as such, they’ve been a part of Whiteland’s autumn traditions for nearly half a century. Their speciality is a wide variety of apples, from Jonathan to Fuji to Golden Delicious. And with those apples, they make cider fresh-pressed in their farm market from mid-September to December. Fans looking for cider other times can take advantage of their frozen supply, which they sell year round.</p>
<p>But while apples and cider are the focus, Whiteland features a wide range of produce, flowers and other goods to satisfy your farm-based needs. The pumpkin patch offers a place to find the ideal canvas for your spooky Halloween creations. Inside their farm market, people can pick up apples and apple cider, of course, but also Johnson County yellow popcorn, bulk garden seeds, pure local honey, Marion-Kay spices from Brownstown, and canning supplies.</p>
<p>Waterman’s Family Farm</p>
<p>Details: 1100 N. SR 37, Greenwood; 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily; $5 on weekdays, $6 on weekends</p>
<p>What: The Fall Harvest Festival at Waterman’s Family Farms has been a tradition on the southside for decades. On the grounds of the Indianapolis farm, people could take hayrides out to the pumpkin patch, wind through a straw bale maze and witness the awesome power of Tyranni, the farm’s pumpkin-chomping dinosaur.</p>
<p>But a few years ago, the farm expanded its festival to land it owns in Greenwood. The satellite festival has taken on its own feel, and offers some of the favorites people loved about Waterman’s events, as well as some unique activities to try.</p>
<p>The hayrides, petting zoo and faux “milking” cows and barrel horses have all made their way to Greenwood. Kids can scamper around the straw bale playground, hide in the straw bale fort and test themselves in the farm challenge obstacle course. A mini train will putter around the farm grounds, and kids can try out their agricultural skills in the Little Farmer experience.</p>
<p>Pumpkins, gourds, farm produce and scarecrows can all be purchased at the farm market as well.</p>
