But living in his family's farmhouse - which dates back to the early 1900s, on land that has been in his family since the early 1800s - while supporting a family in 2011 presents challenges many newcomers can't imagine.

Ferrell's land, known as Green Acres, is on Morrisville-Carpenter Road and fills with visitors in the early fall for its corn maze. The maze, now in its third year, is the farm's most visible venture, but Ferrell also sells pumpkins, Christmas trees and beef cows.

Like many farm owners in today's changing world, Ferrell has had to diversify: He works in commercial and residential site development and road construction in Cary and surrounding areas.

Q: How did you get the idea for the corn maze a few years ago, and why did you choose to invite so many visitors to your property?

A: Our farm grew tobacco up until 2000. Our family farmed about 200 acres of tobacco in Wake and Durham counties in the '70s until the late '80s. We planted our farm and others until much of that land got developed.

By 2000, we realized we had to do something, and we tried planting 300 acres of soybeans. We looked into the corn maze concept, and after the first year, we realized we were better off with the corn maze than anything else we could plant.

We had been selling Christmas trees for about 12 to 14 years, and the corn maze was really just something to support the Christmas tree sales.

Q: How much preparation goes into the corn maze?

A: We start planning in January. The first year, I did it myself, but the last couple of years, we've had a corporate sponsor, MI Homes. The engineer draws up a design for the maze. When we plant the field in July, about a week later someone comes and lays out the design of the maze with flags. We spray herbicide in the maze where the paths will be.

Q: What happens to the corn? Is it harvested before or after or at all?

A: We raise beef cattle, and we wean the calves at 8 to 9 months old. When we are finished using the maze for visitors, around Halloween, we let the calves loose to eat what is left.

We aren't trying to raise the corn for feed; we want the plants to get high. This is a grain-type corn, and it would be sold for feed if it was harvested.

Q: Is the corn maze just one more symptom of the changing face of farming in our area?

A: I'm 45, and back when I was a kid, within a five- to six-mile radius there were about 40 individual tobacco farms. I think we were the last ones to stop growing tobacco. There was one grocery store in Morrisville, and one in Cary, and when we needed to buy clothes, we had to go to Raleigh or Durham. That's how much things have changed.

Q: How much has the difficult economy affected you personally?

A: The economy has hurt our business just like it's hurt everyone else's. I tell everyone, though, that they are not going to move RDU Airport or Research Triangle Park. I think we're still a little insulated from how bad things are in other areas.

One thing I've noticed, as we've done the corn maze and talked to visitors is how many people from different nationalities live here. (As an individual farmer whose family has been here a long time) it seems our interests are often not the same.

Q: What is something that would surprise people about your work?

A: I think they would be surprised how many different hats you have to wear to support a family. There is a lot more multitasking in farming than there used to be.

Q: Have you enjoyed having the corn maze on your land?

A: It's a lot of work - it's not like "Field of Dreams," where you plant it and they will come - you plant it and hope they'll come. But it is good, inexpensive, wholesome family fun.