LEXINGTON, S.C. — Clinton Sease owns Clinton Sease Farm in Lexington.
“My farm used to be a full time vegetable farm with 25 full time employees,” Sease said. “But I had to make a decision about 19 years ago. I had to do something different, because I either had to get bigger or get smarter.”
Now, during this time of year, the farm is home to fall agritourism attractions like a corn maze, pumpkin patch and hayrides. Agritourism is agriculture based activities that bring people to farms, ranches or other agricultural settings.
“Every year we've added and added and added, the corn maze is a little over eight acres over three miles of trail,” Sease said.
Jackie Moore, agritourism marketing specialist at the Department of Agriculture and director of the Agritourism Association, says fall agritourism season makes all the difference for South Carolina farmers.
“Many, many of our farms rely on October, sometimes a couple of weeks into November as their money making season,” Moore said. “Because they invite people into their farms for pumpkin patches and corn mazes and syrup making- just all kinds of different fall activities.”
The department says farmers often branch into agritourism to help diversify their farm income.
"Those six weeks in the fall are usually what they are depending on for their income for the year,” Moore said. “Now other farms, of course, are open year round and they have things going on, but that's a big moneymaker for South Carolina farms.”
Sease agrees.
"It makes or breaks our year," Sease said. "If we don't do it in October, it's gonna be a cold winter."
He says turnout for the season, ending with the next three weekends, determines the rest of the year. They'll start planting strawberries for the spring this month, but Sease says strawberry season only makes up a 'smidge' of their income.
“We appreciate everybody coming out and getting lost,” Sease said. “Everybody coming out and getting a pumpkin.”
Clinton Sease Farm is open Fridays through Sundays, with fall agritourism attractions running until November 5.