'Heavy heart': Scamman Farm ending corn maze, marketplace, a beloved fall tradition

STRATHAM — Scamman Farm’s agritourism business, which includes its popular corn maze, will not be returning this fall, as owners Kirk Scamman and Sue Fernholz are planning to retire.

Scamman said fall 2021 saw an “excellent season” for the business run by Scamman and Fernholz at the farm on Route 108, even in the wake of a devastating fire in May that claimed their historic barn, 300 chickens and other properties on the farm.

However, Scamman said “issues” related to land have created uncertainty for him and Fernholz, declining to elaborate further. They have run the agritourism business for 14 years, the farmland itself owned by Scamman’s parents Doug and Stella.

“The future of the business, as well as the location of the maze, was too unknown for us to bet our lives on,” Kirk Scamman said. He said he had “no concept” of the future of the property, adding, “We decided we needed to take care of ourselves.”

Exeter area news: Download the Seacoastonline mobile app to learn about new restaurants, hotels and events.

Doug Scamman said he and his father bought the historic farm with its barns and hundreds of acres in 1972, and that he was left the farm in full when his father died in 1995. He said this week he has no intention of selling the property.

“When my father died, his will left me the farm,” Scamman said. “I worked on the farm for years, and it was active, and he wanted me to keep it going. I’m hoping it keeps going later on after I die.”

Kirk Scamman said other factors played into the decision, which was made at the end of the fall season. He said they have dealt with trespassers and crop damage as well, and indicated his feelings had changed about the work, saying, “If you don’t enjoy it, there’s no reason to do it. It’s a lot of hard work.”

Sweet return to Stratham: Hodgies Too ice cream shop opens at former spot

He said he has since taken a job with the town of Exeter, and at 57 he said he looks forward to retirement in 10 years. Fernholz, who has always worked full time in addition to the farm, has gone to work at a veterinarian practice, he said.

“It was a wonderful experience, and the relationships we have formed with our customers, they will stick with us forever,” Kirk Scamman said. “The decision to close our agritourism business was not an easy choice.”

'Thank you from the bottom of our hearts'

Fernholz announced the news on Facebook this week “with heavy heart,” explaining to patrons they will “no longer be doing the corn maze, pumpkins or the marketplace” at their 69 Portsmouth Avenue farm.

“We have loved getting to know all of your families and watching you grow!” she wrote. “We thank you kindly for your 14 years of support throughout all of our endeavors. We will truly miss seeing your faces, hearing your stories and laughing with you. We were blessed to be able to be a part of your lives. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.”

The farm’s property and many of its buildings can be traced back centuries. Its farmhouse was built in 1776, and the farm was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2019. The Scammans ran it as a dairy farm known as Bittersweet Farm after the 1972 purchase.

While running their farm with their twin sons Kirk and Karl, as the years passed, Doug and Stella started the Agway store in 1984. They also became involved in New Hampshire politics. Both were elected to the House of Representatives, with Doug becoming speaker of the House for a time and presidential candidates speaking at the farm.

Eventually, Karl Scamman would take over the management of the store – which will remain open – while Kirk and Susan farmed the land, creating Scamman Farm in 2010.

The couple raised pumpkins and hay and committed to preserving agriculture through agritourism, inviting the community to share the experience. They also held birthday parties and group functions there, welcoming high school and UNH students.

138 townhouses at old Stratham college site: Developers unveil big plans

Each fall Kirk and Susan offered a six-acre professionally-cut corn maze at Scamman Farm, with miles of twisting paths within to enchant labyrinth lovers each fall. It was coupled with mountains of pumpkins in its pumpkin shack, as well as games, treats, and farm animals for all to enjoy. Plus, they offered an annual photo opportunity for the parents of many children to measure “How Tall This Fall.”

But on May 11, 2021, a fire destroyed Scamman Farm’s four-story, an 80-foot-long barn built in 1836. Firefighters were able to save the recently refurbished English-style barn built in 1750, but not before the fire spread to its exterior.

In September 2021, Scamman said the fire prevented them from operating the farm stand over the summer, and that he hoped to repair two of the damaged buildings by spring, with plans to rebuild the dairy barn once those two projects were finished over the coming winter.

“We’re going to take the winter to figure out what our needs are (for the new barn),” Scamman said at the time.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Stratham NH Scamman Farm ending corn maze, marketplace