This War's a Corn Maze (with No Way Out)

Article published Tuesday, October 9, 2007
Fremont farmer plants dead-end message on war in Iraq
'Anti-maze' has kernel of dissent


Dave Rimelspach enjoys poking fun at corn mazes. But he is serious about Iraq, saying 'War is not good.'
( THE BLADE/JEREMY WADSWORTH )

By JENNIFER FEEHAN
BLADE STAFF WRITER


FREMONT - The message hovering over Dave Rimelspach's cornfield is none too subtle.
At the end of a straightaway, 200-foot-long path cut into the field is a sign that says, "Iraqi Corn Maze: No Way Out."

The "maze" is, quite simply, a dead end.

"It's not really a corn maze. It's pretty much a spoof on corn mazes, and I guess it's a political statement too," said Mr. Rimelspach, 52, who opposes the war but said he's "not radical" about it.

"How can anybody be for the war?" he asked. "War is not good."

Business at corn mazes is good, though, and the owner of Rimelspach Farms and Produce at State Rts. 12 and 53, south of Fremont, said he enjoys poking fun at the corn maze phenomenon.

"People spend so much money using GPS systems to design corn mazes. They spend thousands of dollars building them, and we get almost as much attention by doing something simple."

In business since 1992, he said he's never built his own real corn maze.

"I kind of have more fun doing the anti-corn maze," he said.

He mounted the "Iraqi Corn Maze" sign on a forklift so that it would be easy for motorists to see from Route 53.

"Real staunch Democrats just love it," Mr. Rimelspach said. "They take it purely as a political thing, not so much a tongue-in-cheek joke. I haven't gotten anything negative yet."

Like the hundreds of bright orange pumpkins arranged around his business, he's hoping simply to attract attention.

"Different people slow down and stop," he said. "I was a little leery one day when I saw a big black SUV parked there and it kind of looked like CIA."