If your offering feels more like a commodity than a prized jewel, follow this farmer through the maze of positioning and see what lies in his fields of gold.
By all accounts, Brett was a hardworking man who longed to farm. It was in his blood. Raised on a ranch, he wanted nothing more than to build the same life for his own family. On its own, that dream wasn’t unreasonable. But starting out as a farmer during one of the most difficult financial periods in the agriculture industry was another story entirely.
Dropping commodity prices, unpredictable weather, and limited access to capital made the traditional farming path increasingly risky. Faced with these constraints, Brett was forced to think differently.
In 1996, Brett Herbst positioned himself as something more than a farmer. He became the Master of Mazes.
Rather than treating his cornfields solely as a food source, Brett reimagined them as a rural playground. Cornfields became corn mazes, destinations for families, schools, and communities. The idea proved wildly successful. Building on that momentum, Brett began consulting with other farmers, eventually launching a multi-million-dollar agritainment venture that designs, cuts, and promotes corn mazes for rural farms around the world.
According to a New York Times story, Brett’s company generated close to $2 million through its corn maze business, revenue earned above and beyond the value of the corn itself. Not bad for a farmer willing to challenge convention, embrace creativity, and take a stand against the grain.
If your offering feels stuck in commodity territory, contact us, we can help you uncover new ground.
