Turn by turn, acre after acre, Nolan Wentz and his lawn mower have a challenging job ahead. But it doesn't involve cutting grass.

He explains, “it's kind of a balancing act between watching the screen and watching your surroundings.”

He's creating a corn maze for the annual Fall Festival at Yenser's Tree Farm in Lehighton. Nolan grew up on this farm and is part of the fourth generation, along with his brother Logan.

“Even while going through school and college, I knew the farm was something I wanted to continue being part of. I didn't want to move far away. I wanted to be here weekends and after work and raise my family here as well,” Nolan explained.

GPS technology shows Nolan exactly where to turn and trace. This year a cat is coming to life, sponsored by Lehigh Valley Health Network, part of Jefferson Health. Each season, families get lost in a different design.

“The corn maze is about five acres, and it typically takes guests between a half hour and hour to get through. We do have a couple games as well with different checkpoints in the maze, and we even give a free pumpkin or gourd if our guests can hit all the checkpoints,” he said.

Nolan's parents, Jan and Ryan, took over Yenser’s in 2015. The scenic property overlooking the Mahoning Valley was founded as a Christmas tree farm.

“When you overlook the valley, you realize time has sort of stood still. My grandfather, dad, and uncle started the business in the early 70s as a side business, they all had other jobs. Since I was a little girl, I’ve always been on the farm and here selling Christmas trees. My brother and I always helped at the farm, and continued by bringing my children here,” Jan, co-owner, explained.

Jan and Ryan have since expanded the offerings to include Fall Fest held weekends from late September through October with hayrides, a pumpkin patch, the corn maze, a corn cannon, and other family activities.

In the summer, a popular Sunflower Festival sprouts up the first two weekends of August, perfect for pictures and pick-your-own.

And of course, Yenser's continues to offer a variety of cut-your-own Christmas trees along with a holiday gift shop, complimentary hot chocolate, and a visit from Old Time Santa.

Jan said, “we wanted to keep the tradition since a lot of families had grown accustomed to coming here and it was what they did for Christmas. We also wanted to expand into some other seasons just to make it more sustainable for our family. We embraced bringing people to the farm and making this more of an experience, and it grew from that.”

Even outgrowing the garage that festivals were operating from. So, Valley View at Yenser's was born in 2024. Managed by Nolan and his wife, the flexible 5,000-square-foot venue is also available for weddings and special events.

“The view is breathtaking, it's beautiful, and it's the first thing our guests notice when doing the venue tour. It's quite spectacular, especially depending on the time of the year,” Nolan said.

For Jan and her son Nolan, their childhoods were rooted in the farm. Experiences now being had by all who visit.

“We all just enjoy sharing the space with our community and being a place that people come to create even more memories. It's a special thing,” Jan said.

“There’s a connection to the land. This is all I know. I can't imagine what I would do without this,” Nolan added.

A family farm that continues to grow, in more ways than one.