With fall around the corner, something special is happening at Crane Orchards. The six-generation farm is known for its U-pick apples, pumpkins and 20-acre corn maze, which features a different design and new challenges every year. This year, it’s designed in honor of two medical facilities that have made a difference in the Crane family’s lives, including Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital.
In 2015, Taylor Crane, a sixth-generation farmer, was involved in a near fatal dirt bike accident that left him in critical condition with a brain injury. With the help of Mary Free Bed, he relearned how to walk, talk, eat and drink again.
With a son of his own and another baby on the way, Taylor is now raising the seventh generation on the farm, something his family wasn’t always sure would be possible. The maze is also a tribute to Shriners Hospitals for Children, which treated Taylor’s nephew for a shoulder injury at birth.
Taylor and his family said the entire trajectory of the nearly 150-year-old farm might have been different if not for these two medical facilities. The Crane family hopes the maze will raise awareness in a unique way while celebrating Michigan’s seasonal splendor. They also plan to make small donations to both hospitals. Visitors are encouraged to do the same using QR codes posted throughout the corn maze.
The farm is also offering complimentary entry into the corn maze for Mary Free Bed employees. Click here to learn more about the farm and listen to Taylor’s interview with WOOD TV8.
