Jaemor Farms creates Dolly Parton-themed corn maze in North Georgia

Ever wonder how a cornfield becomes a giant puzzle you can actually walk through? At Jaemor Farms in North Georgia, creating a corn maze takes months of planning, a little patience and help from the experts.

The farm's latest maze pays tribute to country music legend Dolly Parton, combining a fall favorite with a celebration of the singer's music and philanthropy.

Jesse Gibson and her family have called Jaemor Farms home since 1912. What was once primarily farmland and cattle pastures has evolved into a destination for families looking for seasonal fun.

Each year, Gibson and her family attend Corn Party, an annual convention for corn maze owners, where they decide on a theme for the next maze.

"We're part of a national maze company. We actually go to a corn party conference every year." Gibson said.

This year, Gibson and her sister agreed that Parton was the perfect inspiration.

"My sister and I were both like, 'We've got to do Dolly. Everybody loves Dolly!'" Gibson said.

Planning began in April, months before visitors would step into the maze. The timing proved especially fitting when Parton passed earlier this year.

"She's just had such an impact, not only on music, but in her giving spirit," Gibson said. "This was just a great way for us to partner with the causes that we feel, very, very pulled to," she added.

Once the design is selected, the family plants the corn and waits for it to grow. Irrigation and favorable growing conditions help the field develop, but nature does not always cooperate.

"Then you kind of just wait. You irrigate it, you hope it grows," Gibson said.

If portions of the field do not grow evenly, the family may replant those areas early enough in the season to allow the new corn to catch up.

But growing the corn is only the beginning. Turning a field into a recognizable maze requires specialized planning and careful execution.

That is where the experts come in. The maze company uses GPS devices and printed maps to plot the design directly onto the field. Workers then follow the planned routes with backpack sprayers, treating specific sections of corn to create the pathways.

"The maize company actually comes down and they go through the maze with some GPS and some printed paper," Gibson said.

The process is precise, and the farm keeps some of the details under wraps to preserve the mystery for visitors.

For Gibson, the months of preparation are worth it when families arrive to explore the finished maze.

"It's a lot of work that goes into it. But it's so much fun," she said. "It's just a great time for us to, you know, let people come out onto this piece of land that we have love for so many years and just be a part of our story."

Of course, navigating the maze is a challenge of its own. Some visitors come prepared with a map on their phones, while others rely on trial and error. Jaemor Farms employee Lynn Lewis even has a strategy for those who start to feel trapped.

"The thing I like about the corn maze is … because I'm claustrophobic. You can just cut through the corn and get out of there!" Lewis said with a laugh.

Other visitors may find themselves calling for help.

And before anyone gets hungry while finding their way out, Gibson has one important warning: The corn is not meant to be eaten.

"We like to tell everybody … this is not edible corn!" she said. "You would not love it!"

Instead, visitors can grab a map, bring their friends, and enjoy the challenge of finding their way through the field. And if all else fails, singing a Dolly Parton song might at least make the journey more entertaining.

The Jaemor Farms corn maze is open through Nov. 8.