Photo by Skip Lawrence The 13th Annual Fall Festival at Summers Farm Adventure at 5614 Butterfly Lane in Frederick. Fall farm attractions include the 8 acre cornfield maze, hay rides, pig races, jumping pillow, farm animals, pick your own pumpkins, hay slides and more. Evenings at the farm feature the flashlight corn maze or reserve a campfire site. Home style food and treats are available at the Country Market, the Sweet Shoppe and the Barnyard Grill.

Larger farms are being chopped up or sold off and made into smaller farms, said Colby Ferguson, Frederick County's economic development specialist for agriculture.

To cope, farmers like the Burrier family in Union Bridge decided to diversify after they realized that the prices they were being paid for the products from their KKR Acres Dairy Farm did not cover production costs.

That's when Little Beavers Pumpkin Patch and Corn Maze was born, said Robyn Burrier, who runs the business with her husband, Dennis. This fall marks the first patch and maze for the Burriers.

A number of Frederick County dairy farms have diversified what they have on offer to include corn mazes, pumpkin patches, tree farming, cover crops, hayrides and fall festivals.

Maryland's farmers offer a variety of fall activities as a low-cost way for families to spend time together outdoors, according to the MDA.

Frederick County's eighth Family Festival @ the Farm -- Oct. 17 and 18 -- is intended to educate the public about the county's diverse agriculture industry. More than 119,000 people have participated in the festival over the last seven years.

Depending on the farm, visitors may be able to enjoy a variety of other activities including farm stands, scarecrow-making, petting farm, pony rides, decorations, fresh apple cider and home-baked goods.

Little Beavers Pumpkin Patch and Corn Maze was designed with the hope that diversifying the farmland would help supplement the family farm expenses, Burrier said.

"It will give others the chance to enjoy the peace, serenity and the simple family fun that the Burrier family has always enjoyed," Burrier said.

Fall offerings at Summers Farm in Frederick include a jumping pillow, rubber duck races, pedal cart preakness, giant slides, straw mountain, campfires, hayrides, farm barnyard, pumpkin train, pig races, pony rides and farm food.

Maryland Agriculture Secretary Buddy Hance said fall is a wonderful time for families and friends to get outside and onto a farm.

"Corn mazes, pick your own pumpkin patches, hayrides and fall festivals provide a unique opportunity for people not only to have fun, but also to visit working farms, learn more about agriculture and where our food comes from," Hance said.

And by expanding their businesses to include agritourism, many of Maryland's farmers have been able to add value to their operations, Hance said.