Founder - MAiZE and Cornbellys

Biography - Founder of the MAiZE and Cornbelly's

"You can take the boy out of the farm, but you can't take the farm out of the boy."

And so the story begins. When Brett Herbst launched his first corn maze in 1996, he drew most of his knowledge and motivation from his roots. A Salmon, Idaho native who grew up on his family's ranch, and a 1995 Brigham Young University agribusiness graduate who spent two years working for the worldwide Farm Management Company, Herbst was born and bred with a knowledge and passion for agriculture.

The idea of a maze sparked by a similar venture he had read about in a farming magazine, Brett's original labyrinth in American Fork, Utah was the largest corn maze created in the western United States. It didn't take long for news of this "corny" attraction to spread and after drawing 18,000 people in only three weeks, The MAiZE was born. Almost immediately, people around the world started contacting Herbst seeking advice and help.

Now having designed more than 1,200 mazes since 1996, Herbst is widely recognized as one of the world's leading corn maze designers. Building on this reputation, The MAiZE is the largest maze consulting company in the world, working with more than 190 current locations. Since its founding the venture has captured media attention around the world, including: Paul Harvey News, CNN, USA Today, Time, National Geographic, Family Circle, and The Today Show.

As founder of the company, Herbst is involved with all aspects of its year-round operations, including: designing, cutting, marketing, consulting, etc. In addition, he still manages the operation of his flagship maze in Utah: Cornbelly's Corn Maze & Pumpkin Fest at Thanksgiving Point.

Brett on Brett...

Age: 36
Family: wife Nicole, children Cody, Ashlyn, Gracie Ann, and J.D.
Education: Bachelor's in Agribusiness from Brigham Young University
Background: Raised on farm in Salmon, ID
Current Hometown: Springville, UT
Accomplishments: Founder of world's largest corn maze consulting company and a one-time holder of Guinness record for largest corn maze

The MAiZE Craze...

1996 MAiZE was founded by Herbst in American Fork, Utah
1997 Three mazes in Utah and Idaho
1998 15 mazes across the United States
1999 26 mazes in the U.S. and Canada
1999 Set the Guinness record for world's largest corn maze
2000 60 mazes in the U.S. and Canada
2001 105 mazes in the U.S. and Canada
2002 130+ mazes in U.S., Canada and Europe
2003 140+ mazes in U.S., Canada, Europe, Mexico
2004 150+ mazes in U.S., Canada, Europe, Mexico
2005 165+ mazes in U.S., Canada, Europe, Mexico
2006 180+ mazes in U.S., Canada, Mexico, Portugal, Italy and the United Kingdom
2007 190+ mazes in the U.S., Canada, Italy, Poland and the United Kingdom