Michael Phillips

Phillips Farms of Cary

About Phillips Farms: For over 100 years the farm has been in the Phillips family and has continued to evolve to stay relevant to changing demands and trends. With the help of family and friends, it has grown into a large destination for families to visit from all over North Carolina. Our business includes a variety of activities that vary per season but all fall into our overall theme of farm fresh fun.

We start each year with our spring season which includes our farm fresh strawberries. Our fall season, our busiest time of the year, includes our 7-acre corn maze, family fun park with over 30 activities for the whole family to do. During fall evenings, our farm gets a little spooky with our haunted experience. This is on weekends in October and has four different attractions, which draw in thousands of people each night.

An introduction: I’m the fourth generation; my son will be the fifth generation. My dad actually purchased the property that we’re on right now from his grandfather. … (My dad) gave me the idea of the agri-tainment, just a hint, and I just ran with it.

Our corn maze with our fall activities, is what pulls in the most people. …We just surpassed 70,000 last year for attendance, and that’s just in the fall. It’s been wild. I’m not sure how we’ve kept up with that, but we somehow have.

Biggest risk: The gut feeling like something’s gonna happen is always there, because it’s farming.

I started when I was 20 and got the loan (to start the corn maze) — never had a loan in my life…. I was like, well it’s gonna be seven weekends, but the good Lord and faith got me through that. The first three weekends were in my mind a failure, and then the next two weekends allowed me to pay back the loan.

Inspiration: Faith, family and customers. Watching the happiness and joy on families faces at the farm when here keeps me going. I enjoy coming up with new ideas each year for families to laugh and have fun with. My job allows me to create a wholesome fun time for families to go do together and enjoy.

Greatest challenge: The weather hands down. Channeling my ideas, as well, down to just a few at a time.

Fun fact: I played offensive lineman in college. I was about 300-plus pounds when I started this business in 2008.