Kelvin Fletcher has admitted he was "rolling the dice" as he and his wife, Liz, created their first maize maze on their Cheshire farm, risking the profit from their crop on the chance of attracting tourists. The decision, which featured in the latest episode of ITV's Fletcher's Family Farm, saw the couple cut a maze into a four-acre plot, betting that an event would bring in more money than selling the harvest.
A Gamble on the Farm
Outlining the scheme, Kelvin explained: "We have a design of our maze. All we need to do now is cut it out of our four-acre field. Simple, right? I'm feeling a little bit nervous, but we'll be all right. Liz looks very confident, and when Liz looks confident, it reassures me."
He added: "Cutting maize that we could sell for a profit is a risk, but an event could give us a much bigger return. So we're rolling the dice and creating our very first Fletcher maize maze."
Tensions and Setbacks
As the project got under way, Kelvin challenged Liz's approach, saying: "You look like you just make it up as you go along." Liz replied: "I'm not. I'm looking at the map." Kelvin pressed on: "You're making it up as you go along, aren't you? Seriously, this is important. I don't want to sound like a broken record, but there is a lot at stake here, and I just want to make sure we're getting it right."
Addressing the camera directly, Liz remarked: "My biggest problem is Kelvin. He's always my biggest problem." As he continued mowing, Kelvin confessed he found it difficult to cut down a crop they had worked so hard to grow. He said: "I'm wrestling with this because you've spent so long wanting the crop to get up and get established, to then ride through it on a tractor with a mower. You're just butchering it, you're ruining it, and it just doesn't sit well with me. But obviously, we have to do this to create the maze, like every first on the farm; this is a gamble. But even with a few nerves, we're committed."
Sheep Escape and Bull Sale
The pair then faced a further setback when sheep broke loose from their field, forcing them to stop work and round up the flock before finishing the maze. Once the sheep were safely returned, Kelvin and Liz completed the maze and were pleased with the result.
Elsewhere in the episode, the couple auctioned off their bull Ezra for £1,180, with Kelvin hoping the money would go towards expanding their herd. Liz confessed that the pace of farm life had left her little time to come to terms with his departure. She said: "I've not really had much time to process it because although I knew it was coming, you're just sometimes so busy getting on with life that now we're here and I feel like I've not said my goodbyes, but hopefully we'll do well."
Kelvin was delighted with the final selling price, remarking: "It's great, very happy. I think that's tremendous."
