On a brisk fall afternoon, the wind whipped Roni Hoff’s hair against her face. As she shifted her body to shield herself from the cold, her gaze landed on a rust-colored barn, with a nearby stable for pony rides and rolling green farmland, the sight of which brought a smile to her face.

“You know, it didn’t use to look like this,” she said, her mind taking her back more than 20 years. “None of this was here. It was a blank barn, and it was just as disheveled as you can imagine, just a terrible looking place. Just the work to get it in shape was daunting. But it’s very different now.”

Hoff and husband Rick together own Amazing Acres, 18430 US-12 E., Edwardsburg. Purchasing the property in 1999, the couple rehabilitated the property and opened the 90-plus acre farm to the public in 2001 for a fall fun farm that offers several family-friendly attractions including a pumpkin patch, hayrides, a barnyard, a corn maze, zip line and more. The farm’s season runs from mid-September to the end of October.

“We love bringing in new people to the area so that they can experience life in this area,” Hoff said. “We have something here for everyone, from little ones to grandparents.”

The Hoffs initially bought the property Amazing Acres sits on to grow pumpkins, which they had previously been renting property to do. When the Edwardsburg farm came up for sale, the couple jumped at the chance to buy, later turning to agrotourism to help the property pay for itself. Each year since opening, the farm has added new attractions to draw in more visitors and bring awareness to local farming.

“We come up with ideas that will entertain our clients, but also educate them on farming,” Hoff said. “That’s really our main focus — education through entertainment.”

Much of Amazing Acres is all about teaching its younger visitors — including school groups — about farming, focusing on subjects like animal husbandry, animal care and behavior, crops and farm-to-table eating, among other topics.

Hoff said that the farm uses its many attractions to make the learning experience fun for visiting children, so that even city children can learn to care about farming and its importance to local communities.

Making Amazing Acres an educational venture has been a passion of Hoff’s. Having grown up on a working cattle farm, she said she knows first-hand how important it is to teach children about farming and the land.

“If we lose the farms, we lose our source of food,” she said. “I think growing up, I learned care and concern about animals and the world around me. I don’t want to lose that. I don’t want children to lose that.”

Though Hoff believes it is essential to get local children interested in agriculture, she does not hide the fact that working a farm is hard work.

During the fall season, Hoff’s day begins at 5 a.m., starting her morning by feeding all the animals on the farm and getting ready to greet visitors by 8 a.m. She then works with student groups until around 2 p.m. For Hoff, this is the best part of her day.

“We get to teach the kids the difference between sheep and goats and teach them things like map reading skills, which is a lot of fun,” she said. “I think the biggest thing they get to learn about is teamwork, which we put a big emphasis on.”

The rest of her day is spent planning and caring for the farm. Outside of the attraction portion of the farm, Rick Hoff sharecrops corn, soybeans, hay and alfalfa, which are used on the farm and sold locally.

“It’s a tremendous amount of work,” Hoff said. “The only time we aren’t actively doing something is in January. The rest of the time, it is dedicated to planning, building buildings, and all the other things that we need to do the rest of the year.”

Despite the hard work and sometimes 18-hour days, Hoff said it is worth it to see her farm in peak season, filled with children and families having fun and learning together. One of her favorite things is to watch children grow up as they visit the farm year after year, noting their growth on the farm’s giant measuring pumpkin.

When she looks out on her land now, with the memory of what it was when she and her husband first bought it, Hoff said she can hardly believe that the formerly rundown barn and unruly fields bring in thousands of children looking to have fun and learn about farming.

“it’s just incredible,” she said. “It’s gratifying to be able to provide for our families and give them something to do and making memories for them.”