Before entering the "Corn Crib" at Gull Meadow Farms in Kalamazoo County, MI, visitors must pass a large sign warning them to take off their rings and loose jewelry.
You see, the 1,500-square-foot barn piled with kernels one foot deep makes for an exciting Fall outing with the little ones as they play and dig in the corn. But the ever-present cornstarch dust can make one's hands so slippery that ill-fitting rings and other jewelry can easily slide off.
Earlier this week, Gull Meadow Farms posted to its Facebook page an alert that an engagement ring had been found by one of their guests in the Corn Crib over the weekend.
"It’s apparent that the guest didn’t know they lost it here as we haven’t been contacted by anyone," read the post. "It’s very important to us that the correct person find their ring. Help us spread the word if you can so the owner can be found."
The Facebook post has been shared 2,800 times.
Justin Wendzel, the manager of Gull Meadow Farms, explained to a reporter for ABC affiliate WZZM13 News in Grand Rapids that his organization was very committed to finding the correct owner. The manager did not publish a photo of the ring because he wants the person who claims it to describe it precisely.
"I don't want to show it to everybody, because then everybody would say, 'Yes, that's mine'," Wendzel told WZZM13.
About 550 miles northwest of Kalamazoo, the corn pit at Waldoch Farm in Lino Lakes, MN, swallowed up Jess Tran's diamond wedding ring, according to her account in the Star Tribune.
Tran, her husband and three young sons enjoyed an afternoon in the corn maze, pumpkin patch and corn pit, but it wasn't until they were ready to pack up to return home did she realize her precious jewelry was gone — buried in an endless sea of corn kernels.
Waldoch Farm also posted a warning sign about removing loose jewelry, but Tran said she did not notice the warning because she had her attention focused on her little boys.
After renting a metal detector, Tran arranged to return to the farm prior to its official opening time and was able to rescue her ring, along with someone else's earring and some random coins.
"My heart just started pounding," she told the Star Tribune. "I started screaming and crying. I felt like I was being proposed to all over again. I was so happy."
Just 20 miles away in Brooklyn Park, MN, the loss of jewelry at Twin Cities Harvest Festival and Maze is so prevalent that the proprietor keeps metal detectors on hand.
"People are losing stuff nonstop," said Bear Bouwman, whose family owns and operates the facility. Among the most frequently lost items are rings, bracelets, necklaces, earrings, keys and cellphones.
Credits: Screen captures via wzzm13.com.