DeKALB | If you are driving on the winding Malta Road, it is very possible to miss a gem in the rough cornfields, if not the town altogether.

Standing just south of Malta Road is Jonamac Orchards, 19412 Shabbona Road, home to 5,000 apple trees and starting in October, a haunted corn maze. This year, the design is based off the logo used in the dedication to Malta’s sesquicentennial celebration.

To catch the attention of passersby are welcome flags that wave invitingly on the entry ways of the Orchard. Yet, once stepping foot into Jonamac, it is obvious that it has many things to offer besides a bushel of apples or a playful scare in the haunted maze.

Kevin McArtor, owner and operator of Jonamac, said he feels like he has two lives in the fall: one at the orchard and the other at a part-time day job. Still, his knowledge of the orchard’s history is evident — McArtor described the orchard’s roots in about 10 minutes.

While the months of September through November host a corn maze, the workers at Jonamac are busy all year leading up to their active season. Pruning for the 15-acre orchard — which hosts 24 varieties of apples — starts in the winter.

Sitting at one of the scattered tables inside the combined bakery and shop are a couple who have been married for 54 years. Pat and Kelly Wyatt, 72 and 73 respectively, from Rochelle, have stopped in on their way to DeKalb for their bi-yearly visit.

“It’s pleasant, homey and comforting,” Pat said. “We’re retired and it makes you feel good, and the food is the frosting on the cake.”

The construction of the maze starts between late May and early June. A contractor draws up the design work and sends maps to McArtor. Using a grid system and a series of 25 interlocking maps, the maze links together.

“In 2000, we found a fellow doing contracting and talked to the guys,” McArtor said.

In that year, Jonamac was the 26th company to sign on with their contractor. As of this year, the count has grown to include over 170 different farms and companies.

Other orchards reuse previous designs. While watching NBC one morning, McArtor recognized a previous maze of Jonamac’s cornfield in New York.