Big Trouble in Little Knotts Berry Farm

Matt Roloff is a fighter--or as he puts it, a "David in a Goliath world." He's the president of Little People of America (dedicated to assisting people faced with the challenges of dwarfism), he's been a successful computer systems designer, and has even starred as an Ewok in Return of the Jedi.

Now he's a little farmer with a big problem.

Fourteen years ago, he bought a small farm in rural Washington County, and began growing fruits, berries, pumpkins and Christmas trees. He also started building an assortment of eccentric play structures for "personal use."

These structures are a bizarre assortment, including a Wild West town, mining tunnels, a covered picnic area, a pirate ship (complete with lagoon), and a tree house that would make Robinson Crusoe blush. There's even a giant concrete medieval castle.

True to his entrepreneurial spirit, Roloff soon envisioned combining his humble "U-Pick" peach farm and play structures into Helvetia Family Adventures: a fantasy /adventure farm-stand of colossal proportions. Using Helvetia Family Adventures as an on-site, fee-based marketing gimmick, Roloff believes he can sell more produce by offering a fun place for people to spend the day.

It's a beautiful idea, with just one problem; according to Roloff, there's an angry mob of neighbors jealous of his success and scheming to undermine his goals.

# posted by Dan @ Wednesday, August 11, 2004