Goebel Farms in Evansville, Indiana faced a wave of criticism after announcing a corn maze honoring Charlie Kirk, the founder of Turning Point USA. The farm told KWTX it chose to honor Kirk for his commitment to free speech.
Fox News reported that Kirk was fatally shot during a TPUSA event at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10, 2025. Fox News also described him as a polarizing figure to some.
Negative reviews and a missing Google page
After the maze’s theme was announced, WEHT reported that the farm’s business page received dozens of negative Google reviews. An Evansville Reddit thread celebrating the backlash claimed the listing had been marked “permanently closed” and later appeared to be removed. DailyHeadlines.net has not independently verified the status of the listing.
Farm’s defense: civil discourse, not division
In a statement reported by 14News, Goebel Farms acknowledged that “not everyone agreed with Kirk’s politics or methods,” saying its intent was to encourage conversation rather than deepen division.
“Our intention was not to suggest that everyone should share Charlie’s beliefs or agree with every statement he made,” the statement read, per 14News. “We recognize that he was a polarizing public figure and that many people strongly disagreed with his views and methods. Charlie was killed while publicly expressing and debating his convictions.”
“In a country founded on the principles of free speech, no person should lose his or her life for participating in political discussion. People are free to challenge ideas, criticize them and reject them — but violence must never become the response to speech,” the farm stated, according to 14News. “That is central to the meaning behind our maze. Even when our disagreements are serious, we must continue talking and listening to one another.”
The farm further described itself as a family business, “not a political organization,” adding: “Our hope remains simple: that Americans can speak openly, disagree honestly and challenge one another’s ideas without hatred or violence — and that our community can continue treating its members with dignity and respect,” per 14News.
Case status
Fox News reported that Tyler Robinson, 23, is accused of killing Kirk and will stand trial after a Utah judge ruled that prosecutors presented enough evidence to proceed on seven charges: aggravated murder; felony discharge of a firearm causing serious bodily injury; two counts of obstruction of justice; two counts of witness tampering; and committing a violent offense in the presence of a child.
Fox News Digital said it reached out to Turning Point USA for comment.
