LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Lewis Beeler’s parents survived the Depression by raising chickens on their family farm five miles south of Lafayette, Ind.

Beeler himself has spent his whole life tending the fields, honoring the promise he made to his parents to never sell the farm.

But with none of his eight children following in his footsteps and his own health deteriorating, Lewis and his wife, Donna, knew the chances of the farm staying in the family yet another generation were dismal at best.

At least until their son, Tim Fitzgerald, came up with an idea that he and his siblings hope will breathe new life into the dilapidated, empty outbuildings and continue to bring people to the farm for generations to come.

“Over here, there will be a parking lot,” Fitzgerald said, gesturing toward a grassy patch behind the old farmhouse where his grandparents used to live. “The old chicken house will be turned into restrooms and over in this area there will be a garden where the kids can see the vegetables grow.”

Fitzgerald bubbled of enthusiasm as he explained the hidden potential of the premises where he remembers shoveling chicken manure and raising animals for 4-H projects as a child.

About three years ago, Fitzgerald learned about the growing agritourism industry and immediately saw an opportunity to revive the family farm while creating jobs for the family as well as other people in the community. This past summer, family members put in some serious sweat equity in the project, painting and restoring some of the old barns to their former glory.

The big horse barn that Fitzgerald’s grandfather once built will be remodeled and rented out as a party venue. Right behind it, there will be a pumpkin patch and hay maze for children to play in. The wooded acres to the west of the barn will sport picnic tables and fire pits, and in the fields behind the trees a 15-acre corn maze will be planted next June.

And it doesn’t stop there. Fitzgerald’s mother, Donna Beeler, is dreaming of opening a little country kitchen in the empty farmhouse and would like to see a craft shop in one of the small sheds.

But above all, Fitzgerald wants the farm, which will open to the public under the name Exploration Acres next year, to be a hands-on learning center where children can connect with modern agriculture in a fun way. With more farmland turning into subdivisions and more children growing up in cities, Fitzgerald thinks there’s a need for authentic farm experiences.

“Most people are touched by agriculture in their everyday life, but at the same time they’re removed from it,” he said. “A bridge needs to be created between agriculture and progress, and the best way to do that is to open up the farm to people. Here, they can learn a little more than from going to the county fair.”

Fitzgerald hopes to work closely with Purdue University, and eventually pursue corporate sponsorships for educational facilities at the farm. The goal is to educate children about agriculture through entertainment, and give them the tools to face the challenges of tomorrow, like a booming population and rampant consumerism.

“While people are here I want them to feel like it’s their farm too,” Fitzgerald said. “A year or two down the road when the kids look back they may not remember exactly what they did here. But they’ll remember what they felt when they were here and I want that to be a positive feeling.”

Fitzgerald, now an industrial designer living on the east side of Indianapolis, once planned for a career in agriculture. But while he was at Purdue University pursuing a degree in agricultural economics in the middle of the 1980s, farm values plummeted and he decided to switch majors.

None of Fitzgerald’s seven siblings farm, but five are actively involved in developing Exploration Acres, and his brother-in-law is a partner in the company they’ve formed to run the operation.

“Tim brought up the idea several years ago and my husband and I were really open to it,” said Beeler. “My husband’s health has been deteriorating and he had to stop farming a few years ago, so we could either try to hold on to what we had or try to go big.

“I’d really like to see this go somewhere, so the farm will be there for our grandchildren.”