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Jean Phillips of the historic Phillips Farm in Germantown has weathered cancer and the suburbanization of the rural landscape where her family worked and lived for five generations, but the deer were the last straw.

Phillips, operator of Phillips Farm since 1977, had been considering leaving the long hours and uncertainty of farming life behind for years. She began selling off portions of the 1,000-acre property decades ago and moved most of the growing to the Frederick County farm that she recently turned over to her foreman of more than 15 years. Several bouts of cancer, including a recurrence last fall, inspired her to travel more with family and pursue new adventures.

Phillips had already decided this year would be the last that her 12-acre entertainment farm at 13710 Schaeffer Road would be transformed into a Halloween wonderland when she found that everything from the pumpkin patch to the ears of corn decorating the corn maze had been decimated by deer.

"I looked out and saw the deer had eaten everything," Phillips said. "It's not possible to do what I do there anymore, but a lot of people see the pumpkins sitting out there and don't realize we put them there. We always have to bring pumpkins in [from our Frederick farm] but leave the vines and flowers on the ground so people can see the process, and it was all gone."

The Phillips family has farmed in Maryland since 1649 and in the county since 1790, and Jean was born on the Germantown property. The farm has hosted community events such as festivals and taught school children about agriculture.

"In a way I understand the need for urbanization, and that's what drew us to the area, but it's hard to see a family business go by the wayside," said seven-year Germantown resident Susan Field, who visits the farm at least once every fall with her children. "...She's always willing to lend an ear and to listen and is a wonderful, warm person, and I wish her all the best."

Phillips said it was important for her to say goodbye.

"I wanted to have a chance to tell people we were leaving so they wouldn't be surprised next year when we're not there," Phillips said. "...I know so many people in Germantown, hundreds it seems like, but not many where it's social. A lot of the people I care a lot about, it's going to be hard to see them."

Phillips and her friends and family will take one last hayride together after the stand closes for the last time Saturday, and she plans to spend more time taking nature and landscape photography, another one of her passions.