Posted by Greg Parrett on July 30, 2009 at 6:02 PM
I am planning a trip to central/western Kansas to photograph sunflower fields. Can anybody recommend an area that will provide good opportunities?
Posted by Ken Bachman on July 30, 2009 at 10:24 PM
Hi Greg, I live in central Kansas and am sorry to have to tell you that if you are looking for cultivated, domestic sunflowers, you may have to look somewhere else. Several of us were talking at work just the other day that there are no sunflowers this year, in fact none of us could remember seeing a single field.
I don't know all the economics of farming but there must be something going on because about all one can see this year is corn and soybeans but they look great with all the rain we have had. I also talked to a flinthills rancher the other day and he said that other than the maturity of the grasses, that the hills look just like May or early June instead of late July. In other words, everything is green.
I hope someone else can give you better advice than that. Good luck.
There is a field south of Great Bend in central Kansas. It is looking pretty good atm. There used to be a field in Reno County between the Sterling Blacktop and US 50, along one of the paved N/S roads which I can't remember the name of but can give directions to. I haven't been over that way this year to see if it is still there. A couple years ago, there was a field at Quivira NWR in Stafford County that was covered in wild sunflowers, but I haven't gone down that road yet this year. When are you coming through?
Posted by Wayne Rhodus on July 31, 2009 at 8:50 AM
Isn't there / didn't there used to be an annual Sunflower Festival hosted by Goodland, KS in early August? I am almost positive that it was such a draw that the likes of George Lepp has travelled there to photograph the fields of sunflowers before.
Haven't been through the area recently but I know in years past there have been large cultivated fields of sunflowers in and around the Goodland area just off I-70.
I Googled Sunflower Festival, Goodland, KS, and it looks like the festival is going on right now!
With interest in using corn for biofuels, more fields are growing that rather than sunflower seeds. That caused the price of sunflower seeds last year to go up from $12 to around $20 per 50lbs for those that feed wild birds in winter. On a more depressing note, the price of tequila is going up because more fields in Mexico are being converted from growing agaves to corn.
Best,
Don
Posted by Wayne Rhodus on July 31, 2009 at 10:20 AM
Thanks Don, I guess I didn't google the right keywords. I couldn't find any reference to the festival this morning. I thought the festival was held right around the first of August.
Posted by Greg Parrett on July 31, 2009 at 1:30 PM
thanks for your responses. I recently went to Colorado and did not see any large fields along I70. I will check out the Goodland suggestion and see what is happening there.
Discussion
7 repliesI don't know all the economics of farming but there must be something going on because about all one can see this year is corn and soybeans but they look great with all the rain we have had. I also talked to a flinthills rancher the other day and he said that other than the maturity of the grasses, that the hills look just like May or early June instead of late July. In other words, everything is green.
I hope someone else can give you better advice than that. Good luck.
Haven't been through the area recently but I know in years past there have been large cultivated fields of sunflowers in and around the Goodland area just off I-70.
With interest in using corn for biofuels, more fields are growing that rather than sunflower seeds. That caused the price of sunflower seeds last year to go up from $12 to around $20 per 50lbs for those that feed wild birds in winter. On a more depressing note, the price of tequila is going up because more fields in Mexico are being converted from growing agaves to corn.
Best,
Don