Grinter's Sunflower Farm - September 1, 2023 Ted and Kris Grinter's Sunflower Farm in Leavenworth County has become a phenomena. Although Kansas has a great many sunflower fields, those fields are primarily in central and western Kansas. These fields are in the far eastern part of the state (near the population centers) and the Grinter family let the public come into the fields and take photos. A great many people want to have their photos taken with the sunflowers. Professional photographers even schedule sessions here. Sunflowers begin their blooming with the flowers following the sun as it crosses the sky. As the seeds grow heavier, the flower heads start to droop and finally just hang down, with the majority of them facing the east. The photo at the top of this page was taken when the flowers were several days past their best, but there were still several hundred people in the fields taking photos on a Thursday evening. The seeds continued to swell and the flower heads turned black in the next few weeks, But storms made the flowers look pretty ragged before then. For the best photography, come on as sunny day in the first couple of hours after sunrise or before sunset. The peak time for the flowers changes each year. It usually is in late August or early September and the fields look their best for about two weeks. Sunflower General is a local goods & bake shop. The Grinter family opened Sunflower General starting August 26, 2022. They will be open daily for 3 weeks 9AM - 5PM. If they have them, we recommend the chocolate chip cookies! The baked good are baked on premises and the shop will be open every day for the first two weeks. After that it may be open on weekends. Thousands of people visit the sunflower farm and at the peak, it is recommended that you go on a week day mornings for the best experience. The light is usually best before 9:30AM. Be sure to respect the farm and the neighbors. Please do not go onto other property and carry out your trash. The Grinter family recommends that you do not take sunflowers home as they wilt quickly and usually carry insects, but if you do take sunflowers, they request that you donate $1/bloom. Do not cut sunflowers to set up a photo op and leave them in the field. Well behaved dogs on leash are welcome. Please pick up after them. There are no toilets in the fields, but there are three portable toilets at Sunflower General. The Grinter family plant their sunflowers in July and the 2023 sunflower bloom is anticipated around Labor Day. To check on the flowers' progress, visit the Grinter Farms Facebook Page.
copyright 2015-2023 by Keith Stokes |
