This Chatham-Kent couple is growing 20,000 sunflowers, and they invite you to come check it out
A couple of Chatham-Kent tree farmers say their field of 20,000 sunflowers means many "sunny faces" visiting the farm.
In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, Matthew and Gail Whitney noticed that when people arrived at their farm to buy a Christmas tree, they were excited to be out in the fresh air.
The next year, the couple to open up their farm to allow people to come out and walk around in the sunflowers on their farm just to cheer everybody up during a time of social distancing. It was such a hit, it's continued.
This year the Whitneys have planted a field of 20,000 sunflowers on a half hectare of land on the farm near Kent Bridge in Chatham-Kent, and they're inviting the public to come and check it out.
LISTEN: There's a field full of sunflowers in Chatham-Kent and the farmers are inviting you to come
Visitors are free to wander, admire, take selfies and even leave with a few stems. All the Whitneys ask is that visitors make a donation to a good cause.
"We enjoy seeing everybody's sunny faces and people just love to see sunflowers," Gail said on Windsor Morning.
In addition to the Windsor area, Gail says visitors have come from London and Sarnia. They have also seen visitors from abroad.
Visitors are free to wander, admire, take selfies and even leave with a few stems. All the Whitneys ask is that visitors make a donation to a good cause. (Submitted by Gail Whitney)
Gail says they decided to turn the venture into a fundraiser for the Alzheimer's Society in honour of her father who had memory problems, even though he was not diagnosed with Alzheimer's.
"My sister and I cared for him and we know how stressful it can be on the caregivers," she said.
"I have friends currently who have parents going through Alzheimer's of various degrees and I know that they use the day program at our Chatham Kent Alzheimer's Society. And I know how much relief that gives the caregivers and also their clients. Their clients really enjoy a day away to do something different."
They're just bright and it's just a beautiful sight. - Matthew Whitney
Visitors are asked to give $5 to enter the farm. If they wish to cut any stems there's a charge of $1 per stem.
"We also take donations. Some people are very generous because they have family members that are going through this Alzheimer's diagnosis and they also realize how much the Alzheimer's Society does for everyone," Gail said.
Matthew says being surrounded by 20,000 sunflowers has its benefits.
"It certainly gives us a great view out of our window every morning and the colour of them this time of year, they're just bright and it's just a beautiful sight," he said.
Matthew said the plants reach about five feet in height. Planting and maintaining the sunflowers is not a lot of additional work for the couple, he says.
"It's just something we do along with our Christmas trees. It's not out of the norm for us, but it is one of the easier crops we grow. It's far simpler than the annual maintenance on Christmas trees, that's for sure."
Puddleford Christmas Tree Farm is located at 22896 Scane Road, Kent Bridge. They open daily from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Matthew Whitney says being surrounded by 20,000 sunflowers has its benefits. (Submitted by Gail Whitney)
