As people continue to endure the current pandemic, a Wisconsin farmer felt that everyone could use a little sunshine in their lives, so he decided he would make sure they had the chance by planting more than 2 million sunflowers in his fields.
This is the first year that flowers are brightening the landscape at the farm. Scott Thompson’s family has been farming in Kenosha County for more than 70 years. Ordinarily, the pick-your-own farm consists of strawberries in summer and raspberries and pumpkins in the fall.
Located just 10 miles from Kenosha, Wisconsin, in Bristol, Thompson Strawberry Farm is drawing people to a simpler family outing where they can picnic, wander fields of florals, and take home a dozen sunflowers.
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Thompson and his wife thought that it would be perfect to spread a little happiness to their customers with everything going on this year. He told CNN:
“We just did it … and we just kept building. As the season went on, the pandemic never went anywhere … and we thought people might be looking for something to do, and what a great way to social distance and … smile, basically.”
Thompson ended up with more than 22 acres of flowers, seven of which haven’t even bloomed yet. It makes for over 2 million blooms of sunshine. The flowers are planted in more than 15 fields to provide room to social distance and spread out. Thompson said:
“One of the things that’s so cool about this is everyone is so happy. We get all these comments on Facebook, or if I’m out in the field, everybody is like, ‘Thanks for doing this,’ (and) ‘This is what I needed.’ People are so happy to be out there and have a place to go.”
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Word of their sunshine sanctuary has spread as people come to enjoy a small break from reality. Thompson said that one woman came from Chicago to get away from the protests and gloom.
In addition to sunflowers, Thompson also planted a field of wildflowers, a field of zinnias, and Mexican sunflowers known for attracting butterflies. He said the overhwhelming response means the sunflowers will be a regular thing at the farm, even without a pandemic, adding:
“I’m just glad we get to have a business people are happy to come to … and get away from the city.”
