Yolo County Farmers Hope New Photo Op Helps Rein-In Sunflower Selfie Seekers
WINTERS (CBS13) — With 70,000 acres of sunflowers in California, mostly in the Sacramento Valley, the annual bloom brings throngs of tourists -- and problems on the property.
Ryan Ruiz manages the gardens at Park Winters, an event venue in Yolo County. Their sunflowers have always been popular
"These are pollen-less, these have pollen in them," he said as he showed us the different varieties.
But now they are hoping their "Pick Your Own Bouquet Experience" blossoms thanks to the help of a little cross-pollination with Visit Yolo.
"Unfortunately, there has been a lot of disrespect to the farmers' property and the crop itself. So, we thought, how do we help the farmers create some sort of message?" said Terry Selk with Visit Yolo.
It's being called the ultimate viewing guide for the ultimate photo op in Yolo County. The idea is to dedicate a specific web page to make sunflower enthusiasts aware of the crops' value and manage visitors' impact by directing them to area businesses.
"Hopefully inspiring them to take more time to spend here - and go to a restaurant for lunch, stay the night, go to one of our wineries, do something else besides just coming in and getting a photo and leave," Selk said.
Park Winters has a sunflower bouquet package. Turkovich Family Farms and Winery offers sunflower-themed events, including a field pass and private wine tasting along with floral workshops and other businesses offer tours with bees, brunch, and drink pairings.
"We do Friday, Saturday, Sunday 9 to 11 a.m.," said farmer Ryan, who hopes it plants a seed when it comes to ag-tourism and helps area businesses grow. "We just want to bring and share as much of nature, gardening, farming and that whole experience."
To see tips and businesses participating, check out visityolo.com/sunflowers.