Summer staycations: Sunflower fields and farms

The bright yellow flowers are beacons for people seeking spectacular photos but crowds are damaging to crops growing on private property. These farms offer sunflower field experiences that are safe and responsible.

Sunflower season is short but spectacular – and best enjoyed at farms that welcome visitors responsibly. Yes, expansive fields of yellow flowers bending toward the sun are magnificent to photograph. Remember, though, that these fields are crops harvested for profit and are someone’s livelihood. Damaging property – and yes, even a single sunflower stalk is property – is illegal and frankly, not cool.

Instead, head to the properties that offer sunflower field experiences as part of the price of admission, and support the farmers helping you capture those golden Instagram-worthy moments. Here’s a guide to sunflower fields near Hamilton. Note that weather conditions vary daily, and the duration the flowers are in bloom is not predictable. 

Hamilton’s The Apple Orchard

The closest opportunity to bask in sunflower shade is at Hamilton’s The Apple Orchard (1668 Highway 6). It’s easy to spot along the highway and established for agri-tourism purposes. The acres of orchards are open for picking your own fruit in the fall, with different varieties of apples available at different times.

However, the front field, just beyond the entrance, is a field of sunflowers encircled by a path, making them easy to access. This patch is planted for pics, so here’s your opportunity without damaging anyone’s livelihood – in fact, the $12 entrance fee supports the business. Plus, The Apple Orchard is family-friendly, including the dog, with play areas for the kids and trails for walking the pup. The Apple Orchard sunflower field is open until the middle of August. The farm is open Thursday to Monday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. 

Brantford’s Brantwood Farms

To find the next closest sunflower field, you’ll have to venture to Brantford to Brantwood Farms (251 Powerline Rd.) and this will likely be your last summer to do so. After farming in the area since 1891, the Pate family is moving its operations to St. George because the land Brantwood Farms currently sits on is slated for residential development. 

But you can still visit the Powerline farm until the end of the summer – and see sunflowers until approximately Aug. 10. Orchards will still yield fruit this year, and there’s a cut-your-own wildflower field added. But for the price of the $15 admission, the tractor-pulled wagon ride takes you to the sunflower field (which is a jaunt from the front entrance) where you can take photos along the hilly paths and cut three sunflower stalks per person to take home. 

Respect property and revenue

However, one Hamilton sunflower farm not open to the public is Bogle Seeds, and for good reason. This 75-acre sunflower farm made newspaper headlines, including in the New York Times, in 2018 after a viral frenzy put the family seed farm on the social media map. The farm was permitting up to 300 people a day to take photos among the stalks (but not cut them). Then excessive online attention led to complete chaos – in one day, approximately 7,000 cars arrived, overwhelming the 300-car parking lot and causing highway congestion, a crush of people trampling plants, and police intervention. 

According to a CBC report, farm owners described the scene as a flash mob they had no control over. As a result, the farm has not permitted visitors near the sunflower fields to this day. The company’s website features a top banner in large bold capital letters that reads: “There are no longer any sunflower photography opportunities at the Bogle Farm!” Yes, with an exclamation mark. 

Please avoid this farm and others that are not open to the public. Resist the urge to cause traffic hazards by pulling over on the side of the road. Instead, visit the local farms that are open to the public, limit crowds, and offer off-road parking.

Other Ontario sunflower fields

The sunflower blooming season is short, and only nature can determine how long the yellow flowers will bloom before turning to seed (the plant’s valuable commodity). You might have to venture further afield if you missed peak visibility in the Hamilton region. Drive about a one-hour away to Caledon, and you’ll find Dixie Orchards (14309 Dixie Rd.), which offers pick-your-own fruit, a corn maze and a sunflower field open until late August.

For those willing to drive further, the Green Corners Farm (1259 York’s Corners Rd.) in Ottawa specializes in growing all types of flowers including sunflowers. Because the field is continually seeded during the season, sunflowers are in bloom until the end of September – but never at the same time across the entire field.

Overall ….

Before you head out in search of sunflower selfies and the perfect shots, remember that respecting the land and those who work it is as important as the photos you take. Visit only the farms that welcome guests. Remember these are working farms. Dress accordingly. Please pay the admission fee, follow guidelines, walk only on trails, and pick only the flowers you’re permitted to touch. That way, we’ll all be able to experience sunflower fields open to the public next year.