Sunflower field in Somerset raises thousands for kidney research
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A Somerset farmer who planted a field with seven million sunflowers says he is astonished at the response he received when he opened it up to the public for one weekend.
It all came about when the linseed crop on 30 acres of land at Thurloxton Farm failed and Andrew Quick decided to put in sunflowers to keep the soil fertile.
They created a stunning sight and, when he saw how much the villagers enjoyed the spectacle, he thought, why not open it up to the general public and raise some money for charity at the same time?
The idea went viral. Just one post on the farm's Facebook page reached more than a quarter of a million people.
Andrew Quick says the Pick Your Own Farm near Taunton usually has a collecting tin for Kidney Research UK but they made hardly anything this summer, as they were using contactless payments because of the coronavirus pandemic. Having a charity weekend would solve that problem - he was expecting to only make up to £800.
The farm has been raising money and awareness for Kidney Research UK for years. Andrew's godson has had a kidney transplant and will be taking medication for the rest of his life. When the sunflower field opened over 21 and 22 September, the 15-year-old played his part as a car park attendant, helping marshal all the vehicles that turned up.
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Thousands of people came to see the display of sunflowers, paying £5 and - in the spirit of Pick Your Own - were able to take home six stems each. 100% of the proceeds from the event went to the charity.
The weather was also brilliant, showing the sunflowers in the best light. Andrew Quick says he has had hundreds of comments, all of them happy, and the result for the charity was totally unexpected.
Andrew Quick posted on the Thurloxton Farm facebook site saying, "Would you like to know what we made over the weekend? We made thousands of smiles.
"We made the biggest traffic jam sleepy Thurloxton has ever seen. We made a lot of dust. We made... £34,456-19 for Kidney Research UK.
"I will say that again as I can hardly believe it myself - over thirty four thousand pounds! Thank you everyone".
But what happens to all those sunflowers? They will not be harvested but will be left to act as soil food ready for next year's crop.
The farm is still planning to open its Pick Your Own Pumpkin Patch in October. The pumpkins were planted in May to grow in time for Hallowe'en but the changing Covid-19 restrictions need some working out.