By Cindy Fertsch
If you’ve ever driven by it, you will definitely remember it. The Sunflower Farm on the corner of Route 50 and 610 in Upper Township, is on the corner of Dennisville-Petersburg Road and South Old Tuckahoe Road, offers a breathtaking view of sunflowers as far as the eye can see.
Donald Westergom has been farming sunflowers in that location for 20 years now. “Every year I plant a couple hundred thousand,” says Westergom.
Now together with Ketty Lippi, they tend to the sunflowers that Ketty affectionately calls “their girls.” July through mid September, they have a roadside farm stand bursting with fresh cut sunflowers that sell for only .50 each with an honesty can for the many patrons that stop by to get their sunflowers. Each morning, Donald and Ketty check on “their girls” and Donald cuts a couple hundred for the day’s sales.
In recent years the sunflower farm has become more and more popular. Westergom attributes that to Facebook, with more folks sharing photos of the sunflowers along with information about the farm’s location.
The Sunflower Farm has become a very sought after place to take photos for special occasions. Westergom shares that many engagement and wedding photos are taken in those sunflower fields. It has become so in demand that they had to add another honesty can, charging $5 per photo session.
Artists come from all around to sketch and paint the sunflowers. Art clubs go into the fields and set up their easels on a regular basis. But the strangest request that Westergom ever got came last year when a rock and roll band came to shoot their music video in the sunflower fields.
Interestingly, a poet once visited the sunflower farm and wrote a poem about the sunflowers in her book “Passion of a Poet.” A photo of Ketty in the sunflower field appears on the back cover of the book which was sold internationally.
The heavy rains this spring and summer have created a unique overabundance of sunflowers with both fields blooming simultaneously. When you are standing within the field you can see sunflowers in every direction.
“Photographers love to come in the evening,” says Ketty. “The flowers change color, becoming a richer shade of gold. It is so beautiful.”
When I asked Westergom why sunflowers, he smiled and replied “I like how happy it makes everyone. Nothing else makes people so happy.” I had to agree.
