There is nothing like a gorgeous bouquet of sunflowers to brighten anyone’s day. How about tens of thousands growing all at once? That’s what visitors will see at Good Old Days Sunflower Farm in Upper Township. Mix that with the perfect backdrop of an antique 1957 Chevy truck and an antique wagon, and you have a stunning backdrop for your next photoshoot.
Located at the corner of Old Tuckahoe and Dennisville-Petersburg roads, the sunflowers here have been blooming for over 20 years, thanks to its owner and founder Donald Westergom. With the help of Ketty Lippi, tens of thousands of sunflowers are planted until mid-October. “I usually start planting them in April, and they’re usually ready by the first day of summer.”
Westergom grew up on a farm, planting corn, in Cologne. It was during this time he planted sunflowers along the edges of the corn to keep birds out of the fields. “People wanted the flowers, so then I started planting less corn and more flowers.”
In 1984, Westergom moved to Petersburg, where he purchased the corner farm in 1996. To this day, their roadside sunflower stand has been in continuous operation. Fresh-cut sunflowers sell for only 75 cents each with an honesty can for the many patrons that stop by. “I try to plant them so there’s something there all the time.”
Weather can play a role in the development of sunflowers. The optimal growing temperature ranges between 70–78 degrees. They can tolerate even the most extreme heat with enough rain and moisture to meet their needs and will endure high humidity with good air circulation and well-draining soil. “It’s been a good year so far,” Westergom sayd. “Last year, we had a dry spell in the middle of the summer that was tough on them because it was so hot. We had a little dry spell this year, but not that bad.”
One fact you may not know about young sunflowers is that they track the sun. A study by ScienceMag revealed that sunflowers have circadian rhythms, which allows the face of a sunflower to follow the sun from sunrise to sunset every day. This is also known as heliotropism.
In recent years, the sunflower farm has become a sought-after destination for special occasions. The perfect backdrop of sunflowers bursting in an open field makes for a pristine location for engagement or wedding pictures. The farm has also received special visits from artists with easels and paintbrushes.
Even some of the antique equipment you may find on the farm is still in use today. Westergom will cultivate the plants using John Deere tractors dating as far back as 1948. “The tractors will go for years and years because they’re really well built; they didn’t cut corners,” he said.
Be sure to add Good Old Days Sunflower Farm to your travel bucket list this season. The farm is located at 25 Dennisville-Petersburg Rd. and is open daily.
Steffen Klenk is a photographer and multimedia journalist who enjoys capturing the eclectic moments of shore life. You may contact Steffen at shorelocalsteffen@gmail.com.
