Sunflower Days

A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to visit Basecamp Farms, located ten miles south of College Station.  I convinced some friends to tag along though the weather was a little damp and chilly. Texans were freezing but this midwesterner loved the brisk air.  Basecamp Farms was sharing their sunflower crop during Sunflower Days – agritourism at its finest.

Upon arrival, we were greeted by friendly faces and handshakes.  Basecamp Farms was excited to share the fruit of their labor. Jordan equipped us with a bucket & clippers; then, pointed us in the direction of the flower plots.  After passing patches of zinnias, we met Georgia who gave us a lesson on sunflower shelf life – the newly opened blooms last longer once cut. She also explained that sunflowers are “dirty” flowers and require water to be changed every few days to prevent bacterial growth. Georgia gave a quick demonstration on where to cut the stem and how to shuck the excess leaves. From there, we went about finding the best sunflowers in the patch to take home.

As we picked, Georgia approached each new group of sunflower pickers with the same care.  It was obvious that she has a passion for her flowers. She shared concerns about the frost in the forecast.  There seemed to be a sadness in her voice – all their planning and hard work would be ruined in just a few days. In the following days, Basecamp Farms documented the efforts to save as many sunflowers as possible via social media.  They built hoop structures with plastic and piping. Through the night, Georgia pumped heat into the makeshift shelters and checked on her crop. With her determination, Basecamp Farms was able to save some of the sunflowers and offer another Sunflower Day despite the frost.

When you think of agriculture, you may not think about flowers.  The floral industry fits into agriculture under the horticulture umbrella.  There are approximately 6,000 producers of floral and ornamental plant in the United States. California is the leading floral state followed by Florida. The floral industry sees more than $5 billion in sales each year.  Sunflowers are native to the United States with South Dakota being the leading sunflower producing state. Basecamp Farms shares that beautiful part of agriculture with the Brazos Valley.

In addition to the gorgeous sunflowers, Basecamp Farms produces a variety of fresh cut flowers – marigolds, zinnias, cosmos, and more.  These flowers are dispersed to local florists in the Brazos Valley. Basecamp Farms uses instagram for pop-up sales and sometimes delivery.  It is not prime veggie season, but they also produces a variety of vegetables which can be purchased at local farmers’ markets. The sunflower crop may come to an end, but you should still check out Basecamp Farms.  Go follow Basecamp Farms on Instagram and Facebook. Join me in watching for future farm events and opportunities to take home a bouquet of fresh cut flowers.

-Charlee