Kansas farm is inviting people to its giant sunflower field for photos, frolicking
When your non-Kansas relatives imagine your Kansas life, they might picture you frolicking in a giant field of sunflowers.
But unless you know someone with such a field — or know where to find one where trespassing is acceptable — such field frolicking isn’t all that realistic.
Until this year, that is.
Debbie and David Klausmeyer, who own and run Klausmeyer Farm and Pumpkin Patch in Clearwater, have turned three of their 40-acre fields into giant sunflower patches, and they’re inviting the public to visit for a small fee.
Their first field matured in July, and people flocked to the farm to take photos amid the 6-foot-tall sunflower stalks. Others were there just to enjoy a quintessentially Kansas outdoor experience — and to escape from COVID-19 and all the usual venues it has closed.
It opened on July 24, but the sunflowers only stay pretty for about 10 to 14 days, and it closed on Aug. 5. But people came out every day during that period and paid $2 to walk the 150 yards of pathway the Klausmeyers have plowed through their cornfield that leads to the dish-plate sized sunflowers. (There’s also a trolley for those who don’t want to walk.)
The next field is likely to be ready by Saturday, though people who want to visit will need to check the field’s Facebook page before they make the trip to be sure.
“It’s God’s crop, and we can’t predict his plan,” Debbie Klausmeyer said.
A third field is expected to bloom in the next couple of weeks, too.
Sunflower fields aren’t as easy to find in the Wichita area as one might expect, Debbie said. There’s no market for them locally, and farmers have to truck them all the way to Goodland if they want to sell them.
But three years ago, the Klausmeyers decided to plant a patch in one of their fields, just as a way to boost their Facebook page and put their pumpkin patch business on the map.
For the past two years, they informally invited people to visit the field. But things got out of hand. People were parking on the roads surrounding the fields and blocking the Klausmeyers’ farmer neighbors in. Last year, there was some vandalism, too.
“We just didn’t know the chaos it would cause,” Debbie said.
This year, they decided, they’d take control. They planted some cattle sorghum around the field, which grows to about 12 feet tall and blocks the view of the sunflowers from the road. They made an area for parking and started charging admission.
This year, it’s gone much more smoothly, Debbie said, and the family has loved watching people enjoy the field. She can tell they need it, especially during the pandemic.
“It’s been good for people,” she said. “We hear them laughing and having a good time. Some people get so excited because they catch a butterfly or see a bee or just a bug. We get all kinds of comments.”
The farm is at 8135 S. 119th St. West in Clearwater, about a 20-minute drive from Wichita. The hours for the field are 6 a.m. to dark daily while the sunflowers are blooming.
People can pay $2 to see the sunflowers, and an extra $1 if they want to pick one to take home.
They can pay $3 to visit the adjoining farm, which includes farm animals, a jumping pillow and a farmer ninja course. The farm is open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily while the flowers are blooming. If people want to see the flowers and visit the farm, admission is $5.
The Klausmeyers also are planning to open their pumpkin patch, which they’ve been operating each fall for 15 years. They estimate that opening day will be around Sept. 26.
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