By JAN LARSON McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
In a summer short on smiles, three fields outside Pemberville are blooming with families with sunny grins.
The fields of towering sunflowers come compliments of Hirzel Canning Co.
For the past week now, people have been encouraged to pull over and enjoy the company’s three sunflower fields east of Pemberville.
“I just wanted the kids to see flowers bigger than themselves,” said Kim Schmeltz, who saw the Hirzel invitation to stop by on Facebook. So she and husband, Randy, brought out their boys, Randy, 7, and Levi, 4, from Bowling Green to the golden field.
“This is a field trip to learn about them,” their mom said.
Another Bowling Green family stopped by to take photos with the giant flowers after Geoffrey Collier spotted the hard to miss fields during his daily drive to work in Port Clinton.
Collier brought Alisha, Hunter and Alijah Taylor, to see the fields he views every day.
“They are different from all the other flowers. They stand out,” Hunter Taylor said in between photos.
Hunter said she appreciates sunflowers for more than their beauty.
“I love sunflower seeds. I’m a ball player,” she said.
Jason and Kimberly Tingley traveled from Elmore on Sunday so they could get some photos of their dog, Wyatt, with the sunflowers.
“I’ve honestly never seen a sunflower before,” Kimberly Tingley said. “It’s a unique flower.”
Three generations of the Torok family from Fostoria and Wayne saw the invitation to visit the sunflower fields on Facebook, and came up to get photos.
“Knowing the Hirzel family for years, this is just great of them to do this,” Don Torok said. “It’s a very giving family.”
Sunflower seekers are welcome to visit the fields from sun up until sun down. Visitors are asked to not pick the sunflowers or drive through the fields.
“I love sunflowers. They just make you happy,” his mom, Judy Kistler said.
And the kids wanted photos next to the towering flowers.
“The teenager had to have selfies,” Don Torok’s wife, Carla, said of their daughters Kenzie and Julia.
For those unfamiliar with the area, Hirzel Canning Co. suggests putting the address of 2422 Ohio Route 105, Pemberville, in a map app. The address is the company’s composting facility – where two of the three sunflower fields are in bloom. A stone drive is located on the east side of the smaller field, so motorists can safely enter and exit the site.
The third field is further north, at the corner of Sugar Ridge Road and Bradner Road.
“Oh my gosh. It’s just awesome,” said Deb Potter, who was visiting the field with her husband, Mike. “I’ve never seen anything like this.”
“It radiates summer,” Potter, of Fremont, said. “In today’s world, we just need something to smile about. With all the quarantining, let’s just get out and see sunshine.”
The sunflowers were planted on June 3, and like clockwork, started blooming as predicted during the first week of August.
On Facebook, Hirzel Canning Co. answers some of the common questions about the sunflower fields.
- Can we take photos? Yes.
- Does it cost anything to take photos? No.
- Can we walk in between rows? A few feet in and you’re surrounded by sunflowers. No need to walk through the rows.
- What are you going to do with them? The seeds will be pressed for organic sunflower oil and used as an ingredient in many organic foods.
- How long will they be in bloom? They are at day 68 of a 125-day growing period.
- Does Hirzel Farms make organic sunflower oil? No. They grow them for a private business.
- How do you harvest sunflowers? They use a combine with the corn head. The stalks are very tough.
