Moray farm's sunflower crop raises smiles and cash for kids
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A MORAY farm is bringing some sunshine into the lives of local disadvantaged children – raising more than £2000 in just nine days through its pick-your-own sunflowers venture.
Spey Bay-based Byres Farm cultivated the sunflowers to raise money for the MFR Cash for Kids appeal.
People are invited to enjoy a walk through its golden fields of ripening malting barley to pick some of the cheery blooms in return for a donation to the appeal.
Farmer Bill Smith said the scheme, which started on August 15, was a "double smile creator", for both the pickers and for the children set to benefit.
He said: "Sunflowers seem to be appealing to people of all ages and all stages of life – they just make people smile.
"We fell upon the idea while working in the tractor listening to the radio and hearing about the hardship that was about to affect disadvantaged children and their families due to Covid-19.
"It was enough to make you cry – I think I maybe did. We wanted to help."
Mr Smith added: "We like thinking outside the box and I phoned my seed merchant and asked him to send a load of sunflower seeds.
"We put the seeds in with the normal grain drill and waited to see how they grew and whether we'd have enough for the pick-your-own before announcing the scheme.
"It fits in with what we normally do here – bringing kids on to the farm to educate them.
"People have loved getting out for a nice walk and seeing a working farm in action up close and safely. And visitors have come from far and wide to pick the sunflowers – from the Black Isle to deepest, darkest Aberdeenshire, so it's also great promotion for beautiful sunny Moray."
Bill's wife, Helen, said the couple's children, Marshall and Louisa, also made up 350 packs of leftover sunflower seeds which were left at points in Fochabers, Garmouth and the farm road-end for people to pick up for free. The "Let's Grow Some Smiles" packs were popular and people have since been posting images on social media of the sunflowers growing in their own gardens.
The sunflowers are grown in four metre-wide strips along the field edges at the 400-acre farm.
To control social distancing pickers are asked to book an hour-long slot on the website, Byresfarm.co.uk, and to bring scissors or secateurs to cut the stems.
Mr Smith added: "We will do another week of picking and hope to continue longer until the sunflowers are all picked or past their best."
Lyndsay Rose, MFR Cash for Kids charity manager, said: "We have been completely blown away by the fundraising at Byres Farm. The idea was so different and so generous.
"To raise over £2,000 in nine days is just phenomenal.
"I’d like to say a huge thank you to everyone at Byres Farm for choosing to support MFR Cash for Kids and to everyone that donated. This money will make such a difference to children right here on our doorstep across the Highlands, Moray and Aberdeenshire."
Mr Smith hopes to establish the sunflower picking as an annual charity venture.
Donation buckets are dotted around the farm or can be made via the "Pick your own Sunflowers at Byres Farm" JustGiving page here .
