CECIL, Wisconsin ‒ Why are people fascinated with sunflowers?
Shari Bergsbaken didn’t have to think long to come up with an answer.
“Because they make people happy,” she said. “It’s a pretty flower and they make people smile.”
Bergsbaken was taking a break from preparing food on the second day of the annual Sunflower Festival, July 25-27, which wrapped up its 10th and final run at Bergsbaken Farms in eastern Shawano County, about halfway between Shawano and Green Bay.
What began in 2016 as a small idea to host a sunflower festival grew an event that drew sunflower aficionados from near and far.
“Each year, we’ve been humbled and overjoyed to see so many families walk the same fields we did as kids. Watching others create memories, laugh together, and soak in the sunshine has been the greatest gift of all,” the Bergsbaken family posted on the farm’s Facebook page.
Daryl and Marie Bergsbaken started the farm and today their sons, Lee and Dale Bergsbaken and their wive, BettyAnn and Shari operate the farm with help from Jason and Lisa Peterson.
“I want to retire,” Lee Bergsbaken said. “I’m 70 and my brother is 63. We’re at the point where we’re not getting any younger. Even our volunteers are getting older and it’s getting harder to get people.”
The family stated that the dream behind Sunflower Fest wasn’t about profits.
“It was about sharing the beauty of this land with others ‒ the land we grew up on, where we get to see the beauty every day. Even as other sunflower festivals popped up elsewhere, we kept our prices low because we believe every family deserves a chance to enjoy this beauty,” the family shared.
It’s sad to see the festival come to an end
Kera Hess of Gresham made it a point to visit the festival this year and brought along her sister and daughter. The threesome climbed on a wagon at the farm and headed out into a 50-acre field of sunflowers. Most of them had yet to bloom in time for the festival, but the ones that opened their sunny faces showed what makes the flower special.
“It’s been a tradition for us to come out for the last three years,” she said. “We usually pick the best day, which is usually hot, but we wanted to see it one last year. t’s nice to come out here and see the enjoyment on my daughter’s face.”
Hess and many others were saddened to learn that the Bergsbaken family would be retiring the festival. She appreciates farm families like the Bergsbakens open their doors to the public.
“I think it’s really important,” she said. “It brings a lot of people to the area and educates a lot of people. There are some kids who have never been to a farm or been raised around one.
“It’s nice to be able to see some of the agriculture,” Hess said. “It’s kind of cool to see other things that we can grow in this climate. When you drive by fields, you usually see hay, soybeans, wheat. It’s nice being out here. This lets you get real close.”
While Hess and her family checked out the sunflower field, Steve Buhrandt was busy in the vendor tent selling bottles of maple syrup that came from his farm in rural Suring.
Farmer’s markets and events like the Sunflower Festival provide additional income, he said.
“We’ve been here for seven or eight years. We make a little extra money,” Buhrandt said. “We have a lot of friends who help us.”
He said fresh maple syrup is much different than syrup found in grocery stores.
“There’s a big difference in the taste,” he said. “We don’t run our syrup through reverse osmosis, so it has a little more cooking time in the evaporator and that gives it a little more flavor.”
Buhrandt taps about 2,000 maple trees on the farm each February.
“When it starts getting warm in the daytime and cold at night, that’s when the sap’s going to run.”
The family taps about 2,000 maple trees on the farm, located west of Suring. The syrup can be purchased at a number of places, including a hardware store in Suring, a small outlet store and at farmers markets in Shawano and Keshena.
Time to move on to new adventures
Shari Bergsbaken has heard plenty of comments about the festival and what it has meant to people over the years.
“A lot of them are saying they’re going to be sad because we’re ending it, but they understand that it’s time to move on to new adventures,” she said. “It’s a lot of work. When we started, we said, ‘Let’s shoot for 10’ and this is 10 years. We thought we’d go out on a good note.”
The festival became a reality after people began stopping at the farm after seeing acres of blooming sunflowers.
“People saw the sunflowers and stopped by and asked lots of questions,” Bergsbaken said. “We thought, ‘Heck, we might as well invite them in.’”
Bergsbaken said she is amazed by how the festival has grown in a decade.
“Back then, you could just pick a weekend to have the fest and go from there,” she said. “Now, you have to rent tents and get your music ahead of time. It’s a guessing game when it comes to food because you don’t know how much to buy and how many people are going to show up.”
Bergsbaken admitted she hasn’t thought much about the festival ending after a successful 10-year run.
“I’m thinking it’ll kick in when it’s over,” she said. “I’m sure there’ll be some tears. There’s a lot of hard work and thought put into something like this. We’ll miss seeing the people and the conversations with people from everywhere.
“After 10 beautiful years, it’s time for our family to rest, reflect and spend more time together, not just working, but being together.”
This article originally appeared on Wisconsin State Farmer: Sunflower lovers of all ages flock to Cecil, Wisconsin farm to annual Sunflower Festival
Reporting by Greg Seubert / Wisconsin State Farmer
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
