Kendall Farms combining sunflower field north of Highway 43X traffic circle in County of Grande Prairie

By Erika Rolling

Agriculture

Local sunflower field harvested in snow, profit to go to Ukrainian refugees

Dec 9, 2022 | 12:33 PM

It’s not every day a combine is in the field in the midst of December in the Peace Country, but Kendal Farms Ltd. has taken their sunflower crop off later than usual thanks to the heatwave during the regular harvesting season.

Over two million seeds were planted in June and became a very popular sight and stop for passers-by when the flowers were in full bloom.

SEE MORE: Local sunflower field more than just a picturesque site

Ken Drysdale in the combine on December 8

Ken Drysdale of Kendal Farms says the idea of the field was to raise money for Ukrainian people that are now in Canada due to the war in their country.

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“We’re getting the seed off, bagging it, and selling bird seed to the local area and giving the funds to the local Rotary Clubs and have them assist with the settled Ukrainian families in the area to pay utility bills is what our hopes are!”

Drysdale says he’s hoping to get anywhere between 20 to 30 thousand pounds of seed into bags to sell.

“I check the shelves in town there, it’s about a buck-fifty a pound for bird seed, so I’m hoping I can generate somewhere in that $25,000 to $30,000 to help out the local Ukrainians,” he says.

This was Drysdale’s first time ever growing a crop of sunflowers. He says there was a lot of help from surrounding area producers that gave him tips and hints, “and it seems to be working!”

“If that war is still going on in their homeland (Ukraine), I will be doing it again,”

He says he’s not of Ukrainian descent but feels everybody should be supporting the people that are heavily affected by the war overseas.

“We need to all do what we can to help them out.”