COMMUNITY
Fields of gold BY MONICA D. SPENCER Ninety verdant acres clothed in a sea of canary yellow sit just south of State Route 238 on Ralston Road. It’s the first time the sunflowers at Hart Farm have spilled their golden chapeaus over the shoulder-high canopy there since 2023; pests decimated the seedlings and farmers opted for alfalfa instead last summer. Thunderbird Farms resident Frank Fierro manages the field in partnership with agronomist Jon Chernicky of Arid Ag Research A chance to snack on the oily black seeds draws local birds to the fields in numbers that would make Alfred Hitchcock proud. They entice Maricopa’s humans, too. The blooms only last a couple of weeks, but neither that nor 110-degree-plus temperatures stop locals from stopping by for photos in front of the flowers. Fierro said he and landowner Hart don’t have issues with people stopping by for photography or birdwatching. There’s only one rule: “Just stay on the road,” Fierro advised. “As long as the cars don’t travel on private property, people can walk to the flowers. Just remember it’s the farmer’s land.” and farmer Larry Hart for commercial sales. “Our worst enemy is the birds,” Fierro said.
InMaricopa.com | July 2025
July 2025 | InMaricopa.com
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