SCOTTSBURG, Ind. — The leaves are changing, the weather is (hopefully) getting cooler and everything pumpkin spice is adorning grocery store shelves – fall is on its way. A family farm in southern Indiana hopes the community will celebrate the changing seasons with them this year.
Cornucopia Farm in Scottsburg is usually known for its pumpkins, and for good reason - the Baird family has been growing them for the last 28 years.
But for the second year in a row, they are bringing back a new beloved crop - sunflowers. They grow 10 different varieties in a three-acre patch and the eye-catching field makes a perfect backdrop for photos.
The sunflowers are planted in July so they bloom right at the beginning of September. The weather was kind to the crop this year, helping the flowers grow nice and tall.
Cornucopia Farm is only open for two months out of the year, so preparing the land for that short season takes a lot of hard work. Getting ready for fall is a year-round job, and the family only takes a short break during January, February and March.
The Baird family says all the hard work is worth it, especially when they see people enjoying the fruits of their labor. They hope families will take time to visit the farm, particularly with everything that’s happened in 2020.
"There's just a lot of craziness going on in the world right now and everyone wants to get together as a family and just enjoy time together and have some joy," Michael Baird said.
The sunflower patch is only open for two weekends, from Sept. 12 through 13 and Sept. 18 through 20. The rest of the farm is open until Halloween for pumpkin picking, the corn maze, and other activities.
Valerie Baird said the farm is a great place for family-friendly fun.
"I just really love the people, watching them get to come out and experience the farm, and pet a bottle calf for the first time, and see how tall a corn plant can get, and just watch the memories be made for families," she said.
Starting Saturday, Sept. 12, the farm is open on Fridays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sundays from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. The farm is open for additional hours in October.
General Admission tickets to Cornucopia Farm are $10, with an additional $10 ticket needed to visit the sunflower experience. A combo ticket (including both general admission and the sunflowers) is available for $16. Tickets can be purchased online.
Guests are encouraged to practice social distancing and sanitize their hands as often as possible because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Contact reporter Rose McBride at rmcbride@whas11.com. Follow her on Twitter and Facebook.
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