Experience a glorious day on a stunning 20-acre sunflower farm, where self-reflection and a connection to nature can flourish.

Ursula Kressibucher has always called the charming small town of Beaverton, Ont., her home. Although she’d had childhood dreams of exploring the world the first chance she got and studied international development and business with professional aspirations to take on the corporate world in Toronto or the global development industry, finding a job proved harder than she’d expected.

“Nobody would hire me, and I decided that if nobody’s going to hire me, then I’m just going to create a job and hire myself,” says Kressibucher.

Kressibucher had been born and raised on a family farm, so the idea of an agriculture tourism business came naturally to her and began to take root.

“I proposed the business plan to my family, [who were] running a large crop farm, and asked if they could rent me a small 10 acres. At first, they were a bit reluctant, but then I got the green light!” she says.

Four years later, those beautiful 10 acres of fields had turned into 20 acres filled with over 400,000 sunflowers. Admittedly, Kressibucher says, the Sunflower Farm was a gamble in 2020, the first year of the pandemic. But the farm took off right out of the gate and has become one of the most sought-after destinations in the province, known for having Canada’s first sunflower- shaped trail.

When Kressibucher reflects on what laid the foundation for her success and entrepreneurial passion, she proudly credits her strong-minded and resilient Swiss grandmother. Unfortunately, this beloved grandmother passed away just weeks before The Sunflower Farm’s opening. But her grandmother’s teachings of trying everything and never giving up no matter what remained in Kressibucher’s heart.

“Since I started, I have been overwhelmed with visitors and such positive feedback from the public,” says Kressibucher. Visitors of all ages and backgrounds immerse themselves in the events, educational farming workshops and the sunflower-shaped trail cut through the serene blooming fields.

While many visitors have never been to a farm at all, let alone a sunflower farm, the unique setting allows visitors to leave the hustle and bustle of the city for a while, breathe in the fresh air, embrace a newfound appreciation for agriculture, and maybe even reconnect with their farming roots and what they may have taken for granted for too long. But Kressibucher’s primary aim from the outset was to build The Sunflower Farm into one of several successful businesses in her hometown.

“Beaverton is such a town and a lot of people pass through it on their way to somewhere else,” says Kressibucher. “So the goal has always been to bring our visitors and show them that Beaverton itself is a beautiful road-trip destination.”

If you decide to explore the beauty of The Sunflower Farm, its opening date is July 30th. You can usually find Kressibucher standing in the sunflower fields — she might be sporting overalls or a sunflower T-shirt, or a wild, messy hairdo — but you’ll always be able to identify her by her glowing smile.

www.thesunflowerfarm.ca
@thesunflowerfarm