Mar 26, 2026
By Rick McNary
Cheryl Hunsinger loved sitting in her office and looking across the road at the field of sunflowers her husband, George, had planted as a surprise for her. She’d watch them turn their heads toward the east then slowly follows the sun’s arc across the sky until the sun set in the west. He planted them so they would bloom in time for Labor Day, creating a perfect opportunity for people in the Lawrence area to enjoy their field of sunshine.
“Something didn’t seem quite right that first year,” Cheryl says. “But I couldn’t put my finger on it. People drove by slowly and some stopped to get out to take pictures, but they didn’t stay long and it seemed they didn’t take many photos. Then it dawned on us; the sunflowers were too tall. It was difficult to capture a photograph of people in the mix of sunflowers when then sunflower heads were way above the people. While they were beautiful from a distance, up close they were too tall for family and individual portraits.”
The problem was George had planted confection sunflowers — the type you buy in bags to eat as snacks — rather than black oil sunflowers. Confection sunflower heads are much larger and the plant grows much taller. The next year, they planted black oil sunflowers, which have smaller heads and shorter stalks — perfect for photographs. Once the head droops over and stops tracking the sun, those kinds of seeds are harvested for backyard bird feeders or crushed for sunflower cooking oil or protein feed supplement for livestock.
“George planted them to surprise me,” Cheryl says. “But we both love making people happy so he knew I would be happy watching people stop by the sunflower patch, take photos and let their kids play. We’ve even had wedding parties use our field for photographs.”
Making people happy. If there was ever a simple way to describe a person, that’s how I would describe Cheryl; she loves making people happy.
“I like being able to help people,” Cheryl says. “Even if it’s just for a short period of time, I want to make a difference in the lives of people.”
Cheryl and George have long been active in the Douglas County Farm Bureau, as well as Kansas Farm Bureau. Volunteering for various roles and activities in their community is an integral part of farmers and ranchers. Every year, Farm Bureau members across the state dedicate numerous volunteer hours in their communities and beyond.
“I’ve been a part of the local county Farm Bureau and have also been a part of the Women’s Leadership Committee,” she says. “My favorite part is helping provide mental health support to our community as well as supporting other women in agriculture.”
While Shop Kansas Farms (SKF) has never had a competition for “Fan of the Year,” if we ever did, Cheryl would get my vote. She joined almost immediately when SKF was launched nearly six years ago and has been one of our biggest cheerleaders. Each time I see her at a local, state or even national function, she is effusive in her praise for the impact of SKF. My wife, Christine, and I took her out to dinner in Salt Lake City at the American Farm Bureau Federation national conference a couple of years ago and she was even bragging on us to complete strangers.
Cheryl and George have played a significant role in the upcoming SKF Market of Farms in Lawrence, the second one sponsored by Douglas County Farm Bureau. Most likely George will be in their booth selling bags of black oil sunflower seeds for backyard bird watchers and Cheryl will be talking to complete strangers about how much she loves SKF and why they should, too.
If you follow them on their Facebook page, they will let you know when the sunflower field is ready to visit and where it is located.
If you want to meet them in person, come to the Douglas County Market of Farms this Saturday in Lawrence. It will run from 9-3 on Saturday, March 28, at the Holcomb Park Gym.
Note: Cheryl is part of our series celebrating the International Year of the Woman Farmer and Rancher, 2026.