ll around Yolo County , small businesses celebrated the return of sunflower season in June and July . Turkovich Family Wines and Berryessa Gap Vineyards in Winters offered tasting flights paired with sunflower snacks , such as crostini with sunflower pesto and fresh mozzarella . At Park Winters , the bed-and-breakfast and event space that hosts invite-only influencer parties , visitors built their own bouquets with sunflower centerpieces .
There was a sunflower exhibit at the California Agricultural Museum in Woodland , and it was one of the stops on the Sunflowers , Bees & Brunch tour offered by SacTown Bites , which also included a photo opportunity at one of the county ’ s many sunflower fields . It ’ s far from the only photoshoot that took place among the fields , especially during the golden hour before sunset when the rays cast a complexionflattering glow across the flowers . Packs of friends toting cameras and recent-model iPhones took turns posing , occasionally breaking off a blossom or kicking over some stems in their quest for the perfect angle . Farmers put out annual requests for visitors not to trample or steal their flowers .
But this year , overzealous Instagrammers are the least of sunflower farmers ’ troubles . The region ’ s most photogenic crop is facing a barrage of challenges , including supply issues related to the war in Ukraine , global currency volatility and drought .
An oil crisis
The majority of Yolo County ’ s sunflowers are not destined to decorate bouquets or contribute seeds to multigrain crackers . Instead , most local farmers produce hybrid seed on contract with seed production companies , which in turn are under contract with multinational agricultural technology companies like Syngenta and Limagrain . The agtech companies develop the hybrid varieties and hire the seed production companies to produce them ; the seed production companies hire the farmers to grow the sunflowers , then process and ship the seeds .
Like many globalized industries , the sunflower seed world is consolidating . The region ’ s largest sunflower seed production company , Chico-based Sunfield Seeds , has been owned by multinational biotech firm Syngenta since 2012 . Iowa-based seed company Pioneer Hi-Bred International , which has a location in Woodland , was purchased by chemical giant
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