BEVERFORD is set to cement itself on the tourism map following the opening of the town’s sunflower farm.
The Sunflower Pick Beverford officially opened on January 19 and has already attracted hundreds of visitors from near and far.
Peter and Michelle Singleton initiated the concept after moving to Beverford in June, 2020.
“We were looking for a rural lifestyle and had been looking for a property for a while,” Michelle said.
Having lived in Swan Hill for the past 19 years, the Singletons packed up their belongings and began thinking of ways they could share their rural experience with the wider community.
“Last year we planted a little patch near the house,” Michelle said, noting it was well-received by family and friends.
“We thought we’d plant a bigger patch this year and see how it went.”
The Singletons planted 90,000 seeds over a five acre block at the front of their property.
“We had to work the ground up,” Peter said.
“We started from scratch and because the land hadn’t been worked for many years, we had to get the infrastructure right.”
The sunflower seeds were planted using an old corn planter and within 12 weeks were in full bloom.
“We were a little hesitant opening up to the public at first,” Michelle said, noting it was something new to Swan Hill and they were not sure how it would be received.
However, any doubts were quickly brushed away.
“We’ve had so much positive feedback,” Peter said.
“Thanks to the power of social media, it’s really taken off.”
Hundreds of visitors have flocked to the farm in the first three weeks of operation.
“We’ve had hundreds of people through and they’ve come from everywhere,” Peter said, noting their oldest visitor had been a 99-year-old lady who loved exploring the sunflower field.
Riekie VanKesteren and her daughter, Michelle Boxall, visited the farm at the weekend.
“It’s magical,” Ms VanKesteren said.
“This is something very different and you could spend hours here.”
Following the success of the opening, the Singletons are looking forward to the future.
They have lots of plans in the pipeline and look forward to expanding the business, noting they already have a wedding booking for next year.
“We really want to thank the community for their support,” Michelle said.
“We are really grateful for all of the positive feedback.”
