NewsDrop-August-2024

MCFADIN FARMS INC. SUNFLOWER FIELDS

By: Isabel Martinez EAA Senior Permit & Conservation Coordinator

AGRICULTURE OUT WEST

Travel along with us to the McFadin Farms Inc. sunflower fields as Isabel shares interesting facts about these vibrant flowers at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kv8XcNBby64

Asia as the crop was cultivated for their seed oil for consumption. In the late 1800s, sunflowers began to be commercially grown in the United States for their cooking oil and the production of oil-based products. During the flower’s global travels, different varieties of sunflowers were hybridized to provide a desired product. Sunflowers crops provide not only seeds for oil but also for snacks, for wildlife management, and flowers for ornamental purposes that can be purchased in florist shops. Sunflowers sowed in the Edwards Aquifer Authority region are mainly for

recreation and tourism purposes. Property owners in the western portion of our region often plant sunflowers in fields where individuals can hunt for doves in the fall. Dove hunting is a popu lar activity in Texas as it generates over $400 million dollars annually in the entire state. McFadin Farms in Uvalde, Texas, plants sunflowers in the Spring to support growing dove populations for dove hunters in the fall. An average of 2,000 hunters visit McFadin Farms each year as Uvalde offers ideal weather and habitat conditions, such as multiple water sources, good tree cover, and an abundance of food sources for a strong dove population.

Sunflowers are such a quintessential part of summer in Texas. You’ve likely driven by fields of sunflowers on summer road trips or snacked on sunflower seeds while watching your favorite sports teams. Aside from being one of the most recognizable flowers and providing a popular snack, sunflowers have long played an important role in civilization. Sunflowers are one of the oldest flowers in the world. It is a native plant to North America and was cultivated by Native Americans, who used practically every part of the plant. The sunflower

seeds were used as food, the plant oils were used for cooking and skincare, the flower petals were used for dyes to color textiles and paints, and the stalks were used as building materials. When Spanish explorers returned to Europe after exploring North America, the explorers brought sunflower plants to Europe back with them and the flower’s popularity exploded. They were popular at first for decoration purposes but then they learned about the additional benefits the plant can provide. At the start of the 19th cen tury, sunflowers became a major commodity in

SUNFLOWERS HAVE LONG PLAYED AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN CIVILIZATION.

Follow up with Yanta Farms as they share more about their family-owned and managed agribusiness at https://youtu.be/Furj20eNzWo

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