Sunflowers on US 50 in Olathe are worth a pit stop in August

Editor’s note: This is part of The Know’s Staff Favorites series. Each week we give our thoughts on the best Colorado has to offer in dining, shopping, entertainment, outdoor activities and more. (We also show you some hidden gems).

Drivers traveling on the stretch of US 50 between Delta and Montrose don’t have many reasons to stop. But in summer, a family farm boasts a standout roadside attraction that’s well worth a stop.

DeVries Produce in Olathe plants 10 to 50 acres of sunflowers each year and lets the public take a photo among the flowers. At the edge of the plots, the sunflowers tower high and stretch seemingly forever to the horizon. Yes, they just want to be on your Instagram.

Farmer Randy Friend said the attraction started by accident eight years ago when he first planted sunflowers to supply birdseed to a local chicken coop. But because they sometimes grow right along the highway — Friend rotates crops across the plots — people couldn’t help but notice.

Now the sunflowers are a marketing tool for DeVries Produce’s roadside stand, which sells homegrown fruits and vegetables along with Colorado favorites like Palisade peaches and locally made cheeses, jams and honey. The family has operated the store since the 1940s.

“We grow sunflowers for many reasons, but mainly as an attraction for our roadside store,” Friend said. “Nothing is free to grow, so we have to be creative to stay profitable.”

Plus, it’s a fun addition to the farm’s series of community events, such as the fall pumpkin patch and corn maze, he added.

A friend said the flowering usually lasts about three weeks, until early September. Visitors are advised to check in at the produce stand before heading west on US 50 to where this year’s sunflowers are growing.