Pick your own is the future, says sunflower farmer

Sam Wilson says seeing the smiling sunflower faces in the morning is "magical"

Pick-your-own days are the way forward for one farmer, who said: "I'm simply moving with the times and the demand."

Sam Wilson co-owns Stoke Fruit Farm on Hayling Island, Hampshire, with his sister and while they still grow wheat, barley and sweetcorn - and have about 3,500 chickens - they now grow more things people can come and pick themselves.

Changing weather has also influenced the farm to diversify into growing sunflowers, pumpkins and squash.

From just one acre of sunflowers 14 years ago, the farm now grows the flowers across 50 acres because "there is such demand for pick your own", said Mr Wilson.

The farm opened to the public for pick-your-own days eight years ago.

"People like to pick their own and have a fun day out," said Mr Wilson.

The sunflowers can grow tall and with faces "up to 18ins across", he said, adding: "In the morning, when you come out really early, the heads will ping against a moody sky and it does look magical."

Sam Wilson, co-owner of Stoke Fruit Farm, says the change in weather has been challenging

He said they do not have any links with supermarkets and everything they produce goes straight into the farm shop, which was first set up by his grandfather.

"In those days, he had a lot of market gardening going on, like growing vegetables," he said.

"Back in the 80s we had three green grocery shops, which have fallen by the wayside.

"We still have the farm shop on the main road and that's doing a really good trade."

Mr Wilson said he was "really pleased" people were "engaging with us farmers more and I encourage that because we are the people that grow the food".

He said farmers know weather will affect crops but said this year had been "particularly challenging because it's been so hot and dry".

"We are having to diversify as there is an awful lot of pressure on farmers and that means getting people to come here to pick their own and have a day out," said the farmer.

"It is the future and the change we are seeing in farming.

"I'd like to be able to just produce crops for selling, as we have in the past, but you can't live in the past, you have to move with what's going on.

"There's an awful lot of pressure on our lands and on farmers, as long as we are putting back into the soil and we're not robbing it."