BLOOMIN’ L OVELY PADDOCK
THE Hinchinbrook area has a surprising new tourist attraction, but it won’t last for long.
Cane farmer Michael Waring has planted tens of thousands of sunflowers on his property west of Ingham as a fallow crop, turning 16ha of land into a mass of gold.
The golden paddocks are beside Wallaman Falls Rd, well placed for visitors taking a trip to the longest single drop waterfall in Australia.
Mr Waring said he learned this week popular his choice of crop has been.
“One of my daughters told me about some photos on social media,” he said.
“There was a very practical reason to plant them but just how I can see they look good as well. It’s a nice change from cane.”
Mr Waring is one of just a few farmers in the region growing sunflowers as an alternative or addition to cowpeas and soya beans. “They are a good plant for the soil,’’ he said. “Diversity is important when it comes to soil health and sunflowers bring in another element. If they bring pleasure to others as well, that’s a bonus.”
It’s only the second year he has planted sunflowers, with soya beans sown in between the crop.
“It’s about trying new things, something a lot of farmers are continuing to do to improve soil health and, by doing so, improve water quality leaving their farms,” he said.
The flowers are expected to last about another week.