AUGUST TO CATCH THE FLOWERS IN BLOOM.
ROWS AND ROWS OF SUNFLOWERS.
A SPECTACULAR SIGHT.
♪ BRILLIANT, YELLOW SUNFLOWERS STRETCHING TOWARD THE SKIES COLOR THE LANDSCAPE AT COPPAL HOUSE FARM IN LEE.
UP CLOSE, THE SUNFLOWERS DAZZLE YOU WITH THEIR EYE-CATCHING GOLDEN PETALS, PEEKING UP FROM TALL, GREEN STALKS.
♪ >> IT'S ALMOST UNREAL.
>> JUST LIKE YOU'RE IN A SEA OF SUNFLOWERS.
>> I WAS HERE LAST YEAR AND I HAD A LOT OF FUN HERE SO I JUST HAD TO COME BACK.
KAREN: LIKE HONEY BEES, PEOPLE SWARM TO THE FIELDS FOR THE SUNFLOWER FESTIVAL IN JULY AND AUGUST.
WALKING THROUGH ROWS AND ROWS, SNAPPING SELFIES.
4-YEAR-OLD PAISLEY TATE GETTING HER FIRST INTRODUCTION.
>> WHO IS TALLER, YOU OR THE SUNFLOWER?
>> THE SUNFLOWER.
KAREN: THAT’S RIGHT.
YOU HAVE A NARROW WINDOW FOR VIEWING.
PEAK BLOOM LASTS ABOUT 10 DAYS.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING OUT TO THE FARM TODAY.
♪ KAREN: CAROL AND JOHN HUTTON GREW THIS MEADOW OF MAGIC.
THEY'VE OWNED THE FARM FOR 15 YEARS, ALTHOUGH IT DATES BACK NEARLY THREE CENTURIES.
KING GEORGE OF ENGLAND GRANTED IT TO THE MATHIS BROTHERS IN 1745.
THE HUTTONS ARE ONLY THE FARM'S THIRD OWNERS.
>> AS SUNFLOWERS GROW, BEFORE YOU SEE THE HEAD, THE ACTUAL STALK WILL FOLLOW THE SUN.
IT FACES EAST.
IT SORT OF BENDS UP AND AROUND AND OVER AND FACES WEST, COMES AROUND.
ONCE THE SEEDS HAVE STARTED AND HAVE FORMED, THEY ONLY FACE EAST.
KAREN: SUNFLOWERS FILL 5 FIELDS, 16 ACRES.
AND THEY'RE MORE THAN JUST A PRETTY FACE.
>> THESE ARE OILSEED SUNFLOWERS.
KAREN: ONCE THE FLOWERS FADE ON THIS PARTICULAR VARIETY AND THE BLOSSOMS FALL OFF, THEY HUTTON'S S TURN THE SEEDS INTO SUNFLOWER OIL.
>> THIS FLOWER HEAD RIGHT HERE IS STARTING TO GO BY A LITTLE BIT.
AND YOU CAN SEE THAT ALL THE POLLEN HAS BEEN TAKEN AND WE CAN SEE LITTLE SEEDS LEFT BEHIND YOU’D -- BEHIND.
EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THESE LITTLE FLOWERETS.
GOING TO MAKE A SMILEY FACE FOR YOU.
WATCH THIS.
JUST FOR "CHRONICLE." KAREN: FOR THE NEXT MONTH, THESE SEEDS WILL DOUBLE IN SIZE AND RIPEN.
THE HEADS WILL TILT DOWNWARD, PROTECTING THE SEEDS FROM THE WEATHER.
>> THE FIELD ISN'T GOING TO LOOK AS PRETTY IN ANOTHER TEN DAYS.
KAREN: FROM FABULOUS TO FUNCTIONAL.
JOHN HUTTON HARVESTS THE SEEDS , WHICH ARE PRESSED INTO A HIGH-GRADE CULINARY COOKING OIL.
>> IT'S VERY LIGHT.
IT'S GOT A LITTLE BIT OF AN EARTHY TOUCH TO IT BUT IT'S VERY NEUTRAL, SO IT'S EASY TO USE.
IT DOESN'T OVERPOWER WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO COOK WITH.
KAREN: THEIR OIL WON A HIGHLY COVETED GOOD FOOD AWARD IN 2016.
HONORED FOR BOTH QUALITY AND SUSTAINABILITY PRACTICES.
>> THEY SORT OF MAKE IT BE THE ACADEMY AWARDS OF FOOD.
AND THEY HAVE THIS HUGE GALA OUT IN SAN FRANCISCO.
AND WE WERE ONLY THE SECOND WINNER FROM NEW HAMPSHIRE EVER.
KAREN: THE AWARD PUT COPPAL HOUSE FARM ON THE MAP, NATIONAL EXPOSURE AND NEWFOUND DEMAND.
THE SUNFLOWER OIL, SOLD PRIMARILY AT THEIR FARM SHOP, SELLS OUT EVERY SINGLE YEAR.
>> OUR OIL IS LIKE A FULL-BODIED BOTTLE OF WINE.
KAREN: JOHN DROPS EVERYTHING WHEN IT'S HARVEST TIME.
FEAR OF THE DREADED MIGRATORY BIRDS.
>> EVERYBODY KNOWS HOW BIRDS LOVE SUNFLOWER SEEDS.
WHEN YOU HAVE 600,000 SHOW UP, IT'S NOT GOOD.
FOUR YEARS AGO, THEY WIPED OUT OUR ENTIRE PRODUCTION IN LESS THAN 2 DAYS.
KAREN: NOW, HE STAYS A WEEK AND A HALF AHEAD OF THE BIRDS’ NORMAL MIGRATION ROUTE.
BUMPER CROPS EVER SINCE.
AND FOR THOSE 10 DAYS IN FULL BLOOM, FOLKS CAN BASK IN THE SUNFLOWER'S WARMING GLOW.
JEANNETTE BOULIND CAME ALL THE WAY FROM LONDON.
>> IT'S JUST SO DIFFERENT AND BEAUTIFUL TO SEE ALL OF THESE SUNFLOWERS IN ONE PLACE.
IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT YOU NORMALLY SEE WHERE WE LIVE IN ENGLAND.
KAREN: WHILE SUNFLOWERS MAY BE THE MAIN DRAW THIS TIME OF YEAR, COPPAL HOUSE FARM IS NO ONE TRICK PONY.
IN THE WINTER, THESE DRAFT HORSES WILL TAKE YOU FOR A SLEIGH RIDE.
AND THEY KEEP COMPANY WITH A MENAGERIE OF OTHER FARM ANIMALS.
IN FACT, A BROOD INTERRUPTS OUR INTERVIEW.
>> THEY ARE OUR 3 MOST POPULAR CHICKENS.
THAT'S FRANKIE, GRACE, AND PENELOPE.
KAREN: WHILE THE CHICKENS RULED THE ROOST, YOU MAY NEED THEIR HELP FINDING YOUR WAY OUT OF THE CORN MAZE.
♪ >> WE HAVE ALL THE FUN IN THE WORLD WITH PEOPLE, BECAUSE WE GET TO, AS A BUSINESS, TELL PEOPLE HOW TO GET LOST. 2:51:58.
KAREN: EVERY SEPTEMBER, COPPAL HOUSE FARM CREATES A CORN MAZE USING A WILDLIFE THEME.
ANY GUESSES ON THIS YEAR’S CREATION?
IT'S A BLUEBIRD.
THE MAZE COVERS FIVE ACRES.
IF YOU MAKE ALL THE RIGHT CHOICES, YOU SHOULD MAKE IT OUT IN A HALF HOUR.
JOHN'S PRETTY PROUD OF HIS CORN . IT'S BEEN A ROBUST SEASON.
>> THIS CORN IS GOING TO BE ABOUT THE TALLEST I'VE HAD.
THIS IS GOING TO TOP OUT RIGHT ABOUT 12-14 FEET.
KAREN: JUST ACROSS THE POND, MORE SUNFLOWERS IN THE ORNAMENTAL GARDEN.
THE VARIETIES HERE ARE FOR SHOW ONLY, NO OIL SEEDS.
>> IT'S CALLED PRO-CUT.
THIS IS ONE YOU'D GET IF YOU BOUGHT FROM A FLORIST. 2:44:37.
KAREN: ALL DIFFERENT COLORS, SIZES, AND TEXTURES.
THEY LAST MUCH LONGER THAN OILSEED BLOOMS.
THERE'S SIMPLY SOMETHING MAGICAL ABOUT VAST FIELDS OF SUNFLOWERS -- BRIGHT, CHEERY, AND AS WARM AND INVITING AS THE SWEET SUMMER SUN.
>> I KEEP TELLING PEOPLE, WHEN YOU'RE HAVING A BAD DAY, COME TO THE SUNFLOWER FIELD BECAUSE IT'S PRETTY HARD TO HAVE A BAD DAY WHEN YOU'RE SURROUNDED BY SUNFLOWERS.
♪