Sunflower fields

SPReadINg SuNSHINe

The Fish sunflower fields near Manchester were a huge hit the summer of 2020, drawing in people from both near and far to view the fields. The dates for this summer’s fields had not yet been announced, though they will likely happen in the middle of August or middle of September, one of the organizers said. colleen harrison/alBert lea triBune

Sunflower fields to return north of Albert Lea this summer

By Sarah Stultz

sarah.stultz@albertleatribune.com

After spreading sunshine to thousands of people last summer, the Fish sunflower fields near Manchester are expected to return again this year.

Southwest Middle School teacher Jared Dawson, who owns the property where the flowers are planted, said the field will most likely be the last field planted for the year as part of the sunflower effort, which was started by his cousin, Johnny Olson — known to many as Johnny Fish.

The effort has grown from having one field the first year to having a dozen fields last year.

Dawson said the first sunflower field this year will be in Buffalo, where a shooting took place at the Allina Health Clinic there in February. A medical assistant and a mother of two young children was killed in the attack, and four others were injured.

“We want to extend our deepest condolences, but we also want to do more than that,” Olson wrote in a Facebook post on May 14. “We want to help restore hope and we want to do our part to bring joy back into the community.”

A field has also been announced in Monticello, and others are expected to be announced in the coming weeks.

As of press time, Dawson said the fields on his property were expected to most likely happen in the middle of August or the middle of September — it had not yet been decided.

He said he thought the fields last year on his property went really well, especially for it being the first year. The fields were dedicated to families who had lost a child.

Over the course of the two weeks the fields were in bloom, Dawson said he and his family visited with many families who had lost a child tragically.

“A lot of them said that it was such a positive, healing experience for them and a wonderful way to honor their child’s memory,” he said.

His company, Encore Developments, put out a Facebook video that received about 30,000 views, asking people who they should dedicate the field to this year, and they have received a lot of feedback saying they would like the field to be dedicated to military, first responders and police.

“So now let’s hope for some great weather so that people can come and enjoy them again this year,” he said.

The dates for the field will ultimately be announced on the Fish Sunflowers website at fishsunflowers.com and on its Facebook page when the field is closer to blooming.