Sunflowers from the first season of the Valley of the Sunflowers project, planted in September of 2011, were harvested in January 2012. The seed heads from that harvest are hanging to dry and will be pressed into sunflower oil for the students at Phoenix Union Bioscience High School to use to fuel the biofuel car they are currently building.
The first season was an even greater success than anticipated, according to Kenny Barrett, Programs Manager of Roosevelt Row CDC. Barrett noted that they ended up with more flowers than they had expected from the first season.
Preparations for the second season on the two acre lot between Fifth and Sixth Streets and Garfield and McKinley Streets in downtown Phoenix are currently underway, with plans to plant the sunflower seeds in early March, according to Barrett.
One of the major goals of the project is to inspire others in the community to take action. Barrett noted that there is so much vacant land in and around downtown Phoenix, and we could be creatively adapting the vacant land to make it more beautiful and useful. The innspiration from the Valley of the Sunflowers project is already snowballing. Barrett described a community mural project in a vacant space at 9th and Roosevelt Streets.
The story of the Valley of the Sunflowers project is the story of partnerships. Roosevelt Row CDC and the Phoenix Union Bioscience High School are working together, along with Intel, which provided some grant money for the project. The City of Phoenix loaned the land for the project. Sycamore Farms loaned a jumbo tractor for the project. The art teacher at Phoenix Union Bioscience High School brought her students across the street all season to draw the sunflowers throughout their life cycle.
Although the land currently being used for the Valley of the Sunflowers project has already been committed for staging for a construction project next year, Barrett said they hope to put art banners on the edges of the fencing, possibly showing the life cycles of the sunflowers. For the third season, the Valley of the Sunflowers project will likely move to the space at 9th and Roosevelt Streets.
There are a number of ways to get involved in the Valley of the Sunflowers project. You can sign up for volunteer work days, donate money, or sponsor the project.
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