Sunflowers in the Southwest
The beauty of these sunflowers peaks after the green leaves and bright yellow flowers fade. Nestled in a corner of the Sulphur Springs Valley are 90 acres of sunflowers. The crop is a partnership between Cargill Beauty and three experienced farmers and entrepreneurs: Frank Fierro and Willcox natives, David and Cathy Collins.
Fierro is from Maricopa, AZ and owns Fierro Commodities. Fierro Commodities was established in 2008 and Frank has been busy researching and experimenting with different varieties, with an end goal of having sunflowers be a viable commodity option for Arizona farmers. The crop is low in water, herbicide, and pesticide use, which promotes soil health and water sustainability. The variety Frank has focused on is one known for being high in oleic oil, perfect for beauty products and byproducts. In July 2022, he partnered with Larry Hart of Maricopa, AZ to grow 70 acres of the crop. The beauty of the crop was featured in a drone video by Volo Photo LLC on Facebook, and quickly made a viral sensation of the fields, attracting visitors to get a photo near the flowers.
Frank hit the jackpot in Cochise County when he found the Collinses, who were interested in taking a chance on a new crop. David and Cathy Collins have 30 years of experience farming and have grown every type of crop ranging from alfalfa, triticale, cotton, chilies, corn, beans and even watermelons. They are familiar with the climate of the Sulphur Springs Valley and decided to give sunflowers a chance. The sunflowers were planted in June and harvested in November, after the seeds had completely dried. Much like with their experience in Maricopa, birds have been the biggest problem for the crop, as they feast on the seeds, which affect the crop yield.
Always learning, the Fierro’s harvested the Maricopa crop with a Case tractor. Since then, they found a 1979 John Deere 4400 combine to harvest the Willcox crop, and that proved to be a good investment. Customized sunflower pans are attached to the header that feeds the heads of the sunflowers through. “The crop is so clean with this little combine, it can be shipped directly to the Cargill processing facility, as opposed to needing to be sent to seed cleaners beforehand,” stated Laurie Fierro, Frank's wife.
Cargill Seed Company has been around since 1907 and took root in the hybrid corn seed market nationally and internationally. Cargill Beauty is the personal care division of Cargill and offers a portfolio of nature-derived ingredients, promotes sustainable use, and supports local farmers. Cargill Beauty provided seed for the operation and presses the seed for oil for their cosmetics at their Buckeye facility. They also have an office/testing facility in Chandler. “Being able to grow and process this crop all in Arizona is huge” says Fierro, “We are all excited with how sustainable sunflowers are proving themselves to be.”
With the final pass of the combine through the field, the 2022 Cochise County crop may likely become the largest commercial harvest of sunflowers in the state of Arizona. And there’s no doubt we will be seeing some more acres of sunflowers next year as the trio continues to promote this beautiful crop.