In a vast sunflower field in Mimasaka City, Okayama Prefecture, work was carried out to remove seeds from withered flowers after the best time to see them.
About 3 people, including local farmers and parents and children from inside and outside the prefecture, participated in the seed harvesting, which was carried out in a three-hectare field on a hill in the Takeda district of Mimasaka City.
This place is called the "sunflower field in the sky", and in summer about 20,30 sunflowers delight tourists.
The flowers that withered after the best time to see them were full of black seeds, and the participants carefully trimmed the flowers with sickles in their hands.
Then, the flowers collected in one place were knocked down with the stems to drop the seeds.
The sunflower seed harvest work will be carried out until around September 1, and about 9 kg is expected to be harvested, half of which will be donated to an NPO in Fukushima Prefecture to be used for reconstruction support.
In addition, farmers who manage their fields will take oil from the other half of the seeds and sell it to fund their activities next year.
A third-grade girl who participated in the harvest said, "Picking seeds was fun because it was like splitting watermelons."
A 3-year-old man from Hyogo Prefecture with four parents and children said, "I'm happy to be able to help Fukushima while having fun, and I hope to participate with my family next year as well."