Drought was crippling the family’s lucerne farm in 2020 when Russell Jenner brightened his wife Jenny’s day with a bunch of store-bought sunflowers. Unknowingly, he planted the seeds for Kalbar’s annual Sunflower Festival. When Russell passed away with cancer in 2023, Jenny pressed on, and today the three-day Kalbar Sunflower Festival is a sell-out, raising thousands of dollars to support those dealing with the effects of cancer.

Some key points:

• The impact of drought on farming and water management
• Managing festival logistics and visitor numbers
• Supporting local community and tourism
• Sunflowers: the cultivation process
• The positive impact of sunflowers on well-being