Large Sunflower Becomes Small Town Landmark

Large Sunflower Becomes Small Town Landmark AG WORLD 30-3-24 If you ever get a chance to drive into Balcarres, Saskatchewan, you won't miss the 30-ft. high sunflower that four local men built out of two old fiberglass satellite dishes. It quickly became a local landmark. "We didn't have a plan. We just started coming up with ideas about how to make it work," says Brent Bazin, who worked on the project with Charlie Lucyk, Ernie Vajdelek and Dr. George Wilson. They first took a 10-ft. dia. satellite dish and cut it down to 5 ft. They cut the 36 by 11-in. wide pedals out of the cutaway parts and a second dish using a skill saw with a carbide blade. "The natural curve in the satellite was perfect for the pedals," Bazin says. The 36 pedals overlap. A metal ring around the back of the flower attaches to brackets that fasten the flower to the pole. The stem was made from steel pipe that tapers from 6 in. dia. to 4 1/2 in. at the top. The group added three leaves on the stem made from pressed steel. "We intentionally put them close to the top of the flower so no one could climb the stem," Bazin says. He says it took about 9 evenings to construct and cost very little since most of the material was scrap. Since putting it up, they've received a lot of compliments on their work. "But it looked so lonely, we made a Prairie Lilly next to it a few weeks later," he says. It stands 6 ft. higher than the sunflower. They plan on adding lighting to both flowers so they can be seen at night. FARM SHOW Followup, Brent Bazin, Box 307, Balcarres, Sask., Canada S0G 0C0 (ph 306 334-2982; tyme@sasktel.net) or Charlie Lucyk (ph 306 334-2601).

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