Sunflower fields trampled, pumpkin patches trod under, apple orchards pillaged and wrecked. It has become a phenomenon of the Instagram era that fields ripe for harvest are also fields perfect for selfies. When the flowers are at their brightest, the pumpkins at their biggest, the apples at their reddest, word gets out, and crowds descend. One nearby farm had to close after an estimated 7,000 cars attempted to park in the streets around it. “By noon, the hordes were coming from all directions. People were parking as much as a kilometre away. The crowds started ignoring the overwhelmed farm staff, strolling into the fields without paying. Police told the Bogles that parents were crossing four lanes of traffic with strollers, people were getting in fender benders—one driver had his door ripped off by a passing car.” Their website now makes it clear: “There will be NO 2021 SUNFLOWER PHOTOGRAPHY OPPORTUNITIES.”
It used to be that a sunflower plant at full bloom represented a commodity that was valuable as a source of food. Pumpkin patches and apple orchards, too. Their primary value was not related to their beauty but their utility. However, in the age of Instagram, the
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