EP 31: 'City People Lose Their Minds for Sunflowers'

On a summer day last year in Burgaw, North Carolina, a farmer named Michael Lanier snapped a photograph of bright new life on his family land and put it up on social media. The next day, a massive crowd beyond anything he'd imagined turned out for an in-person look. This farmer had unwittingly stumbled upon an amazing engagement opportunity, and when he tried it again this year, an even bigger crowd showed -- thousands of people. So when one of the state's biggest city governments did something similar recently, the response was off the charts. It nearly got unruly at times. But it wasn't just about civic engagement. It was more innovative, an example other cities can follow. Show notes: City of Raleigh sunflowers press release - http://www.raleighnc.gov/home/news/content/CorNews/Articles/Sunflowers2017.html WRAL story, "Raleigh's sunflowers draw crowds, but city asks visitors to stop jumping fence" - http://www.wral.com/raleigh-s-sunflowers-draw-crowds-but-city-asks-visitors-to-stop-jumping-fence/16812164/ Michael Lanier, Old River Farms - http://oldriverfarmsnc.com/