He’s been at the Lawrence Farmer’s Market and is bagging up more sweet corn to sell near his sunflower field just west of U.S. Highway 24-40 between Tonganoxie and Lawrence.

It’s a warm Saturday afternoon — wonderful weather in which a sunflower can bask.

Grinter, though, prefers some shade. He’s placed a canopy over his truckbed and is sorting corn in hopes more people will take the sweet corn off his hands.

People drive by.

Some wave, others stop to talk.

Another vehicle stops by the sunflower field. The passenger asks whether she can go into the field to snap some photos.

“Yep,” Grinter responds, telling her she might run into some bugs while standing among the roughly 5-foot-tall sunflowers.

It’s a common occurrence this time of year at Grinter Farms.

The family started growing sunflowers in the late 1970s when Ted’s father, Jim, started growing the crop.

Jim had plans to grow and process the sunflowers and then use sunflower oils in the farm’s machinery.

“Dad was ahead of his time,” Ted said.

The Grinters have about 60 acres of sunflowers in two fields along 243rd Street and Stillwell Road near U.S. Highway 24-40.

The fields can be seen from U.S. Highway 24-40, but to take photos near the fields and with a barn backdrop, visitors from Lawrence should turn left at 243rd Street from U.S. 24-40. It eventually will connect with Stillwell Road.

People coming from Tonganoxie can turn right onto Stillwell Road from U.S. 24-40.

The turn onto 243rd Street is about 7 miles northeast of Lawrence from U.S. 24-40. The turn onto Stillwell Road from U.S. 24-40 is about 5 miles southwest of Tonganoxie.

The Grinters alternate where they plant sunflowers. This year seeds were planted in fields near U.S. 24-40. Next year, seeds will be planted in a field along Stillwell Road.

In the fall, Grinter harvests the sunflowers and bags the seeds, which are sold to local feed stores and individuals as bird seed.

He said sunflower fields aren’t the most prevalent because other crops are more profitable, such as soybeans.

“It’s a lot less work,” Grinter said, referring to soybeans.

A red metal box stands along 243rd Street near the sunflower field. People are welcome to pick sunflowers. They’re also welcome to put donations in the box.

The fields have attracted visitors from as far away as Michigan and Texas. They’re oftentimes family of Kansas University students, though one Texas resident drives up just to see the sunflowers.

Grinter’s sunflowers also have been featured on the small screen.

The fields have been featured on “The Dr. Oz Show” and Rachael Ray’s show.

Viewers also can see the fields in a Kansas tourism commercial featuring country singer Logan Mize.

The sunflowers really started opening up Monday. The fields have served as backdrops for scenic pictures, as well as engagement and family photos. For those wanting to capture photos of the fields, there’s about a two-week window when the sunflowers are most photogenic.

It’s during that time that Grinter attempts to get out an mingle with the visitors.

“I would like to spend more time getting to talk to people,” Grinter said. “It’s fun to come out and talk to people.”

Saturday, Darla Hosek of Lawrence scoped out the fields with Vera Jai, a Chinese student working on her doctorate in communications at KU.

Hosek is host to Jai and another international student through a KU program. They plan to return this weekend with more international students to see the fields.

“They love it,” Hosek said. “They take pictures.”

As for that corn Grinter was hoping to move — Hosek and Jai hauled off 11 bags.

Grinter got to chat away with the visitors and just his previously full truckbed of ears of corn had just a few left.

All in a day’s work.