Annual Sunflower Growing contest winners awarded

Cornell Cooperative Extension Orange County held its 5th Annual Sunflower Growing Competition in late fall. Sunflower seeds along with instructions on how to plant their seeds and care for their plants were distributed to over 750 youth ages 5-19 in May and June.

Participants submitted photos and measurements of their sunflowers and were judged on the height of the plant and the diameter of the bloom.

Samantha C. was named the Tallest Sunflower winner. She was able to grow her plant to 8 feet, 5 inches. Lucy R. won for Largest Bloom, as her sunflower was 13 inches in diameter. Both will receive a Window Gardening Herb Kit so they can continue to grow things this winter.

Registration for the 6th Annual Sunflower Growing Competition will begin in May 2026. It is open to all Orange County young people ages 5-19.

Cornell Cooperative Extension and its partnerships provide programs for Orange County residents on youth and family development; nutrition, health, and food safety; community and economic vitality; and agricultural sustainability through Cornell based research. Committed to Orange County, CCE designs programs to meet local needs to enable people to improve their lives and communities. For more information, call 845-344-1234 or log onto cceorangecounty.org.