Driving along Interstate 90 in southern Minnesota, the bright yellow fields seem to stretch endlessly toward the horizon. What appears at first glance to be a simple aesthetic delight is actually part of a bold shift in regenerative agriculture on an 800-acre farm near Austin. Tom Cotter, the farmer behind those golden rows, has spent over three decades reshaping his land into a model of diversified farming - and in 2025, 270 acres of sunflowers are helping him improve soil health, support livestock grazing, and access new organic markets.

Cotter's journey began with conventional farming in the early 1990s. He started incorporating cover crops in 1998, then moved to reduced tillage, later transitioning into strip tilling and organic production. By 2016, he transformed his livestock operation, shifting from a 500-head feeder lot to a grass-finished cow-calf model. His land now grows a mix of corn, soybeans, sweet corn, peas, oats, and increasingly, sunflowers - both organic and conventional.

The decision to grow sunflowers started partly as a personal choice - Cotter wanted to create fields that both he and his wife Alma could enjoy. But the strategy quickly became economically viable when the Russia-Ukraine war caused global sunflower prices to spike. Already integrating sunflowers into his multi-species cover crop rotations, Cotter expanded production into a profitable cash crop. In 2025, he planted 150 acres of conventional sunflowers and 120 acres of organic, selling to cereal companies like Seven Sundays and Simple Mills, whose products appear on national shelves at Target and Walmart.

The sunflowers are also central to his livestock management strategy. Cotter rotates cattle through nearly all his fields, including sunflowers, soybeans, peas, and sweet corn. He interseeds crops like clover and rye into corn during its V6 stage and leverages sunflower stubble for extended grazing periods. "The cows get out onto every acre sometime during the year," Cotter explains. This synergy between crop and livestock systems allows him to cut inputs and boost soil biological activity.

Education and community engagement are equally important to Cotter. In 2025, he hosted 75 attendees at his field days, offering tours of cover crops, livestock pastures, and - timed perfectly - blooming sunflower fields. Attendees enjoyed grass-fed beef tacos made with meat from Cotter's own herd and learned about the connection between healthy soils and nutritious food. Cotter partners with the Minnesota Soil Health Coalition, a farmer-led group that supports knowledge sharing and peer-to-peer training.

With corn and soybean prices slumping, Cotter sees sunflowers as a beacon of opportunity for other farmers. He estimates that at least 15 producers in southern Minnesota are now growing sunflowers. While prices in 2025 are not as high as in previous years, buyer demand still outpaces supply - a rare bright spot in a challenging market.

Beyond their agronomic value, Cotter's sunflower fields have become a local attraction. With blooms stretching for a mile along I-90, residents and travelers alike stop for photos and inspiration. Cotter embraces the attention. "I want all people, even those from the city, to see this farm and say, ‘Hey, this agriculture is pretty good,'" he says. Visitors have shared stories of how the sunflowers lifted their spirits during difficult trips to the Mayo Clinic, just down the road. "If you can put a smile on someone's face and reconnect them with nature," Cotter adds, "that's what it's all about."

Whether it's through improved yields, resilient soils, direct-to-market organic sales, or simply bringing joy to the community, Cotter's sunflower experiment is no longer just a side project. It's a case study in how regenerative agriculture can align economic viability with ecological and emotional impact.