Sunflower-seeking Instagrammers destroying crops

DIXON, Calif. -- When the sunflowers bloom, the Instagrammers come out in droves, just hoping to capture that perfect shot.

But so many people are coming out to photograph the flowers that they're destroying a beautiful field in Solano County, California, according to KTXL-TV.

Sunflowers are a multi-million-dollar crop in Solano County and blooming season lasts only a couple of weeks.

While ranchers say they understand the allure of the bright yellow fields, the frequent sunflower tourists are trampling crops and interrupting their workplace.

"We'll have 50 or 60 people here at one time and they think it's OK to go walk through the fields and it's not," said sunflower farmer Craig Gnos.

Gnos said he was recently posting "no trespassing" signs when some people walked right into his field to take pictures, ignoring him and the signs. Sheriff's Deputy Culley Pratt happened to drive by and gave them a warning.

"Some of these people are accessing these fields in four-wheel drive trucks, rolling over sunflowers and going out there and destroying stuff in order to get a little picture. You just cannot be doing that," Pratt said.