Here’s the thing I learned today: You can’t be sad standing in a field of sunflowers. No, seriously. There must be some sort of karmic law that makes you smile when surrounded by these happy plants. I experienced it when I went to visit the sunflower farm on Oxford Rd in Oxford. For our interview, owner Bill Eason, aka Mr. Sunflower, had set up a table outside his home where a vase of sunflowers and zinnias took center stage. How could you not smile?

86-year-old Eason has been a lifetime Eastern Shore resident living in the house on Oxford Road since 1959. With farming in his blood (his dad and brother were farmers), he and his wife, Rose, started a produce stand at the site, first selling corn and then including tomatoes, beets, and other vegetables. They were so successful that they expanded to a new building and stand also on the property. Besides the produce, the Easons had also been growing sunflowers because they seemed to attract people to the stand. That, too, expanded when Rose got him interested in zinnias.

And then, in 2012, Rose passed away, and Eason stopped growing vegetables and closed the stand. He didn’t want to do it without her, he said. 

Bill Eason

But he continued to cultivate sunflowers because he loved watching them grow. So much so that they began to encompass most of his 3.5-acre property as years went by. The zinnias also began to take on a life of their own and took up some space on his field. They became a way to honor Rose’s memory. “I’m really proud of them,” he said. “I’m sorry my wife is not here to see them, but maybe she’s looking down on them because they’re doing great this year.”

Anyone traveling to and from Oxford is used to seeing Eason’s sunflowers in various stages of bloom throughout the entire summer and deep into fall. That’s because he has a staggered planting strategy that takes him past what most people think is too late to sow. “It’s about 65 days for the shoots to come up, and I plant them about the middle of September,” he said. “And they’ll come up in late November or early December if the weather doesn’t get too cold because they can even handle a frost. But I’ll take a chance on the late ones every year.”

That’s not to say there aren’t challenges, including hungry deer, which have sometimes ruined a plot or two. But not all wildlife is destructive, and watching his sunflowers sustain the bumble, honeybees, and birds brings him enormous joy. He also never tires of taking pictures, estimating he’s amassed around 5,000 on his phone, he told me, flipping through photos of customers holding his sunflowers, bees with their legs heavy with pollen, and birds landing on the flower head picking out seeds.

There’s no typical day for Eason, who, for obvious reasons, is enormously proud of his plants. As we spoke, he walked among them, pulling up a weed, cutting off dead bent-over flower heads, or selecting blooms for his stand. Today, like many others, he’s trailed by his calico cat Ava. It’s all in preparation for the steady stream of customers who usually drive through his lot.

At the self-serve stand, you can buy either a $5 or a $10 vase of flowers (vase included, which you can bring back or keep) and the dead flower heads, which he called ‘nature’s bird feeders.’ Eason enjoys being able to provide this service, and the only complaint he ever gets, he said, is the mess made by the pollen released from the massive sunflower heads, although he’s heard there may be a solution—hairspray.

I asked if there was a secret on why his fields were so prolific, especially since I learned he doesn’t use fertilizers. Does he sell his super seeds so we can recreate these beauties? Actually, Eason buys his seeds yearly from Talbot AG Supply in Queen Anne. “It’s a hybrid small seed that grows well and is treated so insects don’t eat them.” Probably the best secret is hiring Eason to plant them for you, something he does as a side business. 

Despite everything I was learning, I was anxious to share what I thought I knew about the flowers. He set me straight: Sunflowers don’t follow the sun. No matter how you plant them, they always face east. And if, like me, you’ve aww-ed over how sunflowers turn toward each other when it’s cloudy, prepare to be disappointed, “I’ve never seen that happening,” he said.

The one thing I was right about is that his flowers bring others joy. Said Eason, “I take sunflowers around and donate to the hospital, doctor’s offices, restaurants, churches, and homebound folks,” he said. He reminisced about bringing sunflowers to a friend’s wife battling cancer. It deeply touched him how his simple gift brightened her final days. Recently he brought a couple of dozen flowers to a church and told people to take them home. “That was my pay–to see happy faces. I probably donate as many or more than I sell.” 

Beyond bouquets, Eason extends his generosity and community spirit through parades, festivals, fundraisers, and more. His decorated trailer is a familiar sight, whether for Waterfowl Festival, strawberry festival, Christmas parade, or a cancer benefit. On October 21, he’ll help Oxford Community Center’s (OCC) Harvest Moon Dance fall gala. OCC’s Director, Liza Ledford, said, “Bill has a smile like no other. His generous nature can be seen in all of his flourishing sunflowers! We are so lucky he shares his flowers to support many Oxford organizations, including this fundraiser where his beautiful flowers and tractors will be the main decorations.” 

Before I left, Mr. Sunflower handed me an armful of sunshine and zinnias. Pollen or not, many days later, they still make me smile.

Bill Eason’s Sunflower Farm is on Oxford Rd, approximately 4 miles from the town of Oxford. 410-924-3486

Val Cavalheri is a writer and photographer. She has written for various publications, including The Washington Post.  Previously she served as the editor of several magazines, including Bliss and Virginia Woman. Although her camera is never far from her reach, Val retired her photography studio when she moved from Northern Virginia to the Eastern Shore a few years ago.. She and her husband, Wayne Gaiteri, have two children and one grandchild.

In 1994, a group of concerned individuals in Queen Anne’s County recognized a pressing need within their community – homes in disrepair and families struggling to maintain them. This realization led to the current Rebuilding Together, a national non-profit organization dedicated to repairing homes, revitalizing communities, and rebuilding lives. Recently, the group received a $3,500 award from the Qlarant Foundation, a private non-profit organization focused on enhancing the quality of life for vulnerable populations in Maryland and the District of Columbia.

Larisa Thomas, President of Rebuilding Together of Queen Anne’s County (RTQAC), shares how this grant and the partnership with local businesses and organizations impact the lives of older adults, low-income, and disabled community members.

Originally known as ‘Christmas in April,’ Rebuilding Together was started by a group of volunteers in 1973 in Midland, Texas, who, on the last Saturday in April, gathered to help low-income homeowners who were struggling to repair and renovate their homes.  The beneficiaries were primarily the elderly and disabled, trying to make ends meet on fixed incomes. In 1988, the organization expanded to other cities and changed its name to reflect what had become a year-round effort. Today, Rebuilding Together has over 100 affiliates nationwide and has helped repair and renovate over 200,000 homes.  

The critical importance of the organization’s work cannot be overstated. Thomas shared a staggering statistic that highlights the urgent need for their services: “Nationwide, 76% of households served by Rebuilding Together have a resident over the age of 65, and 51% have a resident with a disability, many of which have mobility issues that make it difficult to remain safely at home. And that also tends to be true in Queen Anne’s county,” she said. She describes how the domino effect of neglect can escalate from a simple roof leak into damaged floors and compromised structures, adding to the financial burden of homeowners who are already struggling to make ends meet. 

(L-R) Jonathan Olsavsky, Project leader and board member Wendell Carr, Perry Bird (right) Sr. Director, Network Advancement for National Rebuilding Together.

At the heart of RTQAC is its Safe and Healthy Housing program. It follows eight principles that ensure homes are: dry, clean, safe, pest-free, contaminant-free, well-ventilated, maintained, and thermally controlled. They also use a detailed 25-point checklist to assess homes and fix potential issues that homeowners might not know about.

The best illustration of the impact of RTQAC’s work is through the stories of transformed lives. Thomas recounts an instance where grandparents were raising grandchildren in a home where the pipes were freezing in the wintertime. “We came in and made it safe for this grandmother who was doing her best just to make a difference in her grandkid’s lives.”  At another home, we fixed a leaky roof, plumbing that wasn’t working, and holes in the floor. These were all safety issues that need to be addressed.”

The process of identifying eligible homeowners for the free program involves a multi-faceted approach. Collaborations with local departments and agencies, such as the Department of Aging, ensure those in need are connected to available services. Word of mouth also plays a significant role. Once identified, applicants can either call or submit an online form. The organization also participates in community events and employs various outreach methods to spread awareness and attract volunteers.

Of course, volunteers are the backbone of this program. Those who work with RTQAC come from a variety of backgrounds. Some are retired professionals with experience in construction or home repair, while others are community members who simply want to give back. All volunteers receive training and support from the organization to ensure that repairs are completed safely and effectively. There is also funding available to do home repairs through contractors. Thomas said, “This is the new direction that Rebuilding Together can do, which allows us to have a bigger impact.”

Looking ahead, Thomas envisions a brighter future for RTQAC. More board members, an expanded volunteer network, increased community engagement, and sustained funding are on her radar. There are diverse sources of financial lifelines that power RTQAC’s efforts, including individual donations, government support, and grants from organizations such as the Qlarant Foundation. She envisions a self-sustaining organization, making an enduring difference in the lives of those they serve. “Our goal is to complete eight projects this year and then double that number to 16 next year,” she said. 

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For more information and see how you can help Rebuilding Together Queen Anne’s County, please go here.

For more information about the Qlarant Foundation, please go here.

In 2024, Edward’s Pharmacy, right in the heart of Centreville at the corner of Commerce and Water Street, will celebrate its 60th year of providing health care services to our community.

Some readers might be surprised to find out there’s been a drug store at that location even longer than that.

J. Thomas Holland operated a home goods business there before the dawn of the 20th century. Dispensing medicine was part of his trade. He started training a young Centreville native and aspiring druggist named J. West Thompson in 1909. Thompson worked at the store for 30 years before buying it from Holland when he retired. Jim ‘Doc’ Edwards purchased the business in 1964. After the devastating downtown fire of 1968, Doc rebuilt and rebranded.  The Edwards kept the store in the family until selling it to pharmacist Shalendra Anil Cherukuri in 2007.

Dr. Cherukuri, Anil to friends old and new, earned his bachelor’s degree in pharmacy at India’s Sri Ramachandra Harvard Medical International and his master’s degree in the U.S. Active in various professional pharmaceutical associations and nonprofits, Anil also owns several other pharmacies, of which he considers his Centreville location a model store – particularly with regards to customer service. He says, “I want all my pharmacies to provide the level of engagement, the Eastern Shore style of interacting, that the staff at Edward’s has.”

Some folks on that staff have been there for more than 20 years. QACTV personality Mandy Leager is one of them. Hired in 2000 right out of Queen Anne’s County High School, Mandy has done a little bit of everything at Edward’s from the one hour photo and passport duties to delivering prescriptions “from the Bay Bridge to Rock Hall.” She says the type of service Anil refers to comes from striving to “build relationships, build trust. We work hard to really know our customers and what they need.”

Anil agrees a key factor in the long standing good reputation of Edward’s Pharmacy is loyalty, the loyalty he gets from his staff, the loyalty the staff provides their customers, and the loyalty their customers have for Edward’s. He says, “We have customers who drive from Kent Island, from across the Bay Bridge, who pass by seven or eight pharmacies to come to Edward’s. Imagine that. There must be a reason. I stress to my team that our job is to make life happier, not more miserable.

Dr. Anil Cherukuri

“And” Anil continues, “the town is always so supportive. It has been such a great experience in my life. For example, they had to work on the street outside. For two years our customers couldn’t get to our parking lot. But they didn’t abandon us for an inconvenience. In Centreville it feels like our customers care that we’re here. Our customers show up. They’re there for us. That’s not always the same everywhere else.

“So you have to do what you can to give back. To return that loyalty. We try to always support local organizations, charities, churches, schools. We support our community. We want to make a positive difference.”

Combining traditional service standards with modernizing the store’s technology and infrastructure to dispense prescriptions more safely and efficiently is an ongoing goal. To meet those efforts, Edward’s not only provides in-house compounding and lab facilities, but has implemented such services as prescriptions-by-mail and medication synchronization so that all of the customer’s medicines can be renewed on the same day instead of the staggered dates of the original prescriptions. Home healthcare products available include walkers, wheelchairs, recline chairs, shower benches, and a variety of medical supplies. Beds and lifts can be rented.

Part of Mandy Leager’s somewhat ambiguous job description at Edward’s includes stocking the store’s Hallmark Gold Crown Card and Gift Center. Aiming to always offer a selection of carefully curated items to go along with the exclusive Hallmark gifts and cards offered as a Gold Crown store, Mandy says she seeks out merchandise “you can’t find anywhere else. When someone buys something, we want them to remember where they got it.” This would include all kinds of home décor, jewelry, books by local authors, candles, ornaments, celebration balloons, toys and plushies, Queen Anne’s, Maryland, and Chesapeake themed souvenirs, and gear for fans of the Orioles, Ravens, and QACHS Lions. Among the many unique items currently showcased are handcrafted custom collectables from Rowe Pottery and local honey from the Eastern Shore’s own Lazy B Apiary.

Back in the pharmacy, an important part of Anil’s approach to his business is “no finger-pointing.”  When it comes to the complexities of working with doctors’ offices and insurances companies and customers who might be in pain or despair, Anil says, “When there are problems, discuss solutions, not what happened. It can be hard for the patient. Their health might be in serious danger. I tell my team, “Treat every person like they’re your mom.”

Mandy provides further insight: “Edward’s fills up to 400 prescriptions a day. We have 17 full time employees. It’s non-stop and a big part of our job involves medicine. That means the pharmacy is responsible for people’s health, their lives. It can be intensely stressful. The hardest part can be dealing with the complicated decisions and situations outside of our control but we always try not to let that affect how we treat our customers.

“Because what they want to know is that we care.”

Edward’s Pharmacy, open Monday-Friday from 8 am to 6 pm and Saturday from 8 am to 2 pm, is an EPIC-affiliated independent pharmacy located at 102 S. Commerce in Centreville. https://www.edwardspharmacy.com

Brent Lewis is a native Chesapeake Bay Eastern Shoreman. He has published two nonfiction books about the region, “Remembering Kent Island: Stories from the Chesapeake” and a “History of the Kent Island Volunteer Fire Department.” His most recent book, “Stardust By The Bushel: Hollywood On The Chesapeake Bay’s Eastern Shore”won a 2023 Independent Publishers award. His first novel, Bloody Point 1976, won an Honorable Mention Award at the 2015 Hollywood Book Festival. He and his wife Peggy live in Centreville, Maryland.