photo by: Shawn Linenberger/Tonganoxie Mirror

Ted Grinter stands with Becky Worley during an interview Thursday, Sept. 9, 2021, in one of the sunflower fields at Grinter Farms south of Tonganoxie. Worley featured Grinter Farms during a Rise and Shine segment profiling Kansas on "Good Morning America."

Ted Grinter has done his share of interviews this time of year, but Thursday morning’s session was a first at Grinter Farms: “Good Morning America” crews were on hand at around 7 a.m. to film a segment for the ABC show.

Correspondent Becky Worley stood in the sunflower fields just west of Sunflower General as a camera rolled. A drone zoomed overhead to get additional shots.

Worley featured Kansas as part of the Rise and Shine tour of all 50 states. She spoke of Kansas, the 30th state to be featured so far in the ongoing segment, and its kindness through a series of stories. Atop that list were the local sunflower fields that draw visitors from near and far.

Kris Grinter, also known as “The Farmer’s Wife” on the Grinter Farms Facebook page, looked on during the filming with a few family and friends.

Worley interviewed Ted about the fields. He spoke about the sunflowers and their appeal, and he also noted that the family farm soon would be celebrating 75 years.

Ted said he felt “pretty good” about his first brush with a national audience Thursday morning.

“It was quick,” Ted said of his 40 or so seconds on camera.

The Kansas feature spanned about 10 minutes overall and highlighted a couple of Teds.

Jason Sudeikis, who directs and stars in the critically acclaimed Apple TV series “Ted Lasso,” went to Shawnee Mission West High School years ago. Worley interviewed Donnie Campbell, the upbeat inspiration for Sudeikis’ character who leaves his highly successful stint coaching American football at Wichita State to lead a professional soccer team in England. Campbell now coaches at Lee’s Summit North High School in Missouri.

The morning show also featured recorded segments with Sudeikis’ parents at Children’s Mercy Park, home of the real-life Sporting Kansas City of Major League Soccer down the road in Kansas City, Kan.; Kansas City Joe’s barbecue; and interviews with Kansas men’s basketball coach Bill Self in Allen Fieldhouse and staff at the Eldridge Hotel in downtown Lawrence.

It’s not a Kansas feature without Dorothy, of course. The Sunflower State segment opened with a stop at the Oz Museum in Wamego. The segment concluded with the “Good Morning America” crew, the Grinters and a few other locals waving to the drone camera.

“Good Morning America” producer Adam Daniels said the 50-state tour was highlighting the resilience of people in each state as businesses and attractions have slowly reopened during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Daniels first reached out to Ted and Kris Grinter just more than two weeks ago about doing a segment in the sunflower fields.

The 40 acres of sunflowers are about 4 miles south of Tonganoxie on Stillwell Road, not far from U.S. Highway 24-40.

Sunflower General, 14755 243rd St., provides a variety of items, including local honey, sugar scrubs and soaps, as well as commemorative T-shirts, wine glasses, paintings and photos. It also offers coffee and cinnamon rolls.

Kris said the seasonal shop opened on the last weekend in August. Business really picked up on Labor Day weekend, even with rain moving into the area.

“It really has been another amazing year,” Kris said.

Anyone still wanting to get out to Grinter Farms to snap photos in the fields of gold still has a little time left. The sunflowers should still be photogenic through the weekend, with some expected to start fading next week.

To view the “Good Morning America” segment about the Oz Museum, Kansas basketball, clips from Grinter Farms and more, click here. To watch the segment about the real-life Ted Lasso and the interview with Ted Grinter, click here.