POWELL (AP) - Amid the sugar beets and barley that grew in the shadows of Heart Mountain this year were acres of tall yellow sunflowers with seeds that likely will be eaten thousands of miles away in Europe.

Powell farmer Lyle Evelo harvested more than 100 acres of confectionery sunflower seeds this fall, his largest crop since he began growing the edible seeds three years ago.

More than 90 percent of the sunflower seeds grown in Heart Mountain soil will be exported to Europe - likely Turkey - for consumers to enjoy.

In Turkey, nine out of 10 people eat sunflower seeds, according to the National Sunflower Association, based in North Dakota. Evelo grows striped, large confectionery sunflower seeds that many Europeans prefer over the smaller seeds Americans eat.

"Europeans don't eat sunflower seeds like we do. They eat one seed at a time," Evelo said. "They don't throw them in by the handful like Americans do."

As far as Evelo knows, he's the only farmer for hundreds of miles growing confectionery sunflower seeds, a rather uncommon crop for northern Wyoming.

"It's a fun crop to grow," Evelo said.

Before fully blooming, the plants follow the sun throughout the day, Evelo said, moving their leaves and buds from east to west.

"Once the bud opens, they look east and never look back," he said.

Because of the crop's peculiarity in the Big Horn Basin, curious passers-by sometimes stop to ask questions or comment on the blooming yellow stalks. One person asked what happens during a full moon - is moonlight bright enough for sunflowers to follow?

"I was too busy irrigating this summer to look," Evelo said.

Evelo and his wife, Vony, have lived on their Heart Mountain farm for seven years. There, Evelo farms more than 400 acres, also growing sugar beets, barley and grass seed. He rotates sunflower crops, never growing sunflowers on the same field two years in a row.

"Sunflowers are a really good rotating crop," he said.

They're also a good crop to grow in the sandy, light soil that some of his fields consist of. Sunflower crops are low maintenance as well, Evelo said.

In late April or early May, Evelo pre-irrigates the field, then plants the seed. On the lighter soil, Evelo irrigated every eight to 10 days since May. The sunflowers start blooming in late July, then are harvested right after beet harvest.

This year it was into November before the sunflower seeds were ready for harvest, as Evelo waits until after a hard freeze when the seeds' moisture is low. To harvest, Evelo uses the same combine farmers use for grain.

The sunflower heads hang down and shatter into large pans on the combine, then are threshed just like barley or alfalfa. After the harvest, Evelo transports the seeds to Colorado, where a company he works with cleans and sizes the seeds and sends them to the Gulf of Mexico.

After that, they're off to Europe.

Farmers can sell confectionery sunflower seed crops for 15 to 25 cents per pound, based on quality, Evelo said. Evelo might plant earlier next year, and he might plant fewer sunflowers, as they compete for room in the field. The more space they have, the bigger they grow.

For this year's crop, Evelo said he hopes to harvest 3,000 to 3,500 pounds per acre. The market for sunflowers is much better than a decade ago, Evelo said.

U.S. exports of confectionery sunflowers is expected to set a record this year, surpassing the 70,000 metric ton record set two years ago, according to an Associated Press article. About half the U.S.-grown confectionery sunflower seeds are exported annually, according to the National Sunflower Association.

Some of the seeds grown in Wyoming might stay in America, Evelo said. He enjoys eating them straight out of the field - as does local wildlife. Birds help themselves to sunflower seeds, and rabbits and deer munch on the plants.

"One jack rabbit at night can consume a lot of sunflowers," Evelo said.

Still, local pests or weeds aren't too much of a problem, he said. Sunflowers also are a durable crop when it comes to weather, he said.

Evelo said he plans to continue growing confectionery sunflower seeds on Heart Mountain for as long as the market remains favorable.