Thanks Jakov, Akira and Anirban for commenting.
Jakov - here’s the flip side of the sunflower shot. On one side of the road they were facing away, on the other side just the opposite. It's what might be called a target rich environment. I am learning how to properly use this lens (could learn from you) and was pleasantly surprised how much I like it for landscapes.
Akira - It looks like Hokkaido is about the same latitude (degree or so north) as where this farm in New York state is located.
Anirban - The purple flowers are Loosestrife and the yellow fields in the distance are the sunflowers once again.