we get more on that from boyd hooper of our minneapolis nbc station kare. >> reporter: wisconsin stateoad 85 has always been a pretty drive. but never has it shined like this. >> it's a wow when you see it. >> reporter: a field of sunflowers is stunning, but south of eau claire both sides of the road stands a sunshine strip four and a half miles long. >> she's always loved flowers, but sunflowers were her favorite. >> reporter: john jacque planted this as a tribute to babette, the wife he lost last november to cancer. >> they fit her personality. she would walk into a room, and her smile would light up the whole room. >> reporter: the tribute crosses five farms, neighbors opening up their land. >> they all loved her. she -- there wasn't anybody who ever met her who didn't love her. >> reporter: the seeds will be harvested and sold to support other cancer patients. >> she was a pretty modest person and i'm not sure she would want her picture on the bag, but she's such a beautiful woman. she didn't really know how beautiful she was, inside and out. >> reporter: kind of woman who would le