Keremeos is remembered annually by the vacationing public for the gauntlet of fruit stands that have lined Highway 3 for decades.
In the Okanagan, Kaleden’s section of Highway 97 used to be known as “fruit stand alley” when half a dozen outlets once lined the straight stretch of roadway in front of the old game farm.
The fruit stand is a welcome stop on a journey through the southern interior, especially when fruits are in season. They are places of nostalgia, rekindling summer memories of family vacations from years past for younger parents. The traditional fruit stand is open aired, with fresh daily produce and fruit, rustic surroundings, antique collections and displays of memorabilia. Several have been around for generations.
They continue to be an important source of income to local growers, who are able to market their products directly to the consumer, eliminating the middleman, maximizing profits to the seller and savings to the buyer.
Aside from the natural beauty of the Okanagan and Similkameen, it is the fruit stand that identifies Keremeos and Kaleden to the travelling public. With this in mind, the Review takes a look at some of the best of the area’s many stands, and what they offer to the local and travelling public.
Parsons Fruit Stand has been a part of Keremeos for 101 years. The business was handed down through four generations to present day owner Quentin Parsons. (The B.C. Archives has a photo of the fruit stand back in the day when Bob Parsons first began retailing his fruit to the public.)
Parson’s operate between June and October, beginning operations once cherries begin ripening.
“We grow a bit of everything,” Quentin said, “and we are trying to do something different here.
I am sensitive to the fact that the public is looking for organic products, but find there is a price barrier.
Everything we grow is grown without sprays.”
Quentin’s operation is not certified organic, but he is working towards a goal of similar values.
Parson’s Fruit Stand is well known for its collection of old vintage automobiles as well as a mini museum of antiques in the stand, many of which have local origins.
“It has created a kind of trademark for us,” Quentin admits, “My grandparents and parents just kind of collected and traded them over the years.”
Parson’s in season fruits are all locally grown, and Quentin stresses that customers are “number one.” He enjoys the versatility of farming and retailing, and takes a great deal of pride in bringing spray free products to the travelling public.
Mariposa Fruit Stand in Keremeos was once located at the site of Ron’s Tire, and was originally known as Chip and Dales. A change in highway alignment resulted in relocation to Mariposa’s present location in 1980.
The fruit stand began as a retail outlet for Edith and Wolfgang Schwetje’s fruit after they quit the packinghouse. They began adding other items to the stand, and today bring berries in from the coast to supplement the local fruit and vegetables.
The Schwetjes grow a wide variety of fruits and vegetables on 50 acres in the Similkameen, and Mariposa fruit stand opens when the cherries are ready to sell, closing around Remembrance Day.
“Most of our customers are tourists,” Edith said, “and we have been around long enough to have generations of the same family returning year after year. It’s fun to see kids come back as adults with their own families, talking about how they remember stopping here in their youth.”
Mariposa sells local and regionally produced sauces, jams, honey products and marinades, including Heather’s Rock Creek relishes.
Amongst the many varieties of apples and fruits grown by the Schwetjes for Mariposa, a variety of “ugly green plum” was sold for several years at the stand.
“It was a big seller,” Edith recalls, “for some reason they found a niche.”
Sanderson Farms Fruit Stand has been in operation for 28 years in Keremeos. The fruit stand sells locally grown produce and fruit from 50 acres that are leased and owned by the Booras.
Sanderson’s also sells take out curries, samosas, and butter chicken - items that have scored a big hit, both locally and with the travelling public.
“It’s hard to keep up with demand sometimes,” admits Raj Boora “Vacationers will stop and grab a samosa and fruit to go.” The fruit stand also carries a line of summer clothing.
Indian curries are a unique part of Sanderson’s product line, including Indian spices and rices. There are also the traditional locally made fruits, vegetables, local jams, sauces, honey products and relishes, on the shelves. A new product being offered this year is bakery items from Breadbox Bakery in Keremeos. One other item truly unique to Sandersons are glass bottled soft drinks - Coca Cola products - from India.
“They sell well,” Raj said, “People like something different.”
Sanderson’s opens from April through December.
Roots and Fruits of Kaleden has been in operation since 1970 at its present location. It’s the only consistent fruit stand in operation along Kaleden’s “fruit stand alley,” the section of Highway 97 that was once lined with fruit stands back in the heyday of the late 1960’s and early 1970’s.Prior to that the business was operated out of the Red Haven Fruit Stand, south on Highway 97,on a leased basis. The present Roots and Fruits was built in 1988.
Staying true to the tradition of fruit stands, Roots N Fruits today offers the travelling public everything a traditional fruit stand is all about - nostalgic memorabilia, a broad range of locally crafted foodstuffs and food items, and daily fresh produce and fruit, most of which is grown right behind the stand on Wilkison’s 10 acre farm. The Wilkisons also sell farm fresh eggs through their outlet.
The business also sells bedding plants, although there is less emphasis on that aspect these days, since Penticton’s big box stores got heavily into the act of selling garden plants.
“We buy local whenever we can,” says Mick Wilkison, who owns and operates the business with his wife , Verna “We generally will have fresh local fruits and vegetables before the major supermarkets will,” Mick says. “ Fruit stands deal more closely with growers, and find out what is available through the “grapevine”.
K Mountain Fruit Stand (formerly Gerry’s Fruit Stand) in Keremeos recently expanded the business with the addition of a wine tasting room featuring wines from the K Mountain Winery. The wine tasting room has added a new dimension to the traditional aspects of a fruit stand, ushering a whole new customer - the wine aficionado. The concept ties in well with the existing business - fresh fruits and vegetables in season, along with fine, locally produced wines.
K Mountain also offers a plethora of specialty sauces, jams, jellies, syrups, and honey products. Other non food items cater to the tourist trade with such items as souvenirs and T shirts.
The fruit stand is owned by Lynn and Keith Holman, who supply the business with fresh fruit and vegetables grown on 150 acres of mixed fruit orchards located near Naramata. The fruit stand is big on cherries, supplied by many different varieties from the orchard lands. The K Mountain vineyard consists of three acres in the Keremeos area.
K Mountain is a favourite stop for vacationers who have discovered the stand’s fresh baked goods and deli sandwiches. Fresh fruit pies are also a specialty, along with other baked goods. The fruit stand has been an operating business in Keremeos (not under that name) for close to 35 years.
K Mountain opens in April and closes in late November or early December
Harker’s Organics and Rustic Roots Winery in Cawston has been in the Similkameen for four generations. It has grown from the humble beginnings of a simple boxed fruit stand created by Rick and Randy Harker in 1955.
“Bruce’s mom, along with Ed Paulson, built a fruit stand on Highway 3 to make enough money to buy a washer and dryer. Two years later they built a small fruit stand here.” Bruce and Kathy Harker took over the operation in 1975.
Today, Harker’s grow fruit and produce on 24 acres around the fruit stand. There are 15 area growers that also supply Harker’s. They went organic in 1989, building their own greenhouse in order to grow plants organically. The fruit stand is frequented by vacationers making return trips through the Similkameen who are looking for the quality organic foods the Harker’s produce.
Harker’s specialty is peppers - they probably grow more varieties than anyone else. Their interest in peppers helped initiate the Similkameen Sizzlefest, which they also supply with peppers.
The operation involves the whole family, sons and daughters who have been part of the business from an early age.
Rustic Roots Winery opens in April and runs through to December, while Harker’s Organics operates from mid June until the end of October.