Smell the sunflowers at a local fruit stand

Up high in the sky, a giant sunflower welcomes visitors to the Centerville Fruit Station.

"It's a happy beacon," said Vicky Strambi Herkel, co-owner.

Vicky and her brother Michael are owners of the business. They needed a way to catch people's attention.

"A big giant, ten-foot span sunflower that we painted. We painted and created ourselves and somehow figured out a way to get it mounted on this old pine tree," Vicky said.

They recently had to relocate their business to this new spot at Academy and Highway 180, because Caltrans is expanding the highway near the old location in Centerville.

Change seems to be good for the fruit stand, which sells the same produce in a new spot.

"What we focus on is stonefruit. Our own peaches plums and nectarines, pluots, plumcots, apriums, which are a cross of plums and apricots. they're very flavorful," said Michael Strambi.

Unique flavors that are being introduced to the many tourists and local families that stop by every day during harvest season.

"We are the fruit basket of the world right outside of Reedley, there's more fruit grown here than any other place in the world," Michael said.

Moving also meant the family would have to replant their popular sunflower maze.

"We had crowds out there. It blew us away. People were having fun, they were taking pictures. We had some people propose marriage. We even had a wedding out there," Vicky said.

The new flowers have already taken a liking to their new home and more are being planted for the future.

The owners hope their new stand, shop, and maze will all feel like home for their customers.

The Centerville Fruit Station is open seven days a week from 8:30 a.m. - 6 p.m. They'll be open a little later in July when the sunflowers start blooming.