Sunflower Farm Stand offering fresh produce, maze to beat heat in Fresno County

FRESNO COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) -- A new stand in Fresno County not only offers fresh fruit and vegetables but also some fun away from the sun.

Pretty flowers are just part of the draw at the Sunflower Farm Stand at the corner of Highway 180 and Reed.

Families coming to buy fresh produce are often pulled into the sunflower maze by the little ones.

If you slow the pace, you can enjoy the sights.

The tall stalks ensure you can enjoy a stroll in the shade.

Angela Strambi and her husband Mike planted 27 varieties of sunflowers.

"He believes in putting this organic seaweed and all this stuff on it. He said we're going to give it some good nutrients and it just grew grandioso," explained Angela.

"Now, it's like a forest. You feel like you're in Bug's Life in Disneyland. It's just really really cool," added Vicky Herkel.

Vicky and her sister-in-law Angela help run the stand, which just opened a few months ago.

People stop by for fresh fruit and vegetables.

"We have peaches, plums, nectarines, table grapes inside. We have pluots, citrus, a little bit of everything," said Angela.

The stand also attracts tourists on their way to Sequoia National Park.

"Fresh fruit, flowers. Kind of cool? It's very cool. I'm going to take some pictures of the flowers," said Alejandro Feliciano from Puerto Rico.

"It's beautiful. I like everything. The views. It's amazing."

The intense heat has eased but Vicky reminds us the hot sun sweetens locally grown fruit.

"We need the heat it to make it sweet and July tends to be the best month of the year for the stonefruit," Vicky said.

That includes peaches, nectarines, and plums.

Inside you can buy art, photos, and jam made from the over-ripe fruit.

The sunflowers here grow bigger than your head.

"It's kind of like a snowflake. There's not one that's exactly the same as the other," said Angela.

"Yesterday, we had a couple get engaged in the sunflowers. So, it draws a lot of people. It gives the people in this area something to do in the summertime," Vicky added.

The heat is taking its toll on the sunflower maze.

It will be there for about a week and a half before it is chopped down.

The family will re-plant sunflower seeds and bring back new blooms in the fall when the new pumpkin patch will be ready.

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