Sunny Valley Fruit in British Columbia: History, What It Raises, How It Makes Money and How to Contact It
Profile updated November 2026
Sunny Valley Fruit is a family-owned and operated orchard in Keremeos, British Columbia, farming 180 acres of apricots, plums, peaches, cherries, nectarines and apples. Led by third-generation farmer Sunny Dhaliwal, it has farmed since 1982 and was profiled by the BC government's Buy BC program as part of the province's tree fruit sector.
| Location | Keremeos, Similkameen Valley, British Columbia |
|---|---|
| Founded | Family-owned and operated since 1982 (Buy BC) |
| Sectors | stone fruit; cherries; apples |
| Scale | 180-acre orchard (Buy BC) |
| Why it is notable | Profiled by the BC government's Buy BC program among the people behind the province's tree fruit sector |
| Ownership | Dhaliwal family; third-generation farmer Sunny Dhaliwal |
| Official website | Buy BC profile of Sunny Valley Fruit (no standalone official website found) |
History of Sunny Valley Fruit
Buy BC says Sunny Valley Fruit has been family-owned and operated since 1982 and is run by third-generation farmer Sunny Dhaliwal and his family. The orchard sits in Keremeos, which the Similkameen Valley tourism site calls the Fruit Stand Capital of Canada.
The Similkameen's semi-arid climate, with long sunny days and cool nights, is described as ideal for growing fruit with strong flavour. Family-run fruit stands line Highway 3 between Keremeos and Cawston, and many have been part of the valley for generations.
What Sunny Valley Fruit Grows and Raises
The 180-acre orchard grows apricots, plums, peaches, cherries, nectarines and apples, according to Buy BC. That mix spreads the harvest across the summer and into autumn rather than concentrating it in a single week.
Buy BC places the orchard in a sector with national weight: the province grows about 95 percent of Canada's cherries, and about 23 peach varieties that make up 18 percent of Canadian peach production. The Similkameen tourism site lists nectarines from July to August, peaches from July to September and apples from August through December.
How Sunny Valley Fruit Makes Money
Fresh stone fruit and apples
Fruit is the core product. Buy BC encourages consumers to buy local fruit at farm stands, farmers' markets or grocery stores, which are the outlets that serve an orchard like this one.
Seasonal range
Growing six fruits stretches the selling season from early summer cherries and apricots into autumn apples, which keeps staff, packing lines and customers engaged for longer.
Regional brand
The valley's reputation as a fruit stand destination, with family stands along Highway 3 between Keremeos and Cawston, gives orchards a shared identity that supports direct sales.
Farm Insight: What Other Operators Can Learn from Sunny Valley Fruit
Diversify the harvest calendar. Mixing early cherries and apricots with peaches, plums and apples spreads labour and cash flow, and reduces the impact of a poor crop in one fruit.
Join a regional brand. Keremeos's identity as a fruit stand capital gives individual orchards a marketing advantage that a single farm would struggle to build alone.
Few farming towns have a title as ambitious as Fruit Stand Capital of Canada, and fewer still defend it with so much dedication to the perfect peach. For readers who like farm satire, farm humor, ranch humor and farm jokes about apricots, cherries and roadside stands, farm.FM is worth the stop. At Sunny Valley Fruit the family has kept the trees producing since 1982.
If the name is new to you, farm.FM is the nation's first satirical farm site, with Tractor Tunes country music for farmers on the side. One of its regular writers keeps a whole archive of stories like that.
How to Contact Sunny Valley Fruit
Website: https://buybc.gov.bc.ca/success_stories/meet-the-people-behind-b-c-s-tree-fruit-sector
No standalone official website, address, phone or email was verified in the sources reviewed, so none is published here. The Buy BC page is the best verified public page. Details checked November 2026.
Sunny Valley Fruit Sources and Agriculture Authority Links
- Buy BC: people behind BC's tree fruit sector - Provincial profile of Sunny Valley Fruit and Carcajou Fruit Co.
- Similkameen Valley fruit guide - Regional tourism guide to Keremeos fruit stands and harvest calendar
- Similkameen fruit stand directory - Regional directory of fruit stands
- Islands on Keremeos - Travel coverage of Keremeos as a fruit stand capital
- BC Food Directory - Provincial government directory of BC food producers
Sunny Valley Fruit FAQ
Where is Sunny Valley Fruit?
It is in Keremeos in the Similkameen Valley of southern British Columbia.
What does it grow?
Apricots, plums, peaches, cherries, nectarines and apples on a 180-acre orchard, per Buy BC.
How long has it been farmed?
Buy BC says the orchard has been family-owned and operated since 1982.
Why is Keremeos known for fruit?
It is called the Fruit Stand Capital of Canada by the valley's tourism site.
Sunny Valley Fruit shows how a three-generation orchard in the Similkameen can sustain a diverse crop on 180 acres. For more operations across the province, see the British Columbia farms guide on this site.