Flexy's Fresh Fruit and Vegetables located on 323 Nelson Avenue, Nelson BC is a local family run fruit stand for over 25 years across from Hume school and is open 7 days a week all summer. Flexy's Fresh Fruit and Vegetables is a beloved, locally owned and operated, family-run fruit stand in Nelson, BC, operating every summer for over 25 years. Bringing BC, Okanagan, and local fruit and vegetables
direct from the farmer to you as well as wholesale items! Support BC farmers and families and buy local. Flexy’s- how it all began and what’s the name all about? Customers often think I don’t live in Nelson year-round and that my first name is “Flexy”. I moved to Nelson from the Okanagan in 1999 (I was born in Oliver and raised in Osoyoos), when I met my (now wife), Lisa while working in Nelson on a project. Lisa was born and raised in the area, (the small town of Ymir). We were married in 2002 and have lived in Nelson ever since and our two sons are born and raised here! Our eldest son Carter is now continuing in the legacy of the family business and is currently running his own independent fruit stand in Cranbrook. 2025 marks his 3rd year in business! Please stop by and say hi if you’re ever in Cranbrook. So, what’s with the name Flexy’s? My last name is Flexhaug and my grandfather on my dad’s side who lived in Osoyoos and worked at the fruit packing plant for many years was known to everyone in the community as “Flexy”. When I opened up my fruit stand business back in 2000, I needed a business name and Flexy’s seemed like a great choice in honour of my late grandfather. Fruit peddling is in my blood:
My late grandparents (mom’s side), emigrated to Oliver BC from Portugal in the 1957, they owned a fruit orchard in Oliver and soon after, ran their Fruit Stand in O.K. When the local Fruit Co-operative was barely paying the farmer for their hard work and produce, my grandfather took some of his own fruit from his orchards to Gas Town, ( Vancouver) to try and sell it for a fair market value! The local teamsters actually ran my grandfather and his fruit out of town at gun-point! Talk about the “Ole Wild West”! Back then, fruit growers had to sell all their fruit to the packing house (Co-Op), you weren’t allowed to sell it on your own but my grandfather was determined to see his hard work pay! He was later involved in the farmer’s protest convoy to Penticton, where the slogan was “a penny a pound, or on the ground”! Hard working fruit growers weren’t even getting 1 cent per pound for their apple harvest! I started helping my aunt and uncle sell fruit in small towns across southern Saskatchewan over the summer months when I was only 12 years old.! My uncle trained me to be a fruit salesman at a young age, and this was my summer job for many years. My mom and dad also sold fruit in the 70’s , where they sold along the highways
in northern BC from their old camper van! Back then Osoyoos was full of fruit orchards, now unfortunately it's turning into more of winery's with less fruit farming. Two of my cousins are also in the fruit stand business, along with my twin brother Justin, and nephew Josh, who own and operate Flexy’s in Prince George BC. When I moved to Nelson in 1999 the job opportunities were limited. I found work on the Osprey Ferry project and when that ended, I needed to figure out other work. In 2000 after visiting with my grandparents in Portugal and hearing my grandfather sharing
stories of his fruit orchards and fruit stand business back when he lived in Oliver, I came home inspired to try opening my own stand in Nelson. How Flexy's began:
I took what little money I had and purchased an older Gruman style milk delivery van in Osoyoos and drove it back to Nelson (going only 30km over the hills with my fiancee Lisa following behind in case the milk truck didn’t make it over the mountain pass) I used it to store the fruit in and installed an air conditioner to keep the fruit cool. I used my old Toyota pickup truck and built a flat deck on it to bring fruit from Osoyoos to Nelson. I had to close the stand to go on fruit runs, often twice a week as the truck deck was very small. Slowly I was able to grow my business and purchase a larger truck with cold storage and even hire a helper. Over the first 8-12 years I tried other locations, including; Balfour, Taghum and Trail. Ultimately, it proved too difficult to run multiple stands due to the sensitive nature of the fruit, and also having staffing issues over the hot summer months! Skip forward 25 years in business:
I am now serving the 3rd generation of local customers and tourists alike! Friends and families that originally supported us are now bringing their children’s children into the Fruit Stand! Kids I served growing up here are now parents themselves and are continuing shopping with Flexy’s with their young children, and I truly cherish seeing your family grow alongside of mine! I am very grateful to the Nelson community for being welcoming and supportive of my small locally owned seasonal business. Every June I look forward to seeing all my amazing customers and catching up with them. You are friends as much as valued customers! People often share how thankful they are that I am bringing the Okanagan and BC fruit and vegetables to them here in Nelson , and admittedly…it feels great to be appreciated back; that really motivates me each coming season to keep me going in this business as all the physical challenges get harder every year! It’s music to my ears when I hear from customers that “summer officially starts in Nelson once Flexy’s has opened for the season”. Thanks again for your continued support!
