When people think about British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley, they often picture vineyards stretching across sun-soaked hillsides, sparkling lakes surrounded by mountains, and roadside stands overflowing with summer produce. But long before the Okanagan became internationally known for wine, it was—and remains—a remarkable fruit-growing region.
From apples and cherries to peaches, pears, apricots, nectarines and plums, the Okanagan has built a rich agricultural identity around fruit. At the centre of that story is BC Tree Fruits, a name that has been closely associated with B.C. tree fruit for generations.
The story of B.C. fruit is more than a story about farming. It is a story about families, irrigation, innovation, changing markets, climate challenges and communities that have depended on orchards for generations.
From Early Orchards to a Fruit-Growing Powerhouse
Fruit growing in the Okanagan dates back to the 19th century. According to BC Tree Fruits, the idea of establishing orchards in the region was introduced in 1862. Over time, growers discovered that the Okanagan’s unique combination of hot, dry summers, relatively mild winters, fertile agricultural land and access to irrigation created excellent conditions for producing tree fruit. (BCTreeFruits)
The geography of the Okanagan is particularly important. The valley stretches through the Southern Interior of British Columbia, with mountains and lakes creating numerous microclimates. These variations allow different areas to specialize in different crops and help growers manage the timing of harvests.
Irrigation was another critical piece of the puzzle. The Okanagan is naturally much drier than many people realize. Modern fruit production would not be possible on the same scale without the development of irrigation infrastructure that brought reliable water to orchards.
As orchards expanded, so did the communities and businesses that supported them. Packing houses, transportation companies, farm-equipment suppliers, nurseries and seasonal workers all became part of a larger agricultural economy.
The Importance of B.C Apples
Apples have traditionally been one of the most recognizable symbols of Okanagan agriculture.
The region produces a wide range of varieties, and the industry has continually evolved as consumer tastes have changed. Traditional varieties remain important, while newer varieties and higher-density planting systems have helped growers compete in an increasingly sophisticated international market.
According to the BC Fruit Growers’ Association, apples accounted for approximately 48% of B.C.’s tree-fruit acreage in the 2021 Census of Agriculture, while cherries accounted for another 38%. The province’s interior tree-fruit industry consists of roughly 800 commercial family farms. (BCFGA)
One of the most interesting examples of B.C. innovation is the Ambrosia apple, which originated in the Similkameen Valley. Today, Ambrosia is recognized well beyond British Columbia and demonstrates how the region can develop fruit varieties that find a market far outside the Okanagan.
Apples are also a reminder that successful farming is not simply about growing a crop. The fruit must be harvested at the right time, carefully handled, graded, packed, stored and transported. A modern orchard is connected to a complex supply chain that extends from the tree to grocery stores and consumers.
Cherries, Peaches and the Summer Harvest
While apples provide an important foundation, the Okanagan’s summer fruit harvest is much broader.
Sweet cherries have become particularly important to the region. Cherries thrive in the valley’s warm summer conditions, and B.C. has become known for developing new late-season cherry varieties. (BCFGA)
Peaches, nectarines, apricots, pears and plums also contribute to the diversity of Okanagan agriculture. For consumers, the result is one of the great pleasures of a B.C. summer: visiting a farm stand or market and finding fruit that has travelled only a short distance from orchard to table.
That local connection matters. An Okanagan peach is not just another piece of produce. It represents a particular place, season and agricultural tradition.
The Role of BC Tree Fruits
For decades, BC Tree Fruits played a central role in connecting Okanagan growers with consumers. Established in 1936, the organization became an important part of the province’s tree-fruit industry, helping market, pack, store and distribute fruit grown by local producers. (BCTreeFruits)
Co-operative models have historically been especially important in agriculture because individual farms can be relatively small compared with the large retailers and international suppliers they sell into. By working together, growers can share infrastructure, marketing expertise, storage facilities and transportation networks.
The BC Tree Fruits name became familiar to generations of British Columbians. Its recognizable branding was associated with locally grown apples and other tree fruit, making the organization part of the cultural landscape as well as the agricultural economy.
The co-operative era, however, eventually came to an end. In 2024, the BC Tree Fruits Cooperative shut down after 88 years, creating major uncertainty for growers who relied on its packing, storage and marketing infrastructure. The closure came after years of challenges facing the sector, including difficult harvests, market pressures and changing economics. (Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada)
The story did not end there. BC Tree Fruits is now under new ownership, with the company describing a new chapter that includes the Kemp family of Algoma Orchards, an Ontario fruit-growing family. The business says it continues to operate with local grower relationships and modern packing and storage capabilities. (BCTreeFruits)
That transition illustrates an important point: agricultural industries change, but the underlying need for growers, packing facilities and markets remains.
A Changing Climate for Fruit Growers
If farming has always involved risk, today’s Okanagan growers face an especially complicated set of challenges.
Weather can make or break an entire season. In January 2024, a severe cold snap caused extraordinary damage across the Okanagan and Similkameen Valleys. Temperatures fell as low as -30°C in parts of the region after an unusually warm start to winter had encouraged fruit trees to begin developing prematurely.
The consequences were devastating for many crops. Canada’s 2024 statistical overview of the fruit industry reports that B.C. peach production fell by 84%, nectarines by 86%, apricots by 82% and sweet cherries by 71%. The province’s apple crop also declined, with additional damage from spring frost, extreme summer heat and hail. (Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada)
For an orchardist, these numbers represent far more than statistics.
Fruit trees are long-term investments. A farmer cannot simply replace a mature orchard overnight after a damaging event. New trees can take years to reach productive maturity. That makes extreme weather particularly difficult for growers who must plan years into the future while dealing with increasingly unpredictable conditions.
Competition and Shifting Markets
Climate is only one challenge.
B.C. fruit growers compete with producers from across Canada, the United States and other parts of the world. Consumers expect attractive fruit at competitive prices throughout the year, even when local fruit is available only during a limited growing season.
At the same time, orchard owners face rising costs for land, labour, equipment, fuel, water, fertilizer and infrastructure.
The industry has also had to adapt to changing consumer preferences. Traditional apple varieties remain popular, but consumers are increasingly interested in distinctive flavours, premium varieties and fruit with strong regional identities.
This creates both a challenge and an opportunity for the Okanagan.
The region cannot necessarily compete with every major fruit-producing area on volume or price. But it can compete through quality, freshness, innovation and the appeal of locally grown food.
More Than an Industry
The Okanagan fruit industry has an economic impact that reaches well beyond the orchard.
The BC Fruit Growers’ Association estimates that the tree-fruit sector’s operations and capital investments contributed $162 million to B.C.’s GDP in 2019 and supported an estimated 2,490 jobs. Packing, processing, transportation, export sales and related manufacturing all depend on the continued production of tree fruit. (BCFGA)
But the importance of fruit farming cannot be measured only in dollars.
Orchards are part of the visual identity of the Okanagan. They shape the landscape, support rural communities and connect residents and visitors with the agricultural history of the region.
For many families, the connection is personal. Generations have worked in orchards, packing houses and farm-related businesses. Seasonal fruit stands and farmers’ markets have become part of the Okanagan summer experience.
There is also a deeper cultural story involving the Indigenous peoples who have lived in and cared for the Okanagan landscape for thousands of years. Modern agricultural development exists within a much older landscape and must increasingly consider issues such as habitat protection, water use and the preservation of agricultural land.
Okanagan Fruit for Generations
The future of B.C. fruit will likely look different from its past.
Growers are planting new varieties, experimenting with orchard systems and adopting technologies that can improve efficiency and fruit quality. New approaches to pest management, irrigation and crop monitoring can help producers make better decisions while reducing waste and inputs.
At the same time, the industry must contend with urban development, land costs, labour shortages, international competition and extreme weather.
The challenge is to preserve what makes the Okanagan special while allowing the industry to evolve.
That may mean greater investment in modern orchards, stronger marketing of B.C.-grown fruit, improved packing and distribution infrastructure, and closer collaboration between growers, businesses, governments and consumers.
Most importantly, it means recognizing the value of the orchard itself.
A Taste of B.C.
There is something uniquely satisfying about eating fruit grown in the Okanagan.
It might be a crisp apple picked in the fall, a basket of cherries enjoyed beside the lake, or a perfectly ripe peach purchased from a roadside stand in the middle of summer. Each piece of fruit carries the work of growers who have spent an entire year preparing for a harvest that can be determined by just a few weeks of weather.
That is the story behind B.C. fruit.
The Okanagan’s fruit industry has survived economic changes, shifting consumer tastes, difficult weather and major structural upheaval. The collapse of the former BC Tree Fruits cooperative demonstrated just how vulnerable the industry can be, but the continued presence of growers and the emergence of a new chapter for BC Tree Fruits also demonstrate its resilience.
The future will not necessarily look like the past—and that is not necessarily a bad thing.
What matters is that the Okanagan continues to have room for orchards, fruit growers and the agricultural communities that have helped define British Columbia for more than a century.
Because when we talk about Okanagan fruit, we are really talking about much more than apples, cherries or peaches.
We are talking about land, water, family, tradition, innovation and a remarkable place where agriculture has become part of the identity of an entire region.
And for anyone lucky enough to bite into a perfectly ripe Okanagan peach or a crisp B.C. apple, the best part of that story is simple: you can taste it.