Shane Witzke’s Kelowna Ambrosia Apple farm is a long way from Nazi-occupied Poland but that’s where this story begins.
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There are not many farms in British Columbia that can trace their history back over 100 years. The Day family has been farming in Kelowna since the 1890’s and currently the third to sixth generations live on the property. They have a diverse farm operation which includes beef cattle, poultry, a market garden and large pear orchard. Each year the Day family grows approximately 2-million pounds of local pears which they store, pack and ship under the brand, “Days Century Growers Inc” along with an additional 1.5-million pounds from other local growers.
In the mid 1970’s, an industrial accident put a Japanese immigrant out of work in Vancouver. He moved to the Okanagan and started Ringo-En Orchards.
Originally from India, Ronnie and Avtar Mann came to Canada separately but discovered a shared desire to grow great food. Number one on their list is growing big, beautiful BC Ambrosia apples. We visited their farm in Vernon, BC just before harvest time in mid September.
Farmers, in general, are no strangers to risk but Railou Gill appears to be quite friendly with the idea of taking chances.
Despite being a real estate agent, farming has always been in Wes Burdick’s blood. He grew up on a dairy farm and when he and his family relocated to the Okanagan from Alberta, it wasn’t long before he’d found himself the owner of an apple orchard.
When Natalina Araujo took over managing the farm in 2012, she didn’t know much about growing apples. But, she knew that her passion for growing healthy food would see her through the learning curve. Luckily, he father-in-law was happy to show her the ropes.
John and Lorraine are the hard-working owners of Parry Bay Sheep Farm, located near Victoria, BC. Although they have been operating Parry Bay Sheep Farm since 1979, they didn’t come from a farming background and are proud first-generation farmers. Together, John and Lorraine run the day-to-day management of the farm with the help of their five children (when they aren’t at their full-time jobs) and their loyal employees.
Meet Kaitlin Guitard. She works as a Saltwater and Water Quality Technician for Mowi Canada at their Larsen Island Farm. Kaitlin is proud to take the utmost care to raise animals in a respectful and responsible way. She believes in the future of the aquaculture industry to provide healthy, sustainable products to our communities.
Brad Rempel has been involved in aquaculture for eight years and currently sits on the BC Salmon Farmers Association Youth Council, as well as the Council of Emerging Leaders. As an assistant manager for Mowi Canada West in Campbell River, he is passionate about producing safe, healthy food for people to enjoy. We asked Brad to share with us what his average day looks like, and why he is so passionate about aquaculture. Read the Q & A below:
