A January deep freeze in 2024 wiped out peach and apricot crops across British Columbia and sharply reduced cherry volumes for the summer. Growers maintained their orchards through the following year despite having little to sell.
"It was really heartbreaking and expensive for any farmer, because you have to take care of the trees for another 12 months before you're going to get a crop out of them," said Jennay Oliver of Painters Fruit Market.
In 2025, conditions have shifted. Stone fruit availability is high, and growers are reporting steady demand. "Everybody's excited. There's nothing like biting into an Okanagan-grown peach," Oliver said. "So that is what everybody's coming out for. They're coming to pick their own, and they're coming to experience the orchards again."
Customer response has also been strong at Rose Hill Orchard. "Our customers are all really happy," said Angelique Slade Shantz. "You know the saying, absence makes the heart grow fonder? I think that's definitely been true with the fruit this year."
The weather has been a key factor. Slade Shantz explained: "It's just been an absence of negative factors. So we haven't had the extreme cold that we saw last year, and we haven't had a heat dome. So it's just kind of a perfect confluence of circumstances to have a huge crop, and then also really good quality fruit."
Alan Gatzke, who has operated Gatzke Farm Markets for 37 years, described 2025 as unprecedented for his operation. "We had a few challenges over the years with the relocation of the highway. But we are having sales days that blow the doors off of even our best days before the highway moved," Gatzke said.
Growers also noted that consumer demand for local produce has been an important factor. "I'm convinced that more people are willing to specifically buy B.C. fruit, and are capable and willing to pay a fair price for it. So all of those factors are contributing to be just a banner year here in 2025 at the farm," Gatzke added.
Producers remain cautious, acknowledging that seasonal outcomes can shift quickly. "It's a bit of a roller coaster if you're a farmer, and we've been through it," Oliver said. "And right now, we're kind of right at that peak."
Stone fruit season in British Columbia generally concludes in September, leaving a few more weeks for local markets and direct sales.
Source: CTV News
