Protesters will be lined up along Harvey Avenue in Kelowna on Friday morning, hoping to drum up support as fallout from the BC Tree Fruits debacle continues.
Kelly Wander is a generational soft-fruit farmer in the South Okanagan. She hopes to see scores of people attend the rally at the intersection of Bernard Avenue and Abbott Street, near the W.R. Bennett Bridge.
The Osoyoos resident says protesters will begin gathering around 8 a.m., and she hopes to hear honking support from motorists as they travel past.
“We are protesting the closure of BC Tree Fruits,” Wander told Global News. “As everyone has heard, it’s unfortunate for them to close the doors in the middle of harvest season.
“We would like some answers; we would like all forms of government to step in and show some support.”
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Wander and many other orchardists fear that this year’s crops will be left to rot if a solution isn’t found.
“We need places to store (our fruit), and if we can’t find those alternatives, we’ll be forced to leave our fruit on the trees,” said Wander, adding that 300 farmers have been affected by the cooperative’s sudden closure last month.
“It’s 300, but the farm acreage quantity is large. Every farmer has anywhere between 13 acres to hundreds of acres. That’s a huge financial loss that we’re going through right now.”
“Whether you’re an employee or the public, come show support for your local farmer,” Wander added.
Several orchardists have spoken to Global News about the closure, which was announced on July 26.
“There’s probably 300 growers looking for a place to find a home for their fruit for this upcoming crop,” said Mike Mitchell, a fourth-generation fruit farmer in Lake Country.
“We have to help our farmers today,” added Amarjit Singhlalli, an Okanagan orchardist and a former BC Tree Fruits board member. “Otherwise, we’re going to lose our small family farms.”
An online petition has also been organized.