Generous land donation boosts Okanagan food charity

It’s a large, centrally located farm property in East Kelowna worth hundreds of thousands if not millions of dollars.

Instead of cashing in on the land, though, the owner has donated it to an Okanagan food charity.

The major donation is expected to help boost the Okanagan Fruit Tree Project’s operations.

The charity was pleasantly surprised in 2021 when the property owner donated a 36-acre farm to the Okanagan Fruit Tree Project.

“She contributed quite a lot through her farming efforts to the community and she was getting on in age so she just wanted to pass it on to a project who would carry on her vision.”

The local society is best known for a food rescue program that sees volunteers pick fruit that would otherwise go to waste.

That produce is then donated to local social service agencies or taken home by volunteers.

“Some of the folks that come to volunteer with us might be also experiencing food insecurity and so by coming out to volunteer and taking food home they get to access food in a stigma free, dignified way and that’s something that we really value,” said Bardos.

The farmland is a big deal for the charity as it will finally give their operations a permanent home base and this year will be the group’s first time cultivating the donated property.

“All of the produce that gets grown gets donated back to the community, so whether it goes home with volunteers or it goes to a social service agency or to a local school it always goes to supporting food programs in the community,” said Bardos.

During the summer the Okanagan Fruit Tree Project donates produce to the John Howard Society shelter and supportive housing sites.

“People get access to fresh fruit that they might not be able to afford otherwise,” said Hailee Rogers John Howard Society’s acting director of shelter services.

The fact that the Okanagan Fruit Tree Project is able to expand is welcome news to Rogers.

“Equitable access to food and food security is really important for people who are homeless all the way up to people that are just in poverty,” said Rogers.

“I think the ability to be able to do more of that is better for everyone.”

Back at the farm, the Okanagan Fruit Tree Project is looking forward to the upcoming season and fundraising to help pay for their programming and farm startup costs.

The charity is collecting donations via its website.