VERNON, B.C. – This Okanagan farmers market is a little off the beaten track, but once visitors find the place, most agree it’s worth a climb up the mountain.
Tom and Tamra Davison, along with Tom’s parents Bob and Dora, took a hard look at the future of fruit growing in the Okanagan 10 years ago. Growers were floundering financially because of diminishing demand for British Columbia fruit.
Rather than succumb to low prices or handing profits over to retailers and other middlemen, the Davisons gambled on a direct selling scheme and invited consumers to buy fruits and vegetables directly from their farm.
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“We decided we were either going to ride the ship down or we’ve got to use a little bit of imagination,” said Tom.
Pick your own produce
Today, the Davisons grow almost everything they sell in an open-air market that offers a full range of produce from exotic squash to canning tomatoes. An apple press on site makes fresh juice. Vegetables are contracted from local farmers. Peaches, apples, nectarines, prune plums and pears grow right on the 50-acre farm.
“It’s unique for people. Basically they’re buying at a wholesale price in any quantity they want,” said Tom.
To keep abreast of what’s new, the family is involved in direct marketing organizations. Bob says many western farmers haven’t scratched the surface when it comes to direct marketing, especially in his area where fruit was always destined for export.
“The product was sold worldwide and the packing operations shipped worldwide and the mind-set was to grow to fit that,” said Bob.
Today, the Davisons’s market has made a name for itself and has become part of the local tourist trade.
Visitors not only get fresh produce, they get to meet the farmer who grew it, said Bob. It’s a country experience within the city of Vernon with fresh produce, a welcoming atmosphere and walking tours for people who want to see where their fruit and vegetables grew.
The Davisons also use a heritage theme so people can see how ordinary tasks were carried out in the past. A heritage orchard of old fruit varieties, orchard machinery and a wall of fame featuring prominent local farmers are on display.
“There’s limited things people can do with their families, so we really stress that this is a family place where they can bring their kids,” said Tom.
There are swings and a sandbox nearby and ice cream is sold. A U-pick flower garden has proven surprisingly popular.
Bob and Tamra work closely with Agriculture in the Classroom programs and school tours of their business are common. They’ve had as many as 11 buses in one day and a family member will make time to give a tour and an explanation of the fruit industry.
All this means hard work. Everyone including Tom and Tamra’s four children have chores. During the market season their days stretch from 4 a.m. until 10 p.m.
Growing the produce involves manual work from the time they plant the 30,000 tomato and pepper plants in May to the harvest which runs from July until October.
All fields are irrigated. Water is piped 56 kilometres by the Vernon Irrigation District, the largest in B.C.
Fruit and vegetables are watered by a drip system from pipes laid on the ground. Black plastic surrounds plants to speed growth, keep back weeds and cut chemical use. About 400 metres of plastic are used each year.
The Davisons were among the first in the North Okanagan to try dwarf apple varieties. These quickly produce about 4,500 to 6,800 kilograms an acre of the new, more desirable brands like Gala and Jonagold.
The family has also learned to keep a close watch on the weather. Unpredictable conditions could ruin delicate plants and spell financial ruin. They don’t start earning any money until July 15 when the market opens.
“It’s a risky business, but hey, I like it. Somebody wants to play golf. I’d just as soon go out and have a look at these tomatoes growing,” said Bob.
