Pilot program succeeding in connecting Okanagan farms with domestic workers

A provincial pilot program aimed at helping connect seasonal domestic workers with employment in Okanagan orchards and vineyards has seen a successful start.

B.C. Fruit Works underwent a trial launch in June to hire domestic workers as branch hands in Okanagan orchards and vineyards, to leverage technology, including social media, automation and digital marketing, to build a marketplace that connects workers with producers, and create ongoing job opportunities to support local growers and protect and sustain the food supply in the process.

Since the initial launch, B.C. Fruit Works has secured 90 branch hands for fruit-harvesting jobs and 60 farmers interested in training and adopting technology to maximize profit and minimize food waste throughout the Okanagan.

“The new BC Fruit Works program represents the future for hiring Canadians to work in B.C. orchards,” said Sukhpaul Bal, president of the BC Cherry Association. “It includes an app that is elegant and simple to use for both growers and people looking for summer work picking fruit in the Okanagan sunshine.”

B.C Fruit Works is a collaboration between the B.C. Grape Growers’ Association, B.C. Cherry Association, B.C. Fruit Growers’ Association (BCFGA) and the B.C. Tree Fruit Cooperative, with support from the Ministry of Agriculture and Food.

“The BCFGA is happy to be included in the creation and implementation of this project as the representatives of fruit growers across the province,” said Annelise Simonsen, director of the B.C. Fruit Growers’ Association.

“B.C. Fruit Works had a dedicated team of creative and energetic people working on this project, and I am looking forward to seeing how it builds and grows now that it is being used within the industry.”

John Bayley, president of the BC Grape Growers’ Association, added that “the B.C. Fruit Works program has the potential to shift our fruit industries into a more organized, collaborative unit, ensuring more efficient communication and feedback on the casual workforce that we require to operate as a successful industry. It’s a much-needed step toward stabilizing our labour issues throughout all fruit sectors.”

The B.C. Government is providing up to $90,000 to support B.C. Fruit Works.

The province noted that developing a comprehensive agriculture-centric labour strategy to support the industry’s efforts to access labour pools was part of the recommendations outlined in the 2021 Path Forward: A Blueprint for B.C.’s Tree Fruit Industry (Tree Fruit Industry Stabilization Plan).

“B.C. Fruit Works is part of our government’s Tree Fruit Industry Stabilization initiative as we look at ways to co-ordinate various agencies through an industry labour strategy,” said Lana Popham, Minister of Agriculture and Food.

“This collaborative approach is strengthening the B.C. tree-fruit and wine sector, and ensuring their delicious and high-quality products will continue to get into the hands of consumers this summer and in the future.”