Rolling orchards full of fresh fruit are a symbol of the Okanagan and an image many immediately associate with British Columbia. Those apples, cherries and other fruits that we enjoy are the result of year-round hard work by hundreds of Okanagan farming families. More than 800 of those families are part of BC Tree Fruits, and work together to pack, store, distribute and market their fruit.
BC Tree Fruits 75th anniversary on July 21, 2011 is a tremendous milestone.
We should all celebrate by buying delicious and nutritious B.C. fruit. As British Columbians, we have come to depend on the Okanagan for great tasting fruit for our families from farmers that we can trust, and that deserve our support.
By choosing BC Tree Fruits for our snacks, meals and kitchens we’re supporting B.C. farm families, B.C. jobs and B.C. communities. I encourage all British Columbians to savour B.C. apricots, cherries, peaches, plums and nectarines this summer, and enjoy them year-round preserved in jams and baking. And by choosing from the amazing range of great-tasting B.C. apples and pears this fall and into 2012, you’ll join one sweet 75th-year anniversary party, while supporting our farmers and their families throughout the year.
Congratulations on 75 years of excellence, BC Tree Fruits! I look forward to our ongoing relationship to ensure B.C. fruit continues to be a trusted source of nutrition and flavour for families here at home and around the
world.
Don McRae
Minister of Agriculture