After being evacuated from his orchard in Summerland, B.C., due to a wildfire, Deep Brar returned to find his peaches spoiled and rotting. Despite his property being unharmed, Brarstar Orchards suffered losses as the fruit was left unattended during the evacuation. With only a fraction salvaged, Brar had to discard a significant portion of the harvest.
Cherries were fortunate to be picked before the evacuation, but plums were lost to overripeness. The main issue for apples, according to Brar, was the lack of irrigation during the evacuation period. Similarly, Ted Vollo, a fellow farmer, faced challenges with his apples and cherries due to irrigation system disruptions caused by the power outage during the evacuation.
Returning to their orchards, both Brar and Vollo found their crops severely affected, with apples not meeting commercial size standards. A portion of gala apples was visibly undersized, impacting their marketability. In response to the situation, Khush Saran of JS Orchard offered overripe peaches at discounted prices to the public, as they were no longer suitable for sale to packing houses.
Saran’s peaches, although still edible, were too ripe for commercial distribution. To prevent further losses, he advertised the peaches on social media, selling them at a reduced price of $1 per pound. Despite the challenges faced by these farmers, they are making efforts to salvage what they can and provide opportunities for the public to benefit from their harvests at bargain prices.