After Years of Crop Loss, Okanagan Peach Farmers See Hope in 2025 Harvest

After several years of punishing climate disasters, two peach farmers in B.C.’s Okanagan Valley are feeling hopeful again — and it’s all thanks to a healthier crop and renewed local support.

“We’ve got fruit on the trees, and they’re looking good,” said Jennifer Deol, who owns There and Back Again Farms in Kelowna. “It’s been hard to survive these past four years, but we’re just grateful.”

Like many stone fruit growers in the region, Deol lost her entire peach crop in previous years due to extreme weather — including the 2021 heat dome, which scorched fruit on the branch, and two severe cold snaps, the most recent in early 2024, which decimated much of the crop before spring even arrived.

This year, she finally sees a turnaround. Deol grows more than 20 peach varieties on her small, three-acre orchard and says her fruit has gained a loyal following in Alberta and Saskatchewan.

Further south in Keremeos, Balkar Hans of Hans Estate Vineyards and Orchards is also looking forward to his first significant harvest in years.

“We’ve had a few seasons with zero harvest — that takes a toll,” said Hans. “But now, we’re expecting 75 to 85 per cent of a full crop.”

According to Statistics Canada, B.C.’s farmers posted $456.9 million in losses in 2024 — the largest net loss in Canada — largely due to weather-related setbacks. Many are still recovering from years of financial strain, with climate volatility, high land costs, and limited insurance making sustainability an ongoing challenge.

But this year, farmers like Deol and Hans are hoping that consumer support for local products helps tip the scales.

With U.S. tariffs impacting cross-border trade, there's growing momentum around campaigns like “Buy B.C.”, which encourage residents to support homegrown produce.

“People are hungry to support local,” said Deol. “We’re hoping that momentum sticks through the summer and into the fall, because fruit season is just getting started.”

Harvesting in the Okanagan begins in a few weeks — and for the first time in years, optimism is in the air.