harvest last year, fellow growers from around the area stepped up to help pick the crop, led by the BCFGA’s recently-elected president Fred Steele of Kelowna and Summerland cherry grower Erin Carlson, who kept tabs on pickers and payroll last fall for the Sardinha orchard.


In all she does, Julie says she is guided by Joe, whom she believes would have wanted fellow Summerland apple grower Gord Shandler, who is part of the Plant Improvement Company’s mentorship program, to be her mentor in learning more about managing the Sardinha orchard.


He has been invaluable in directing the pruning of much of the nine acres of apple trees, and he built a weed sprayer for the back of her ATV—but for the Pink Lady trees, B.C. Tree Fruits Co-op fieldman Steve Brown stepped up to the plate and showed her how to prune that variety. Through it all, neighbour and grower Joe Schmuck has been right there whenever Julie needed advice, the answer to a question, to help or just as someone to discuss an idea with. “He’s always as close as a phone call or a quick drive over on the ATV,” she comments. Joe had already decided to graft some of the Granny Smith apple trees over to Pink Lady, so this spring, Julie worked on that. “If Joe was here I knew what he would do, so I do that,” she explains. She could have just walked away from it all, but their daughter Katie would like to come back and run the orchard when she completes her Master’s degree at the University of California, Berkeley, in linguistics. She specializes in transcribing native languages and says she can do that from anywhere.


In the meantime, she comes in the summer to help and whenever else she is able to.


She is the reason Julie continues to work the orchard, learning everything she can about its management so she can show her daughter when she’s ready. And, Joe would have expected her to continue to nurture their dream, she adds.


(Their son Brian is a teacher and chef who lives on Vancouver Island with his family.)


“I got her a set of pruning shears for Christmas,” notes Julie.


8 British Columbia FRUIT GROWER • Summer 2014


Katie has been involved with Julie in opposing Summerland council’s decision to have a parcel of land close to the downtown core removed from the Agricultural Land Reserve in exchange for a parcel of land further out which was removed some years ago because it was of ‘marginal’ value for agriculture.


“Joe would have been at the forefront (of that battle over protection of ALR land) if he was still alive,” says Julie. “He would have been furious about such a swap. “We must find some good people to run for council,” she adds. “It’s important we change the direction of this council.”


Since Joe would have gone to this winter’s BCFGA convention, Julie attended—as well as to receive an award for Joe.


“I care about agriculture and I was hoping to see a change in the executive,” she explains. “The association is important to agriculture.”


In fact, it was she who nominated Steele for the top post at the convention. He was subsequently elected.


She doesn’t close the door on the possibility she might one day be willing to do her bit to advocate for agriculture, as Joe did, but at the moment she is adamant: “I’ve got an orchard to run.”


In the meantime, she has some advice for her fellow farmers to make it easier in the event of a sudden change in the dynamics of the family such as the death of the principal grower.


“Write things down. Be sure you’re not the only one who knows where all the valves are. Teach someone else how to do all the chores required to run the farm,” she says.


The fact that Joe kept meticulous records has made it much easier for Julie to follow his notes and know when what must be done as the orchard grows and changes throughout the seasons.


It’s been a difficult time in so many ways, but she is confident it will get easier as time goes on. Right now, she’s looking forward to completing her first year running the show. “If I can get to November and get the orchard put to sleep…”


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