MARCH 2019 • COUNTRY LIFE IN BC
21 Diversification makes orchard a landmark
Davison adopts new strategies, technologies to thrive
by TOM WALKER VERNON – Davison
Orchards Country Village, an orchard and agri-tourism business in southwest Vernon, is truly family-run. “We feel blessed to be able
to involve our family in the business,” says Tom Davison. “We have three generations working together at the farm. My parents are in their late 80s and still passionate about farming. It’s really fun to still have them involved.” Tom and his wife Tamara spearheaded expansion of the family orchard into the agri- tourism destination it now is, although son Lance Davison is taking over a lot of the horticulture duties from his dad. Daughter Laura puts her business degree with a major in human resources to work and son-in-law Devon Shaw’s engineering skills are particularly useful keeping everything from the apple juice bottling line to the computers running smoothly. “Sometimes I think we have
diversified to insanity,” quips Tom. “But the broad range of our enterprises provides places for different skill sets within the family and it also allows us to offer good jobs to our local staff as well.” Davison Orchards grow five
different types of tree fruits, including over 20 varieties of apples, as well as 18 different ground crops. They pack their
Lance Davison is the third generation to work Davison Orchards in Vernon. He says whatever his mother can think of to sell, they can grow. In addition to award-winning apples, Davison also grows strawberries, asparagus, tomatoes, cantaloupe, watermelons, pumpkins and sweet corn to sell at its market. TOM WALKER PHOTO
own fruit and vegetables for direct sales at the farm, and process some of the harvest into jams, preserves and apple juice. An on-site bakery supplies the farm store and a café that sells breakfast, lunch and specialty coffees. The Johnny Popper train provides popular farm tours and they have an active U-pick operation.
The farm wasn’t always so CONDITIONS
Designed for HEAVY
BCAC wishes to congratulate o 20
Champ on Award: E
e our award winners from the 2019 BC Agri-Food Industry Gala!
ampion Award: Employee Health & Wellness Grieg Seafood BC Ltd
Outstanding Teacher Award Chef Brian Smith, Thomas Haney Secondary POWER HARROWS | PLOWS | RAKES VAN DER WAL EQUIPMENT(1989) LTD.
23390 RIVER ROAD, MAPLE RIDGE, BC V2W 1B6 604/463-3681 |
vanderwaleq.com
17 TH ANNUAL BC AGRI-FOOD INDUSTRY GALA 2019
Excellence in Agriculture Leadership Award Louis Schurmann, Locarno Farms Ltd
diverse. Tom’s grandparents emigrated from England 85 years ago and settled in Bella Vista, growing apples on a south-facing slope flanked by rock cliffs. Their children continued to grow apples,
mostly McIntosh, and hauled them to a packer. “When my wife Tamara and
I got involved, we really felt like that wasn’t going to be the future for us,” explains Tom, noting that returns for
older varieties were low. IFTA (International Fruit Tree Association) tours in the 1980s introduced them to farm markets in places like New
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