The Okanagan Valley in British Columbia is a fruit growing area, well known for its rich soils. One of the fruits thriving in this region are pears. "The clay loam soil in the valleys provides excellent drainage and the climate is close to ideal," says Kevin Day with Day's Century Growers. "Pears thrive in hot summers and the cold winters we are experiencing here put the trees into a dormant stage." Pear trees bloom early, making them vulnerable to spring frost. However, the air movement from the Okanagan slopes mitigates frost risks. Pear trees are able to withstand temperatures up to -30°C when they are fully dormant and the proximity to the Okanagan Lake increases temperatures by a few degrees in winter.
The majority of pear growers and packers in British Columbia are located in the Okanagan Valley, specifically in The Benvoulin area. "About 65 to 70 percent of B.C. pears are grown within just a couple of miles," commented Day. The Day family has a long history in the Okanagan Valley. "My great grandfather started farming in the area in the early 1880s and the current family farm was purchased in 1898."
The Day Family.
Reduced volume
The 2024 pear season in B.C. saw a significant reduction in volume, just like Washington State. "Our climates are very similar, and we saw a reduction in volume of 25 percent for our Bartlett variety due to frost in January 2024." Volumes of Green D'Anjou and Bosc saw an even bigger volume reduction of 35 and 60 percent respectively due to a lack of return bloom. Both varieties saw limited bloom which can be attributed to stress the trees experienced during a heat wave or frost. While volumes were low this past season, the quality was very good, and pricing was favorable on all varieties. "As a result, grower returns to the farms weren't affected, but a decrease in volume significantly reduced volumes and returns for the packing house."
High efficiency in packing house
In the past, Day's Century Growers used to be a member of B.C. Tree Fruits Cooperative. "We left the coop in 2011 and built our own packing house. As soon as we established a market, we slowly attracted more growers, and we are now packing for most growers in the area. Days is proud of the results that are being achieved with the packing equipment, resulting in high efficiency in the packing house. Van Wamel from the Netherlands developed a state-of-the-art Van Wamel Perfect Unigrader, a three-lane electronic pear grading line. In addition, the packing house is equipped with a Portal Unloader from Burg, a robotic system equipped with a pear specific de-watering system. "The equipment is performing well for us and has supported us in becoming the only commercial supplier of pears into retail in British Columbia," he said.
Left: sorter from Van Wamel and Green D'Anjou, pre-sorting. Right: robotic system from Burg.
Support from B.C. retailers
Due to the low 2024 volume, Day's Century Growers has already finished shipping for the season. "The last volume from the 2024 crop season shipped on March 5." Most pears find their way into stores in the western part of Canada. "We ship as far east as Manitoba and supply all major retailers, including Sobeys, Loblaws, and Metro, mostly with tray packs and small pears in 3 lb. bags. In addition, we supply all Costco stores in B.C. with 6 lb. bags of pears." Day is very positive about local demand for B.C. grown pears. "The B.C. Buy Local program has been very active in the past two years and provides us with a premium for our product. As long as our prices are within reason, retailers prefer locally grown product." Pears from Day's Century Growers are packed and shipped under their own brand, called Days Centura Growers. The company partners with neighboring Consolidated Fruit Packers on marketing their fruit.
"We are very proud of the relationships we've built with retailers over the years. Retailers have put trust in us due to our extreme attention to detail and we aim to keep the standards high."
Overview of pear orchards and Day's family farm.
Next month, Day will be attending CPMA's trade show in Montreal. Contact him to meet in person.
For more information:
Kevin Day
Day's Century Growers
info@dayscenturygrowers.ca
www.dayscenturygrowers.ca