Only a small group of apple growers are producing organic Ambrosia apples in British Columbia.

Here are some of organic Ambrosia apple growers:


Wilfrid & Sally Mennell

PROFILE – Wilfrid and Sally Mennell are certified organic orchardists, and have been apple farmers for more than 30 years in the sun-drenched Similkameen Valley on an orchard overlooking Cawston, B.C. However, their story is an unusual one: they are also “the originators of the Ambrosia apple.”



Alain Peron & Donna Bartlett

PROFILE – Alain Peron’s destiny has always been in apple farming. He grew up on a farm near Bordeaux, France where apples were the family business. His father and grandfather were both orchardists.



Baljit and Kawaljit Bhathal

PROFILE – Baljit and Kawaljit Bhathal both come from generations of farming families in India.

Baljit’s family immigrated to Canada in 1992.  They were sponsored by his sister who lives in Cawston, BC.  Baljit and his family worked with Brian Mennell and Linda Edwards and learned about organic farming through their guidance.  He worked with them for more than 13 years…




Brian Mennell & Linda Edwards

PROFILE – Born to be farmers, Brian Mennell and Linda Edwards found their way to each other and their orchard in a circuitous way. Brian was born and raised on a farm and never wanted to do anything other than grow fruit. When his brother and sister-in-law discovered the first Ambrosia tree on their orchard, Brian was eager to be one of the first to bring organic Ambrosia apples to market….

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Billy Potash

PROFILE – From fruit trucker to fruit grower to fruit distributor, Billy Potash has played every role in getting fresh, local produce to your family’s table. It all started in 1978 when he and his wife Lucy, came to the Similkameen Valley and were wooed by the idea of setting up a hobby farm. They’d met in Berkley California and lived a wandering life before they finally decided to call Cawston home and their orchard Big Root Organic Farms…

 



Jane and Robert Mennell

PROFILE

Just as Ambrosia was a chance seedling, Jane and Robert’s love story is one of a chance romance dating back to the summer of 1976. Jane was studying in England at the time and decided to take a school chum up on her invitation to spend the summer at her cousin’s farm in Canada. That farm was the Mennell farm and it didn’t take long for Jane to fall in love – first with the unrivaled beauty of the Similkameen Valley and then with Robert Mennell. She believes that someone can have both a soul mate and a soul place – she found both that summer…

 


Surjit & Narinder Lidher

PROFILE – Surjit and Narinder value hard work and healthy living. Their farming lifestyle perfectly suits their values and allows them to be their own boss.

Surjit came to Canada from India in 1981. He married Narinder in 1990 and brought her to Canada. They started farming in 1991. Both came from farming families in India and were destined to farm in Canada.


Randhir & Balwinder Dhaliwal

Profile – Farming is hard work but Randhir and Balwinder Dahliwal say they love it and would not choose any other lifestyle.

Balwinder came to Canada from India in 1980 and Randhir joined him when they married in 1987. At that time Balwinder’s family was working in Penticton. Shortly after that, they purchased 10 acres in Oliver and farmed that land with Blawinder’s family.



Kevin Demchuck


Rupee & Karindeep Bhathal family

PROFILE – When Arbinder (Rupee) Bhathal came to Canada in 1992 he hoped to work with wood. Little did he know that it would take the form of fruit trees. He was sponsored by his sister who lived in the Cawston, area of BC where the easiest way to get a job is to work in the orchard. That’s exactly what Rupee did.

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Makepeace Family

PROFILE – Not many people would consider running a 60 acre orchard “retirement.” After successful careers with the RCMP, farming seemed like just the right speed for retirees Cristine and Walt Makepeace. The two were high school sweethearts who married at the age of 18. They’d both grown up on farms in the Fraser Valley and longed to return to growing organic food as a sort of second career.



Robyn & Richard King

PROFILE – It’s hard to imagine Richard and Robyn King doing anything other than running their orchard and farm-gate store in East Kelowna, BC. They’re so passionate about organic farming and joyful in the operation of their store. However, for each of them, it’s a second career.


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Dan Taylor

PROFILE – Like many BC Organic Ambrosia growers, Dan Taylor got his start doing the dirty work. He spent 8 years as a farm hand before he was able to purchase a farm of his own. Ambitious and determined, his role in the industry has been steadily growing ever since. He now farms over 48 acres in the Similkameen Valley…”


Nirmal Sidhu

PROFILE – Nirmal Sidhu was 14 years old when he and his family immigrated to Canada. They were farmers in their native India, so it was natural for them to find their way back to farming once they got settled. However, in India, their farm produces wheat, corn and rice. They soon discovered it was vastly different from running a tree fruit orchard. However, it didn’t take long for them to learn the business by working in orchards and soon bought a farm of their own.



Only a small group of growers are producing organic Ambrosia apples in British Columbia.

Bhathal, Baljit & Grewal, Jaswinder B&J ORGANIC ORCHARD
Barker, Dave BARKER ORCHARDS
Potash, Billy & Lucy BIG ROOT FARMS
Bhathal, (Arbinder) Rupee RUPEE’S ORGANIC ORCHARD
Bhathal, Arbinder (Rupee) (Brian’s) ROYAL KING ORCHARD
Commandeur, Rajeshvari (Raju) RAJESHVARI COMMANDEUR
Demchuk, Kevin & Dela Cruz, Sonia SUNSHINE HARVEST
Dhaliwal, Gurmail & Jagmail J&G FARM
Dhaliwal, Randhir & Balwinder RANDHIR K. DHALIWAL
Gill, Jarnail BLOSSOM RIVER ORGANICS LTD.
Gill, Mike & Sandy J&R ORCHARDS
Gill, Varinder/Dhaliwal, Sukhwinder SUKHWINDER DHALIWAL
Horrocks, Bryan & Cindy B & C HORROCKS ORCHARDS
Hutchinson, John & Irene ROLLING SAGE ORCHARD
King, Richard & Robyn BITE ME ORGANICS
Lidder, Jagir LIDDER FARM
Lidher, Surjit NARIND FARM
Makepeace, Walter & Christine MAKEPEACE ORGANIC FARMS LTD.
Mennell, Robert & Jane MUCKABOUT ORCHARDS
Mennell, Sally SALLY MENNELL’S ORCHARD
Mennell, Wilfrid WILFRID MENNELL ORCHARD
Nelson, Fred & Phyllis NELSON FRUIT WORKS
Peron, Alain & Bartlett, Donna OLD TOWER FARM
Potash, Isaac & Litowitz, Lorn SUNREAL ORGANICS
Sellmer, Gottfried & Lynne RIVER VALLEY ORCHARDS
Sidhu, Nirmal SIDHU ORCHARDS
Simonsen, Peter NORTHERN LIGHTS ORCHARD
Taylor, Dan & Sally TAYLOR FARMS
Wills, Tony & Elaine Stewart ELAM’S ORGANICS
Wood, Jim & Lorena EASTWOOD ORGANIC FARM