Image: Contributed
The Okanagan’s sun-dappled orchards have been the backbone of the valley for more than 150 years.
Each year, hundreds of farming families nurse cherries and apples and peaches from tens of thousands of trees, sending their fruit around the valley and across the globe.
It’s an enormous undertaking—especially during those brief few weeks when farmers start the mad dash to get all that fruit off all those trees before it spoils—and that’s why fruit packing is one of the Okanagan’s most important and storied professions.
This summer, an organization with its own deep roots in the valley is giving anyone eager to become a part of that history an opportunity to do so.
Image: Contributed
BC Tree Fruits—the collective of more than 430 families working together to produce some of the world’s best fruit—is opening the doors of its packing facilities to new cherry production line workers.
“Cherry season is a critical time for our farmers, and they have tons of work available for anyone willing to do it,” explains BC Tree Fruits’ Tanaya Marsel.
With three packing facilities and six receiving facilities, the cooperative is looking to bolster its roster of 500 employees over the critical cherry season.
It’s looking for motivated, energetic, and dedicated workers to sort and package its precious cargo—helping to make sure the farmers are able to ship their fruit fresh by the end of the season.
To make the application process as easy as possible, BC Tree Fruits is holding a hiring fair where anyone interested can apply for positions and get all the details they need.
On June 2 BC Tree Fruits facilities in Kelowna and Oliver will be open their doors to job seekers from 9 a.m. until 12 p.m.
The full-time cherry packing jobs pay $14-$15 an hour, are available in both morning and evening shifts, and come with ample overtime opportunities.
“This position is great as a first job, a way to gain great experience and get your foot in the door with a local company, or for someone simply looking for steady work throughout the summer,” Marsel says.
For more information on BC Tree Fruits and the upcoming hiring fairs, visit BC Tree Fruits online.
This article is written by or on behalf of the sponsoring client and does not necessarily reflect the views of Okanagan Edge.
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