KELOWNA – The worst cherry crop in the Gill family’s 30 years of farming in the Okanagan hasn’t dampened their drive, with a new 100,000-square-foot processing facility for their Farming Karma line of fruit sodas and other drinks set to open this month.
Built in their orchard in Kelowna’s Lower Mission neighbourhood, the facility will produce and can a range of 20 beverages, which began with the creation of an apple soda made from their own fruit.
While the original juicing and canning facility at their Rutland property will remain open, this five-fold space expansion will be the heart of operations for the six-year-old business.
“Our new facility is unique. It’s not only for sorting and packaging apples. We will have new juicing equipment to make our drinks but also allow us to make other value-added fruit products,” says Farming Karma Fruit Co. CEO Avi Gill, son of the company’s namesake patriarch, Karma Gill.
The senior Gill is a well-recognized tree fruit grower, having served as a director of the BC Fruit Growers Association and the BC Tree Fruits Cooperative, among other organizations.
But it’s Avi and his wife Binnie’s youthful energy that tackled the path of vertical integration. After university educations in pharmacy and finance, respectively, they recognized that selling fruit by the piece wasn’t providing high enough returns.
Farming Karma’s newest 30-calorie hydration beverage will be made in the new building, which houses cold storage, a distillery for their alcohol products, sorting area, public tasting room and a hybrid packing line. Keeping business in the family, the Gills acted as general contractors for the building, which incorporates artificial intelligence into the sorting and juicing process.
“It has enhanced features that can really extract our commercial-grade fruit and juicing fruit, the base of many of our drinks,” Gill explains.
The Gills continue to modify equipment purchased off-the-shelf to meet their needs. They are conscious of increasing environmental sustainability in their production methods, addressing retailer and customer needs.
A switch from water technology to air technology in their old juicing system will be mirrored in the new facility, saving around 90% of the water used to wash and process raw fruit into juice.
“We strive to be responsible manufacturers and our commitment to these practices has led to some awards. This recognition has opened doors for us with retailers, providing us the opportunity to sell in their stores,” says Gill.
Success like this fuels the farming operation and, he hopes, also helps increase public understanding about the source of their food and drinks.
In the old building, the public could see the juicing process and the canning line at work.
“There’s no secret to how we make products. I think that’s our strength; you get what you see,” says Gill, adding that discussion continues around how they can continue to connect the dots between their products and the orchard in and around the new building
While the Gills’ apple crop, the major fruit in their beverages, looks to be okay so far, cherries are a different story.
“My dad says in 30 years of growing fruit he sometimes gets better crops and sometimes worse, but he never thought he would get no crop,” says Gill.
The losses the Gills are experiencing are part of a series of challenges roiling the sector, as Gill knows from his participation as a BC Fruit Growers’ Association director and representative on the province’s Tree Fruit Industry Stabilization Initiative.
He says the industry needs to remain united in order to achieve results from the stabilization process.
However, this isn’t stopping the Gills from addressing factors within their control.
“My dad is the farmer,” says Gill. “Although our cherry crop was decimated this year, we are increasing our farming operations with younger trees coming into production. We’re growing it alongside our beverages. It’s all one big loop.”
Farming Karma attributes much of its success to the invaluable support of their community and mentors from diverse industries who continue to guide them, and they give back to others who need support.
“We get together once a month with a group of local businesses with similar interests to discuss challenges, successes. We share our ideas on how to collaborate and overcome barriers small businesses face,” says Gill.
The new plant will allow Farming Karma to grow its fruit soda business, which debuted in Western Canadian Costco stores in July. Its fruit-based spirits are in BC liquor stores now.
“Dad is the visionary. We barely had our first soda can in hand and he was talking about expansion,” says Avi. “He’s always thinking two or three years ahead; his futuristic mentality inspires and guides us.”
While growth has its challenges, the Gills are positive about the future.
“We don’t want to be a company solely driven by profits. We’re looking to grow the company to create a positive impact in the industry,” says Gill. “Agriculture is our passion and at the heart of our operation. Seeing farmers in the Okanagan struggling is very concerning. We want to play our part in fostering a future where farmers thrive and youth are enthusiastic about pursuing careers agriculture. That is the key to strengthening our industry and ensuring food security for future generations.”
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