Meet the Farmers Catch-up – Adrian Arts

Ambrosia apples growerWe visited Adrian Arts at his leased farm in Summerland, BC, just before the Ambrosia apple harvest in 2018. He shared how his education in Water Resource Science and Geology, and his experience working with the Food Bank toward food sovereignty led to him having a passion for farming. View the video HERE

 

The farm has grown, and his passion for growing food has not waned. The pure joy Adrian  feels as a farmer is evident as he tends to his trees, and when he bites into the (literal!) fruits of his labour. He now leases six different parcels of land, collectively known as Kamla Orchards, on which he grows Ambrosia apples, plus cherries and pears as well.

 

Last July, Adrian took on the role of the BC Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries tree fruit and grape specialist. He’s keeping busy getting to know all the ins and outs of the role.

 

Adrian has also jumped into the tech side of fruit growing. He actively uses the Decision Aide System (DAS) and has been part of the BCFGA pilot program for the farm management system ‘Crop Tracker’. He’s working with reflective tarps to bring up the colour in his apples, and in 2018 he was registered as a Professional Agrologist.

 

Hard work comes naturally to Adrian, and every day is different, which is the part of farming that he loves. He continues to grow in his life and on his farm and we are happy to be along for the ride!

Ambrosia Apples