Vince Kuipers has deep roots in the Okanagan Valley. His grandparents emigrated from Holland to Kelowna in 1921 and began a family tradition of orcharding. Today, Kuipers runs Kuipers Fruit Family Farm, which has faced significant challenges in recent years due to extreme weather events that devastated crops.

"I grew up in the orchard," Kuipers said. He has worked full-time in the family business since 2015. This year, he and many other fruit growers in the region are celebrating a bountiful harvest, marking a welcome change after several difficult seasons.

Kuipers described this year's harvest as the best he has experienced so far. "Last year was very disappointing," he noted, attributing the failures to a mild winter that harmed crops. He added that the past few years have seen the worst crop failures of his lifetime.

Jennay Oliver, owner of Paynter's Fruit Market, echoed Kuipers' sentiments about this year's favorable conditions. "This year's weather was perfect. It was mild. It wasn't extreme, and we had crops on everything," she said.

Farmers in British Columbia's Okanagan have struggled to turn a profit since 2017, largely due to climate-related challenges such as heat domes and winter cold snaps.

Oliver reflected on the emotional toll of consecutive bad seasons, saying, "It's pretty easy to want to quit when you have these couple of bad seasons in a row. I think this season has kind of pulled everybody back together."

Despite the successful harvest, experts warn that such favorable conditions are rare. Agriculture Canada researcher Kirsten Hannam is investigating innovative methods to protect orchards from the impacts of climate change. One approach includes using retractable shutters to shield trees from hail and intense sunlight.

Hannam emphasized the importance of climate adaptability and resilience in future agricultural studies. Kuipers, however, remains cautiously optimistic about climate change. "You have good years and bad years. You can mitigate against that the best you can, but I try to have a positive outlook on it," he said.

He acknowledged the potential for future cold spells, stating, "I'm not overly concerned, but at the same time, you just gotta be prepared that if there is another cold spell, it can be disappointing."

Hannam noted that fruit growers are increasingly reaching out to researchers for guidance on making their orchards more resilient to extreme weather. "We have such a great relationship with the farmers who work in the valley. We have lots of communication with them, which really benefits our research," she said.

Oliver concluded that many fruit growers are feeling encouraged after this year's successful harvest.