Karma and Kuku Gill have been farming in the Okanagan for the last 25 years, but their children weren鈥檛 as keen to continue the family business, as is. They wanted to innovate, expand, help their parents build on years of hard work.
Avi, his wife Binny and his younger brother Sumeet decided to use the fruits their parents already cultivated to make something new 鈥� fruit soda.
Binny said the reason for the new venture was to help stabilize the family鈥檚 income after they saw the financial uncertainties farmers faced.
鈥淪ome years are great and others, not so much. But we wanted to do this because then we can grow our own fruit, we turn it into a product which we then can have some control over what the retailer is marking it up for,鈥� she said.
READ: Okanagan cherries in jeopardy due to above-average rainfall
Avi said they started with apple soda, first selling it at the 琉璃神社 Farmers鈥� and Crafters鈥� Market. Eight months later, their apple soda can now be found in 400 grocery stores across the province, including Safeway, Buy-Low, Thrifty Foods, Save-On-Foods, Your Independent Grocer, and Nesters Market. Soon, they鈥檒l be releasing cherry and peach sodas as well.
He said it was the support of local residents and local retailers that set him and his family on the right path.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think we鈥檇 ever give up-selling and going to the farmers鈥� market. That鈥檚 where we really get to interact with our local community members, who have been awesome and encouraged us to stick with it while we were figuring out the formula,鈥� he said.
鈥淥utside of the farmers鈥� market, we started out with Peter鈥檚 Your Independent Grocer. Peter is awesome and he really mentored me. He actually helped me get from the production side of things into retail, pointing out who to talk to and what kinds of conversations I needed to have.鈥�
READ: 鈥楿nderwhelming鈥� support for agriculture industry: BC Fruit Growers鈥� Association
Besides the fruit soda, Avi, Binny and Sumeet also launched a tasting bar at the family鈥檚 McKenzie Road property. But just as they were ready to open, COVID-19 hit, affecting not just the tasting bar鈥檚 performance, but the sales in grocery stores as well.
鈥淭he thing is, we just have to roll with the punches. It鈥檚 been difficult because we鈥檝e had our store closed for the majority of (the pandemic) and even when things started loosening up, we鈥檇 rather err on the side of safety so we鈥檝e been cautious with opening,鈥� Avi said.
Karma said the younger generation鈥檚 new venture is exciting, but he said local farmers need help from the government, provincial, federal and municipal governments.
鈥淭his year has been difficult鈥� we need support from the government. The federal government鈥檚 aid only helps the dairy, egg and meat farmers,鈥� he said.
鈥淭hey need to look at fruit growers too. We have problems too and it鈥檚 been difficult for us too.鈥�
READ: Orchardists face challenges from COVID-19 pandemic
