Nut farm expands with grant

Photo: Contributed

A grant from the Tree Canada Edible Trees Program is helping to spread the work of Jack Gellatly beyond the boundary of the Gellatly Nut Farm Regional Park.

The program, supported by Loblaw Inc., Silk and TELUS, provided a $4,000 grant to the Regional District of Central Okanagan to expand the nursery compound in the park where nut tree seedlings are germinated, grown and now available for sale to the public and interested growers. 

The nut orchard at Gellatly Nut Farm Regional Park produces walnuts, tree hazels, butternuts, buartnuts, heartnuts, chestnut and hazelnuts from hardy tree stock. These mature trees are a valuable seed and scion source for producing local nut trees and to promote the unique nut trees developed in the 1920’s and 1930’s by Jack Gellatly.

The Tree Canada Edible Trees Program supports municipalities, schools and community gardens to purchase, plant and maintain nut and fruit trees enhancing community access to fruit and nut trees.

Now is also your chance to start your own nut tree legacy by growing one of the unique Gellatly Family bred nut tree species. 

Two gallon potted seedlings are now available for $20. Funds raised from the sale of seedlings will assist the Gellatly Nut Farm Society for park enhancements and continuation of the seedling program. 

Seedlings will be on sale during the annual Nut Farm Harvest Fair, Saturday, September 27 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the park, 2375 Whitworth Road in West Kelowna. 

They’re also available for purchase from Society volunteers at Gellatly House in the park from 9 a.m.  4 p.m. daily until early November.