Penticton Agri-Tours

Dickinson Family Farm

There is an alternative for those who have already walked to the top of Munson Mountain Park or toured the Naramata Bench wineries. Dickinson Family Farm visitors may tour the farm’s 10-acres of orchards, climb the world’s tallest orchard ladder and pick fruit fresh from the tree. The 20-minute drive to the farm from Penticton’s hotels and motels winds along the shores of Lake Okanagan. Shopping for apples on the farm can be as fun as looking for golf balls or digging for coins on the beach; it is a much different experience than wine touring and tasting. Ordering an apple-pie at a restaurant will never be the same after a visit to The Dickinson Family Farm near Penticton.

Forest Green Man Lavender Farm

The Forest Green Man Lavender Farm has some familiar smells for those who frequent fancy hotel spas. At least one local winery’s restaurant uses salad dressing that is made from the lavender plant. Forest Green is conveniently located along the popular wine tour route of wineries located along the Naramata Bench. Farm tours educate visitors about this unique lilac-coloured plant that is used in potpourri, soap and other personal care products. Hitting a golf ball out-of-bounds is never a good experience, but looking for it in a sea of three-foot high Lavender would bring pleasant memories of touring the Forest Green Man Lavender Farm.

Covert Farms

This family farm is a major shipper of fresh fruits and vegetables and a starting point for hikers who are on their way to the McIntyre Bluffs and McIntyre Canyon Park. Many restaurant meals include ingredients made with fruits and vegetables that have been organically-grown at Covert Farms. Seekers of a genuine Okanagan country experience may easily reach the farm from their hotel room; the farm is located South of Skaha Lake, about a 30-minute drive from Penticton. Visitors may tour the farm’s berry, tomato and other fields before buying fresh, organically-grown fruits and vegetables at Pancho’s Country Market. Antique farm machinery that are on display provide a glimpse of how fruit and vegetable harvesting has changed. Shoppers can tour and taste at the 2008 Okanagan Fall Wine Festival's ‘Best New Winery’ that sits on a section of the 711-acre farm.

Summerland Sweets

If the Naramata Bench’s wine is not sweet enough, homemade jams, syrups and jellies made by Summerland Sweets near Penticton will certainly be. It is unlikely that Summerland Sweets products will be found in local restaurants or on golf course clubhouse menus. The best way to purchase this agri-business’ products is to visit the Summerland Sweets facility that is located just North of Penticton. Visitors may tour and sample product as well as browse for pottery, candles and dried fruit gifts at the gift shop. Local grocery stores also carry a limited selection of Summerland Sweets products.

Summerland Trout Hatchery

Wine tours are for adults, but the Summerland Trout Hatchery located North of Penticton offers a tour that is fun for the whole family. There is no tasting, but hatchery visitors can tour, watch live fish and play lots of interactive games. The fish hatched here every year are destined for about 260 different lakes in the Okanagan, Thompson/Nicola and West Kootenay regions. Some Summerland Trout Hatchery fish may end-up as the main course of a restaurant meal, but none will land in a golf course pond. The hatchery is a great place to spend a few hours, and it is only a short drive from Penticton’s beaches and hotels.

Linden Gardens

Not all gardens produce fruits and vegetables, but what grows at Linden Gardens just South of Penticton is a feast for the senses. The 9-acre perennial gardens blooms brightly amidst winding pathways, streams and ponds from Spring to Fall. Red, purple, yellow, and pink captivate the eyes while a collage of scents distract the mind. Linden Gardens is a lush oasis situated near Skaha Lake that would be a magical setting for a signature par-3 golf hole. An onsite patio restaurant makes Linden Gardens a great destination to visit for lunch where one may sit, relax and sip a glass of white or red wine.