Our Work

The Cross-Commodity Leadership Support Project (CCLSP) is a pilot project funded by the Tree Fruit Industry Stabilization Fund that provides a framework and capacity for organizations across commodities (apples, cherries, and wine grapes) to collaborate on common issues and opportunities. Current projects and committees are outlined below. 

​Click here to see the latest progress report: July 2024 – September 2024

PROJECT spotlights

BC FRUIT WORKS

BC Fruit Works is a collaborative initiative between the BC Cherry Association, BC Fruit Growers’ Association, BC Grapegrowers’ Association, and the BC Ministry of Agriculture and Food. The program intends to be the future of hiring for Canadians seeking work in BC orchards and vineyards, by connecting producers with seasonal agricultural workers.

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DOMESTIC LABOUR RESEARCH

The agriculture sector is facing substantial labour issues, including difficulties in recruitment, retention, and workforce engagement, which impacts its productivity and sustainability. We are partnering with Kwantlen Polytechnic University to deliver a labour research project focused on the tree fruit and wine grape industries in the Okanagan region.

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LOCAL GOVERNMENT TOURS

Local polices and regulations greatly impact how farms can operate, but communication between farmers and local government staff is not always clear. These tours will bring these two groups together to help strengthen relationships and make connections. The first tour was held in Lake Country on November 6, 2024. Stay tuned for more!

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CCLSP committees

Advisory Council

Cross-Commodity advisory council

The Cross-Commodity Advisory Council was developed to act as a forum for inter-agency coordination and collaboration as a continuation of the efforts completed by the pre-existing TFISP Steering Committee. The Advisory Council’s mission is to be a trusted source of expertise and knowledge for the tree fruit and wine grape sectors by providing balanced and considered advice to the CCLSP, the CCLSP Partner’s Table, and other relevant initiatives that emerge. Members are responsible for:

  • Voting on the allocation of TFISP funds until fully committed.
  • Reviewing applications and reports for TFISP funded projects
  • Recommending payments from IAF in alignment with Contribution Agreements

The committee meets quarterly to provide guidance and input on initiatives being led by the CCLSP and when required, by other other entities. Membership of the Advisory Council aims to reflect the perspectives of the tree fruit and wine grape industry associations, supply chains, government, consumers, and retail. Click here to see the Council’s Terms of Reference.

Who’s Involved?
Meeting Minutes
Extension

WINES OF BC

Extension Committee

The CCLSP administers the Extension Committee, which was formed in the spring of 2022 to address recommendation #4 of the TFISP to enhance the support of and contribution to horticulture and extension services. To date, the committee has:

  • Surveyed growers and other relevant parties about extension services.
  • Reviewed successful extension models in other jurisdictions.
  • Using TFISP funding provided by the BC Ministry of Agriculture through the Investment Agriculture Foundation of BC, we held a first-of-its-kind conference to bring together local extensionists. Check the calendar for upcoming extension events! 

​The Committee meets quarterly (at a minimum) to help the regional fruit sector become global leaders in horticultural practices by supporting the regional collaborative extension network. Click here to see the Committee’s Terms of Reference. 

Who’s Involved?
Meeting Minutes
Domestic Labour

Domestic Labour committee

The CCLSP also administers the Domestic Labour Committee, which was formed to address the labour challenges of hiring domestic workers as outlined in recommendation #3 of the TFISP. The work is being done collaboratively by industry (CCLSP) and contractors under “BC FruitWorks“. The initial focus of this work targets three areas:

  • Recruiting workers
  • Facilitating job matching
  • Supporting human resources (HR) to growers

​The Committee meets quarterly to increase collaboration across the apple, cherry, and wine grape industries to ensure a coordinated, cross-commodity approach to accessing domestic workers to address farm labour challenges. Click here to see the Committee’s Terms of Reference.

WINES OF BC

Who’s Involved?
Meeting Minutes
Innovation & Technology

INNOVATION & TECHNOLOGY committee

The CCLSP administers the Innovation & Technology Committee, which was formed in the spring of 2024 to address recommendation #9 of the TFISP to help industry determine and act on ways that innovation and technology can support the sector. The committee aims to:

  • Help the regional fruit sector be glocal leaders in horticultural practices by increasing the availability of innovative technologies to support BC farmers and packers.
  • Implement and update technologies to support picking, packing, and sorting to reduce reliance on labour.
  • Create efficiencies and improvements for producers and allocate funding requests to help identify needs and fill gaps. 

​The Committee meets quarterly (at a minimum) to bring forward new ideas for projects, actions, or new technologies that could support BC tree fruit and wine grape producers. Click here to see the Committee’s Terms of Reference. 

Who’s Involved?
Meeting Minutes

WHAT else ARE WE UP TO?

For more information on CCLSP initiatives, check out our quarterly progress reports!

Progress Reports