We visited Dickinson's Family Farm and had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Dickinson. He accompanied us on a tour of his orchard and we could tell how much he enjoyed talking about his fruit trees.
Welcome to the Dickinson Family Farm and welcome to Summerland, the home of fine Okanagan cherries, pears , apricots, plums, peaches and prunes. This farm celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2012. It has been in the Dickinson Family all this time.
Come and enjoy fruit fresh from the tree, wander the orchard, watch the packing line, play amongst the artifacts....relax and enjoy the experience of nature. You are welcome to pick your own fruit. Also available is fresh apple juice, crushed and prepared right on the farm, when in season.
This farm is home to the world's tallest tripod orchard ladder - the real reason we stopped in. We did not climb the ladder, but you are welcome to climb to the top if you so wish. Of course this is at your own risk. The ladder was designed by Dwane Dickinson and built by a local resident of Summerland in 2000.
It is recognized by Guinness World Records as the World's Tallest Tripod Orchard Ladder. The ladder is constructed primarily of wood, stands 35 feet high and weighs approximately 500 lbs. It sits high above the orchard of fruit trees.
Stop in and see the ladder and have your picture taken. The folks at home will be amazed.
Here's their story, as told by them:
It began in 1910 when the first Dickinson ancestor immigrated to Canada from Bolton, Lancashire, England. Frank, the second son of Samuel and Emma Dickinson, instead of following in his father’s trade of wheelwright decided to be more venturesome and with his wife Maryanne and children Isabel and Frank Jr. struck out for Canada.
They arrived at an unknown port in eastern Canada and made their way westward arriving in Manitoba where they spent the winter. One prairie winter was enough for the family and the following year they made their way to British Columbia, settling in Summerland. The first farm consisted of 4 acres located off Logie Road which they soon traded for a 10 acre parcel located in the Garnet Valley, Summerland. The year was 1912 just ten years after J.M. Robinson founded the town of Summerland. No doubt our ancestor saw an advertisement in one of the British papers begging for young English families to come and farm the orchards of the Okanagan. Little did they know instead of the much-touted Shangri-La, they would find raw land needing an irrigation system before even a weed could grow and their 10 acres was no exception.
With great perseverance and a community spirit they set to work hand picking the stones that covered the land where eventually there would be a lovely apple orchard. Both the skills and determination to run a viable orchard operation were passed down from father to son.
To continue reading their story, go to: (
visit link) and click the "About Us" button.