Okanagan Cherry Season. An Interview with Jeremy Heibert

“Fresh cherry season is right around the corner. To wet your appetite please enjoy the photography of Jeremy Hiebert.

Interview with Jeremy Heibert

EAT: Your photography features images of Okanagan orchards. What is it about this subject that attracted you?

Jeremy Hiebert: Growing up on the prairies, I think I was a bit naive about where fruit came from. I remember visiting BC for the first time, and my sense of wonder as my cousin climbed up a tree in their backyard to pick cherries. Now, having lived in the Okanagan for a while, there are a few things that keep me coming back to this subject: dramatic seasonal changes, rich history in the valley, beautiful visual patterns, proximity (right next door!) and my love of the fruit itself.

Left: An old cherry orchard in blossom. Right: a close-up of a cherry blossoms

Ezra with cherries in our driveway

“I get a kick out of the shots of our son Ezra pulling cherries in his wagon. That was on his second birthday, and you can just see how thrilled he is, with cherry juice all down his front. What a charmed life! Unfortunately, that bounty was the result of our neighbour’s inability to sell his cherries that year — the prices were poor and he had already decided to remove his whole block of cherry trees. So we canned and froze over a hundred pounds that year (and probably that much eaten fresh as well). The shot of the tree stump was taken in that block a couple of months later, as the cherry trees were cut down.

Cherry Picker & Pitter

 

 

 

“Ella

 

“Our neighbour’s gorgeous old cherry orchard is being chopped down this week. Very depressing.

 

EAT: How can readers see more of your photography or contact you? 

Jeremy Hiebert: I’ve got more photos, contact information and links on my site at jeremyhiebert.com — e-mail is jhiebert@gmail.com. I also post regularly to my flickr account: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jeremyhiebert/