Packing

Welcome to Cherries Kokanee Packing page. We are very proud of our state of the art packing operation. We first began packing our own cherries in 1998 and have continued to grow and improve since then. Today we pack for close to 20 growers. Our Growers are committed to producing the best and safest product they can. Recently 90% of them were certified under the EU food safety program called EurepGap. This program audits all facets of food production to ensure that care for the environment and worker health and safety meet the highest standards. Our Cherries are produced under an Integrated Pest Management system (IPM) that ensures both a healthy environment and high quality products for our customers.

Our Packing operation handles over 1 million pounds of Cherries per year. And we do all of this in a 3-4 week period. We will generally run 2 shifts per day for 2-3 of those weeks and 1 shift per day for the remaining week. The first shift normally begins at 7-8 am finishing at 3-4 pm. Our second shift will generally begin between 5-6 pm running until midnight to 2 am.

We are the largest packing facility in the Creston Valley and have the longest period of operation. Generally we will run for 20-24 days packing Lapin, Skeena, Sweetheart, Staccato and our own Kootenay Special varieties. Employees do not have to work the entire time and can request shifts and periods that fit their needs. However, any of these arrangements must be made with our Plant manger prior to the season beginning or as soon as the situation develops during packing operations.

Cherries Kokanee is committed to a safe, secure workplace. Prior to the season it is inspected by a number of agencies and buyers to ensure our standards are above reproach. At the close of the season we work hard to ensure that our employees are paid immediately upon completion of packing.