Nori Ogden had a big surprise when she discovered peaches were growing on a tree in the small orchard area of her garden.
That’s because Ogden lives off the Old Soda Creek Road about 12 kilometers west of Williams Lake and has never heard of peaches growing in the Cariboo.
She first discovered the tree four years ago.
“It was about a foot high and when I looked closely at the bottom I saw it had grown from a peach pit,” Ogden said.
The tree continued to grow.
While Ogden didn’t expect it would ever bear fruit, she decided to prune more extensively last year and see what happened.
“I noticed buds in March and couldn’t believe it,” she said as she pulled back the leaves to reveal seven yellow peaches.
“One has dropped off already, but they aren’t ripe yet.”
Ogden’s father, Ralph Overton, purchased the 300-acre property from a 150 Mile House rancher who used the area for spring range land for his cattle.
Ogden moved there in the 70s and two years ago in June, built a home on the property with her husband Rick, after living there in a trailer for many years.
“We built the house in about six months with help,” she recalled.
The Ogdens have solar power, with a backup generator, and only use a large wood stove built by the Amish in Ontario for heat.