Summerland Sauce Project
What began as an emergency response to one wildfire has grown into a practical model for saving local harvests, paying farmers and turning food that might be lost into products people want to buy, share and support.
The Challenge
The Bald Range wildfire struck Summerland on August 7, 2026, at the height of the growing and tourism seasons. Evacuations, road closures and a sharp drop in visitors left restaurants, wineries, markets and shops unusually quiet at the peak of the tourist season.
For local farmers, the timing was devastating. Crops were ready, but most of their usual customers had disappeared. Some growers had lost homes, buildings or parts of their farms. Others had produce ripening in the fields with nowhere for it to go.
They needed an immediate market for the harvest that remained.
What Ned Created
When farmer Thomas Tumbach of LocalMotive Farmers Network Cooperative told Chef Ned Bell that local produce needed a market, they created the Summerland Sauce Project. LocalMotive purchased crops directly from affected farms, while Ned and rotating volunteers used donated kitchen space at the Naramata Centre to turn the harvest into sauces and preserves.
The first 100 one-litre containers sold out immediately. Production quickly grew to 500 litres and then 1,000, expanding from vegetable sugo to Bolognese made with donated BC beef. As the harvest shifted, a shelf-stable tomato-peach sauce went into production in partnership with West Kelowna’s Rad Jamz.
Ned has contributed more than 100 hours, and counting, in the kitchen and brought chefs, suppliers, media and customers into the effort. Hatch supported the campaign messaging and media outreach, helping turn a complex food-system challenge into a clear proposition: buy the sauce, pay a farmer and save the harvest.
The Result
In its first 30 days, the Summerland Sauce Project raised more than $22,000, saved approximately 5,000 pounds of produce and created 1,000 litres of sauce using crops purchased from as many as 15 local farmers.
The original sauce sold out as quickly as it could be made. New products and production partners are extending the project beyond its original frozen format, while hospitality partners—including hotels, restaurants, culinary retailers and specialty food stores—continue to support and amplify the effort.
These figures represent the project’s first month, not its final impact. Donations are continuing, new products are in development and the network around the project continues to grow.
What Comes Next
The Summerland Sauce Project began as a local response to a specific emergency, but the need it revealed is much larger. Farmers across British Columbia regularly face surplus crops, disrupted markets and limited processing capacity.
The next phase is moving toward products with a longer shelf life and wider distribution. Ned also sees the potential for the model to travel, with future Sauce Projects supporting agricultural communities across the province.
That is what makes this more than a fundraiser. It connects farmers, chefs, processors, retailers, media and customers through a product that generates immediate value. The first campaign proved that the idea works. Now the opportunity is to build on it.
Media Highlights
