SUMMERLAND SAUCE PROJECT LAUNCHES $20,000 CAMPAIGN TO SAVE THE OKANAGAN HARVEST
- Hatch Comms
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
Updated: 10 hours ago
Every dollar buys crops from wildfire-hit farms and puts money in farmers' hands this month
Summerland, BC - August 17, 2026 - Chef Ned Bell and farmer Thomas Tumbach have launched a $20,000 campaign to buy crops from Okanagan farmers hit by the Bald Range wildfire and turn them into seasonal sauces and preserves.
The Summerland Sauce Project is live now on FundRazr.
Road closures, cancelled markets and a season with far fewer visitors have left growers with ripe food and nowhere to sell it. LocalMotive Farmers Network Cooperative is buying that harvest directly from farms in meaningful volumes. Local chefs are donating their time to turn it into seasonal sauces and preserves. "We're starting with the goal of creating 500 litres of sauce over multiple batches - that represents 1000 lbs of produce that would otherwise have gone to waste."
“We can’t replace everything that has been lost, but we can save what is still here,” says Chef Ned Bell. “Our initial goal is to create 500 litres of sauce over several batches. That represents approximately 1,000 pounds of produce that might otherwise go to waste. Every container means a farmer was paid and a harvest was saved.”
Where the money goes
Crops purchased directly from Okanagan farmers affected by the wildfire.
Additional funds distributed to farmers whose crops have burned or can no longer be used, for immediate farm and crop recovery.
A donor wall at the Summerland Food Hub recognizing every contribution.
What supporters get
Every support level includes one 1-litre container of sauce, with additional containers available for $25. Each batch depends on the harvest, from savoury tomato sauce to seasonal fruit compote.
How to enjoy it
Bell's debut batch is a rich Tomato Sugo, built around peak-season Okanagan tomatoes. Warm it over pasta with shaved Parmesan and basil; add in some sautéed ground beef for a quick ragu; serve as a dip with olive oil, vinegar and a loaf from a local bakery; spoon over poached eggs for an anytime shakshuka; or mix It up with heavy cream and additional seasoning for an easy tomato soup. Delicious and versatile.
Containers are frozen and are next available for pickup on Tuesday, August 17 from 9am to 6pm at LocalMotive Low-Waste Market, 1848 Main Street, Unit 150, Penticton. Evacuees can collect whenever they are able to return home.
Order at fundrazr.com/summerlandsauceproject. Product is currently only available for pick up at Local Motion in Penticton while supplies last. Donations for affected farmers are gratefully accepted at the same link.
Together, we can save the harvest.
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About LocalMotive Farmers Network Cooperative
LocalMotive Farmers Network Cooperative is a non-profit made up primarily of growers and producers in the South Okanagan. Founded in 2005 by Thomas and Celina Tumbach and incorporated as a cooperative in 2025, it runs a CSA home delivery service and the LocalMotive Low-Waste Market in Penticton.
LocalMotive is currently leading the development of the Summerland Food Hub, where farmers and food producers will be able to process and store local harvests at scale.
Visit localmotive.ca or connect via Instagram at @localmotiveokanagan, @localmotivemarket and @summerlandfoodhub
About Ned Bell
Okanagan-born chef Ned Bell has spent more than two decades connecting good food with environmental responsibility. He founded Chefs for Oceans, co-owned the Naramata Inn, and led the Planetary Health hospital food transformation. He is Creative Advisor for Okanagan College's Centre for Food, Wine and Tourism and a Buy BC Champion and Ambassador. In 2026 he was named to the BC Restaurant Hall of Fame.
Visit nedbell.com or connect on Instagram.
Interviews available upon request.
Contact:
Ned Bell Megan Hall
Hatch Hospitality LocalMotive Farmers Network Cooperative
604.240.5840 604.364.5840
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