Located just 8kms South East of Keremeos, and 36km west of Osoyoos, Cawston is known as the Organic Farm Capital of Canada. Cawston has hot summers, cool nights and powerful winds. Because of their unique weather conditions which naturally helps keep pests and mildew away, Cawston is able to have over 40% of their crops certified Organic. The economy is focused on apples and soft fruits and has two large fruit packing plants in the area, with the newest being built specifically for organic fruit which has spiked in popularity in recent years.
Wine not?
Similkameen wine has been making a name for itself in the past decade, both locally and internationally with over 600 acres of vineyards. The first winery opened in 1976, and since then the Keremeos and Cawston areas have been seeing a rising amount of new wineries being opened. With the hot summers, cool nights and powerful winds, the wines made here burst with the taste of the Similkameen Valley, thanks to the small farms and winemakers that are dedicated to creating quality, award-winning wine.
Things to do
With the town being named after R.L. Cawston, a pioneer rancher and magistrate, even the town name boasts a sense of community. Cawston is especially attractive to lovers of the outdoors because of its large properties with horse ranches, hobby farms and various hiking trails with terrain ranging from cactuses and sagebrush to steep, rocky cliffs and high-altitude meadows. the Similkameen River attracts beach goers and tubing during the hot summer months.
The Community
Cawston is a large agricultural community with a population of about 1000. The economy is focused on apples and soft fruits and has two large fruit packing plants in the area, with the newest being built specifically for organic fruit which has spiked in popularity in recent years. Over 40% of Cawston’s crops are certified organic thanks to the unique weather conditions of the area which naturally helps keep pests and mildew away from marring the produce.
How to Get Here
Cawston sits along the Similkameen River and is located just east from Keremeos by around 8 km (5 miles) and west of Osoyoos by 36 km (22 miles) on Hwy 3.