Lake Country orchard transformed into county fair for romance movie

The orchard is the perfect place to fall in love.

At least, it is for the actors on the set of the latest CMW Productions Inc. movie Sweet as Pie.

Alan Gatzke, owner of Gatzke Orchard in Lake Country, said crews have been filming the made-for-TV movie for nearly two weeks in Lake Country, on both his and his father’s property.

The story is about an old apple farmer going broke until his daughter comes home from New York and bakes her grandmother’s recipe to save them at the country fair. There’s also some romance between the daughter and the farm helper.

"It's a storyline that people in the apple industry will be able to relate to," Gatzke said, adding he's seen several romances blossom between farm workers on his farm.

Crews were setting up the county fair and filming yesterday, Sept. 23. Crews have been filming around the orchard and at Pane Vino Pizzeria.

Gatzke is happy to support the film industry as it's had some challenges during the pandemic.

The main character's maiden name was changed to Gatzke as a thank you to the orchardist. It made it easier for the film crews as they’ve used a lot of Gatzke’s props. He hasn’t asked for a cameo but he said he might be at the fair.

Crews will also be filming in Kelowna this week before they wrap up production.

The movie will be available in roughly the next eight to 10 months but does not yet have a network attached to it, assistant location manager Cole Pollack said.

To contact a reporter for this story, email Carli Berry or call 250-864-7494 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.

We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above.