In the past, a common method of wood waste disposal has been burning. Chipping wood waste helps keep our air clean and provides growers with valuable wood chips. The RDCO offers two incentive programs for wood waste disposal.
Mow it. Chip it. rebate program
The RDCO offers a mow/chip rebate program. The program supports access to flail mowing or chipping equipment by offering rebates for renting equipment (or hiring services), or purchasing equipment for small volumes of wood waste (less than four piles sized 3m x 3m x 2m tall).
One rebate per household. Rebates are granted on a first-come, first-served basis. Funding is limited and based on availability. Rebates will be paid by cheque and mailed to the address provided. Receipt or invoice must be from the same calendar year as the rebate application.
For residential and farm properties sized 1 ha or greater and located within the Central Okanagan (Kelowna, West Kelowna, Lake Country, Peachland, Westbank First Nation, Central Okanagan East and Central Okanagan West Electoral Areas).
Small volume of wood means less than 4 piles sized 3m width x3m large x2m height. If you have 4 or more piles of wood, consider applying to the Agricultural Chipping Program instead.
Residential property means:
residential property 1ha (2.47 acres) or greater (not farm) or
residential property 1ha (2.47 acres) or greater in a fuel management /wildfire interface area.
Use your wood chips on your property or give them away to your neighbours. Mixing chips into soil instead of layering it on top allows for faster breakdown. For residences in wildfire/interface areas, follow the FireSmart guidelines Residential Use of Wood Chips Memo
Agricultural wood waste chipping program
The RDCO offers a free agricultural wood waste chipping program. The program supports alternatives to burning by providing access to chipping services for larger volumes of wood waste (four or more piles sized 3m x 3m x 2m tall).
This program is supported by the British Columbia Fruit Growers Association and the Pacific Agri-Food Research Centre.
Registration is accepted year-round, and chipping generally occurs from March through June and from September through December. It's recommended you register for the program at least one year in advance.
Your orchard/property is 1 ha or greater in size, and located within the Central Okanagan (Kelowna, West Kelowna, Lake Country, Peachland, Central Okanagan East and Central Okanagan West Electoral Areas.
The land is classified as agricultural.
Wood waste from orchard removal for the purpose of replanting or another agricultural use. Orchards removed for the purpose of residential or commercial development will not be accepted.
The site is accessible for the chipping equipment.
You have a large amount of wood waste.
Process
If your orchard qualifies under the program guidelines, your name will be placed on the waitlist. A grinder will be brought to your orchard to chip stumps and large branches into 1 to 2-inch diameter sized chips.
The waitlist is managed on a first-come, first-served basis.
A contractor will contact you to do a site visit and schedule the chipping. Delays may occur due to weather or other unforeseen circumstances.
Piles must be clean of dirt and rocks and metal. Failure to remove unwanted material will result in additional fees or refusal of chipping.
Piles must be accessible to grinder/excavator.
Piles must be stacked out of the way so the farmers can start or continue their irrigation and planting process.
After chipping, the wood chip piles will be measured by a surveyor, after which the chips can be used as mulch.
There is no guarantee that chipping jobs on the registration waitlist will be performed in the same year.
If you are interested in a Replant Program, visit the BC Fruit Growers' Association webpage. The Replant Program is funded by BC Investment Agriculture and the Province of BC. Applications are received on a first-come, first-served basis.
The Agricultural Waste Disposal Best Practices Guide and videos below offer useful information for farmers, orchardists and residents to save time and money, while benefiting the environment. The guide explains local air quality issues and offers useful information about yard waste disposal options, so that you can efficiently manage:
Orchard/vineyard removal
Pruning/yard waste
Recycling agricultural plastics
Best practices for agricultural waste disposal
Utilizing wood chips
English
Punjabi
Benefits
Benefits to chipping
Chipping:
Mulch (1-2 inches long) helps with weed control, pest control, water retention and helps prevent soil erosion
When added to compost, the smaller chips break down and provide nutrition for the soil
As a soil conditioner, small or partially decomposed chips break down and reintroduce organic matter (carbon) into the soil
When used in landscaping, larger chips help reduce dust and mud
Great for animal bedding
Mowing:
When done well, it has little to no risk of destroying the organic matter layer
Permits plant rejuvenation in a single step instead of two, as usually is the case with burning
The work can be done in any weather
Lower risk to natural allies such as beneficial predatory insects and pollinators
Local benefits
In 2024:
2,674 cubic metres of wood were chipped on 14 local orchards, clearing 107 acres.
25 mow/chip/rent-it rebates were granted for fuel reduction, clearing 216 acres.
Residents reported spending 1,437 hours creating 283 wood piles, none of which were burned.
This effort prevented the release of 58 tonnes of particulate matter (PM2.5), 237 tonnes of carbon monoxide (CO), and 20 tonnes of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the air.
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