Why We Started
In the Okanagan, once fruit trees have reached their prime and are retired, they're often burned or sent to the landfill. This waste, combined with the scarcity of Canadian made smoker pellets, led to the creation of WoodGate Pellets.
Proudly 100% Canadian owned and operated, we are committed to reducing waste and supporting local farmers in the beautiful Okanagan Valley. Using our pellets is truly a full-circle moment; the very trees that once produced the fruit you enjoy are now delivering rich, smoky flavor to your meals.
We know where our wood comes from
From orchard removal to the finished bag, we're hands-on throughout the process.
1 - Orchard Tree removal
We take trees that are destined for burn piles or landfills.
2 - chipping the fruitwood
Chipping consistent pieces for pelleting.
3 - making the pellets
Pellets getting extruded from the die.
4 - bagging and shipping
Into bags and ready for the trip to you.
No filler woods
The species on the bag is the wood in the pellet.
No additives
Natural lignin in the wood binds the pellets together.
bark included
We use the fruitwood as it comes from the orchard, bark and all.
the people behind woodgate
Layne
A longtime Okanagan orchard farmer with a technical background and a knack for solving problems. Layne began selling firewood made from reclaimed orchard trees, but saw the potential to do something more with the fruitwood being removed from local orchards. That idea became part of what started WoodGate.
Kirby
A lifelong entrepreneur who has started and built several businesses, Kirby is the kind of person who finds a way to get things done. Quitting isn't really in the vocabulary. That persistence, paired with Layne's orchard knowledge and technical approach, helped turn the idea behind WoodGate into a working pellet mill and a Canadian-made product.