Central Otago’s Suncrest Orchard has been shaped by more than forty years of family persistence, curiosity and steady evolution. What began as a small mixed orchard on Ripponvale Road has grown into one of Central Otago’s more progressive cherry operations, with original owners, Doug and Eletheria Jones, still working on the property today and their son Michael leading the orchard and packhouse.
Doug and Eletheria began their fruit growing journey in the early 1980s when they purchased ten hectares of land to build their family home. Both had strong business instincts and a determination to create something lasting. When a 60 hectare undeveloped block became available nearby, they took the opportunity, leasing and later purchasing Suncrest Orchard before gradually expanding and replanting. It was hard work, managing existing plantings, breaking new ground and building a small fruit stall at the front of the property, but the foundation it set is still visible today.
Michael has continued that momentum. He manages the orchard and the packhouse, supported by his wife Diane who oversees much of the administration and finance. His sister Christina works alongside Eletheria in the fruit shop, which is iconic in the region, and the next generation is also involved, with Michael and Diane’s three children helping through school and university breaks.
Although the fruit stall remains an important part of the family story, Suncrest’s commercial success has been built on the orchard itself.
The family first grew apricots for export to Australia, then nectarines into Taiwan, supported by small plantings of peaches and plums. As demand for cherries grew, especially for the export window leading into Chinese New Year, Suncrest transitioned increasingly towards cherries and today they form the core of the orchard. Small blocks of other summerfruit are still grown, but cherries are the main commercial crop.
Suncrest is known for its willingness to innovate with growing systems. When the family first took on cherries, pruning was minimal and trees were largely managed as they came. As expectations changed and quality standards became more demanding, Michael began looking for better ways to structure the orchard. A chance conversation with an international consultant led to a study trip to Chile and Europe, which completely reshaped his thinking.
“We started retrofitting older plantings into shoot renewal permanent,” says Michael. “It is a double table style where you are constantly renewing shoots. The whole idea is to keep the canopy young and productive.”
The orchard then added pergola blocks that apply the same principle used on kiwifruit orchards, but in a different structure. Branches are broken and trained flat to capture light and improve fruit set. It looks unique at first glance, especially in the Central Otago landscape, but the results speak for themselves.
“Some people worry about disease, but there is disease in every system,” Michael explains. “Once growers see how it works, they understand the logic. If it produces good fruit and it pays the bills, then it is doing its job.”
Innovation continues inside the packhouse. Suncrest moved from hand sorting and roller sizing to early optical graders, eventually trialling a full surface optical system that rotates each cherry and scans it with AI assisted grading. The system was particularly valuable for Sweetheart, a variety prone to cracking around the nose that single view cameras often miss.
“We ended up doing a lot of the trial work on the machine, which was stressful at the time, but it has absolutely paid off,” he says.
Suncrest also plants varieties and rootstocks with consistency as the main objective in mind. The packhouse is set up for about two tonnes an hour and varieties are chosen to fill gaps, match the export window and maintain momentum across the season.
The orchard has a number of high quality varieties, including the early harvest Lani
cherry which is named for Michael and Diane’s youngest daughter. Suncrest also grows Starletta variety white cherries, which offers a point of difference for customers.
MG Group remains a key partner for the business. The team provides an important
channel into the domestic market, backed by strong relationships, helping Suncrest reach customers throughout New Zealand.
“It is a very important part of our business model,” Michael says. “It is not just tag two fruit. There are tag one lines as well and MG helps us reach customers we would not reach on our own.”
Reflecting on the evolution of Suncrest Orchard, Michael says the thing he is most proud of is the willingness to try new ideas.
“We have tried a lot of different things. Some have failed, most have succeeded. If something looks promising and we think it will work here, we trial it properly. I am proud that we are still operating at the leading edge.”