Jono Sutton is a third-generation orchardist based out of the small Nelson settlement of Hope, on the Waimea plains.
Alongside his parents and grandfather, he runs Eden’s Road Fruit, which grows a broad variety of apples and stunning New Zealand boysenberries.
“We currently have three varieties of boysenberry along with a variety of apples, including Royal Gala, Red Braeburn, Kanzi, Lady n Red and Dazzle,” says Jono.
For Edens Road Fruit, the busy seasons generally kick off from mid-December with the boysenberry harvest says Jono.
“Boysenberry harvesting lasts through to until mid to late January with a few weeks break before our apple picking season starts.”
It’s both the seasonality of the work and the harvesting of high-quality fruit that Jono enjoys most about his career, which is why he sees a key opportunity for the sector is attracting others into horticulture careers.
“With such an emphasis on healthy eating internationally, we have a real opportunity to leverage New Zealand’s fresh image.”
Of course, Jono’s business isn’t without challenges too – the top of mind one being the current availability of staff given the impacts of Covid-19.
Supporting clients like Jono is what FMG is here for and it’s great to be here to support clients for long haul. As Jono says, his family has been with FMG for “longer than I’ve been around”.
What Jono values most about FMG is his relationship with his adviser, their approachability and the Mutual’s fair approach to insurance.
“FMG are awesome to deal with— they always want to help in your time of need,” says Jono.
