GROWER PROFILE
Looking beyond the orchard
Click to watch
For Reuben Jones, cherries have always been part of life.
As part of the family behind Wandin Valley Farms, one of Australia's largest premium cherry growers based in Victoria's Yarra Valley, he grew up in the business, spending school holidays helping out before eventually forging his own path outside the orchard.
Today, he works alongside three generations of his family, including his mother, Alison Jones, who leads the business as CEO, her brother Martin Sebire who works at the North Eastern orchard, his sister Paris Jones, who manages one of the orchards, and his grandfather, Graeme Sebire, who is still helping unload trucks at 86 years of age.
"It's a family business and we're very passionate about what we do," he said.
While cherries may have been his "birthright", Reuben Jones didn't move straight into the business full time. After finishing school, he took a role as a Process Technician with Steritech.
That experience gave him a broader perspective, but it was his involvement in the Emerging Cherry Leaders Program that helped deepen his connection to the wider cherry industry.
"When I came back into the industry, I knew a handful of people around my age, but there was actually quite a lot that I didn't know," he said.
Through the program, Reuben Jones joined a network of young growers from across the country, building relationships that have continued well beyond formal workshops and study tours.
"We all started not really knowing who each other was, but with more time spent together doing programs and travel, we're actually a very bonded group now."
Those experiences helped reinforce something he feels strongly about: while growers may compete in the marketplace, they share many of the same opportunities and challenges.
“If we can nurture that and grow together as an industry rather than being against one another, I think that's really positive.”
"If we can nurture that and grow together as an industry rather than being against one another, I think that's really positive."
A study tour to Washington State in the United States brought that thinking into sharp focus. Visiting growers, packhouses and businesses across the supply chain exposed participants to different approaches and new ideas, but for Reuben Jones, some of the biggest lessons came from the conversations in between.
"Things you can't get by not doing a program like this are the conversations that happen throughout the day that are quite organic," he said.
"At the end of the day, you're talking about what you learnt, what you've done and what your friends have done. We can exchange ideas and make our product better for export and the domestic market."
That commitment to learning shapes the way he approaches the business today.
At Wandin Valley Farms, domestic and export markets are considered as part of the same strategy. Rather than treating every customer the same, the business focuses on understanding what different markets are looking for, from fruit size and packaging preferences through to timing and supply windows.
"We want to look at all of our markets fairly independently of one another," he said.
"What kind of fruit do they want? What size do they want? What pack do they want?"
Those conversations continue through events like Asia Fruit Logistica, which Reuben Jones sees as an opportunity to strengthen relationships and better understand customer needs before the season begins.
"It's more important that you can plan and be a bit more strategic going into the season so your customers understand what you have and we're also understanding what the customer needs," he said.
For him, that's where face-to-face conversations still matter.
"Without coming here and meeting face to face, you kind of miss out on a lot of that by doing it over the phone, Teams or WhatsApp."
Whether he's learning from fellow growers, customers or international markets, Reuben Jones is focused on bringing new ideas back to the family business and finding ways to strengthen the industry around him.
"I might be biased, but it's been a very positive experience and one that I'd recommend anybody else in the industry to get a part of," he said.
For a grower who grew up surrounded by cherries, the future isn't just about continuing a family tradition. It's about staying curious, investing in relationships and helping ensure Australian cherries remain competitive for generations to come.
At Hort Innovation, everything we do is built on our vision to create a prosperous and sustainable Australian horticulture industry built on innovation.
Copyright © 2026 Horticulture Innovation Australia Limited. All rights reserved.