Orval’s roots ran deep in the very soil he farmed. He grew up on the family property, whose ownership traces back to 1789 to a German descendant. After his mother’s passing in 2001, Orval assumed stewardship of roughly 35 acres of this historic land. As a child, he helped care for chickens, pigs, and cows, learning firsthand the values of discipline, perseverance, and hard work from his parents. Visitors to the farm may still see one of his most treasured symbols of heritage — the fully restored 1955 Model 60 John Deere tractor. Purchased new by his father, Merlin, the familiar “putt-putt” tractor sat silent since the late 1970s until its restoration in 2022, standing as a reminder that traditions worth preserving are always worth restoring.
Orval and Sylvia married in 1968 and quickly demonstrated an entrepreneurial spirit that would define their lives. As young newlyweds, they cultivated more than 2,000 tomato plants at one time. Sylvia would rise early to hand-pollinate the plants before the couple loaded their two-door sedan with fresh tomatoes for delivery to Food Fair at Thruway Shopping Center. Afterward, Orval would head to work at a local nursery while Sylvia attended school. That same year, Orval became part of the first graduating class at Forsyth Technical Community College to specialize in Horticulture — a program their son Eric now coordinates nearly fifty years later.
Over the decades, the Jones family expanded their agricultural expertise to include geraniums, cucumbers, squash, field corn, pumpkins, broccoli, brussels sprouts, and more. In 1977, their entrepreneurial drive led them to establish Elite Landscape Service & Nursery, Inc., serving both residential and corporate customers. The business continues to thrive today under Eric’s leadership.
For years, Orval dreamed of creating a corn maze on the family property. In 2021, that dream became reality with the addition of a five-acre corn maze and pumpkin patch, managed by their youngest son, Brent. The field chosen for the maze had not been plowed since 1974, when neighbors rallied around the family after Orval’s father was diagnosed with cancer. In a meaningful tribute to the past, the same two-bottom turning plow used in 1974 was brought out once again in 2021 to prepare the soil — reconnecting generations through the same land, the same tools, and the same enduring spirit.
In 2023, Orval passed away, leaving behind not only fields of strawberries but a legacy rooted in faith, hard work, and family. While his presence is deeply missed, the tradition he built continues. The land remains in the hands of those he taught, and the values he lived by guide each new season. Today, Jones Strawberry Farm stands not only as a place to gather fresh fruit, but as a living testament to a life well-lived and a family commitment to carry the harvest forward for generations to come.