TOLEDO, Ohio (WTVG) – A local orchard grows apples you can’t find anywhere else, and a trip to the Fulton County farm can be fun for the whole family. There are dozens of varieties of apples grown at Johnston Fruit Farms. Some of then date back hundreds of years.
There are sweet varieties, others are tart, sharp or even spicy, and you can sample them all. Alongside a lot of the newer varieties are historic apples that were passed down through the generations.
Erica Ritt is the third generation of her family to work the farm. “We actually have a whole orchard dedicated to the heirloom apples. We really enjoy having so many historic apples in our orchard.”
There’s the Harrison apple that was once thought to be extinct, and the Melrose which is the state apple in Ohio. And then there’s the Spitzenberg.
Martha Mora’s parents started the orchard. “The Spitzenberg was found in New York in the late 1700s, It is widely reported to have been Thomas Jefferson’s favorite apple. In fact, he planted a number of the trees in his Virginia orchard that are still there today.”
The fruit farm has been a part of the Fulton County landscape for more than half a century. In the early years, the focus was only on a handful of varieties. However, the list began to grow with the second and third generations of the family.
“We really enjoy keeping history alive. We now grow about 70 varieties of apples. The oldest is the Roxbury Russet, which dates back to 1600s. We also grow a lot of new apples too. It’s a lot of fun.”
Erica says they have customers who drive hours to sample their apples. “We have a lot of people who come in for varieties they can’t get anywhere else.”
Erica loves sharing her knowledge and the fruits of their labor with customers. “It’s fun when I can ask people their preferences, and I’ll give them a slice of a new variety. It is interesting seeing their expression and hear their reaction to the various apples.”
Martha and Erica created a charcuterie board showcasing some of their apples. “All the apples we highlighted on the board are from the United States. We do grow apples from around the world, but these are some of our favorite American varieties.”
So a trip to Johnston Fruit Farms can be an educational and tasty experience for all ages. “People really enjoy reading the historical descriptions we’ve posted about the apples, and asking for samples. If you have the time to spend, it is a lot of fun. I really enjoy introducing people to a variety they don’t know and seeing them enjoy it. Occasionally, we’ll get a person who comes in and doesn’t want to be swayed, and that’s fine.”
A visit here makes you realize there are a lot of options out there and how much fun it is to pick a favorite. And when it comes to a favorite, Martha has a great answer. “My favorite apple is always the one that’s in season at the moment. So i get to enjoy a lot of favorites throughout the season.”
Johnston Fruit Farms is on Airport Highway just west of Swanton. The store will be open until all the apples run out, which will likely be in mid-December this year.
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