Apples and Sustenance--Johnston Fruit Farms

Apples and Sustenance--Johnston Fruit Farms

There are some people in the food industry who see their work as more than a business. They see it instead as a way to give hope, to create community, and to contribute to making the world a better place. Martha and Fernando Mora of Johnston Fruit Farms in Swanton, Ohio are some of those people. Producing food--and it’s food, not “product”— that’s natural and local is their passion and their life’s work. Martha grew up on these farms, assisting in the daily operations, and learning how hard and sometimes tedious the work can be. As an adult, she ran the strawberry part of the farm, and later gave up a job with reasonable hours, benefits, and a stable salary, to assist her father. She and her husband now run the farm, focusing on a diversity of fruits and vegetables. The apple orchard is the most prominent aspect of the farm, and they specialize in varieties that are not likely to be found in

supermarkets. That includes both heritage apples and newer ones that are being developed locally in partnership with the Midwest Apple Improvement Association, including one of their own. Their list of varieties is too long to include here, but is on their website (ww.johnstonfruitfarms.com/Apple-Varieties.html). While I was visiting in early July, they were selling a summer apple, Lodi, that is sour but good for applesauce.

They also have a pumpkin patch and blueberries for those who want to pick their own. A petting zoo behind their house is an added attraction for the school groups and families (and some adults, like myself….), and several festive events during the year make Johnston Fruit Farms an understated culinary tourist destination. One of their events brought Johnston’s Fruit Farms to my attention several years ago. Every September, they host a Fall Festival—“Apples for Everyone”—in which they team up with local food banks to raise funds and pick apples. Since 2009, they have donated over 140,000 pounds of apples to the cause. During the event, they also sell more varieties of squash than I have ever seen. Also, apple cider that they press themselves. The seven ciders they sell come from their own apples and are their own blends. These are only available there at the farm. They used to sell through local groceries, but a 2004 law required that commercially-sold cider needed to be pasteurized. They try to keep everything natural and small-scale, so had to make some hard choices.

This isn’t meant to be an advertisement for Johnston Fruit Farms, although I don’t mind if it does bring them some recognition. In my years of research and scholarship on food, I have visited numerous farms, orchards, restaurants, and groceries. I rarely come away so heartened that there is hope in the world, that there are still good people out there doing good things. Martha and Fernando are some of those people. Their farm offers sustenance—both literal and figurative—and really, really delicious apples.

(Johnston Fruit Farms   419-826-1453    Airport Highway, 1 mile west of Swanton    

http://www.johnstonfruitfarms.com)