Johnston Fruit Farms — Attraction in Swanton

We love this place!! I got a chance to come with my sons kindergarten class to have a tour. The tour guide was very knowledgeable and interacted great with the kiddos! I learned things today, despite being here several times in the past, that just made me love this small family owned farm. They are incredibly eco friendly!! A few fun facts- They do not use 80% of the pesticides that most commercial apple orchards use, instead they choose a natural pheromone way of deterring pests. Also, they will actually use over ripened apples as a sort of compost to fertilize! Also they have a section in the back of the farm that they use to experiment with grafting different types of apples to make a new "combo apple". The people that work here are always so friendly and helpful. Also there is alot to do here.. First off the store, one word -yummy! Donuts, cider, honey, local vendors, and of course a huge selection of apples to choose from. Next there is the cute little petting zoo area, who doesn't love some barnyard animals?! During spring and summer months they have a beautiful garden area where one can pick thier own bouquet.. They also have u pick pumpkins in the fall. And finally the apple orchards, they have over 40 different types of apples to...

I'm actually suprised at myself for not leaving a review sooner, but Johnstons is such a hidden gem! This place is a 30 minute drive from where I live, but I still make the trip out there every couple of weeks in the Summer/Fall because its worth it.

My favorite things about it include: the incredibly friendly staff, late-season strawberries (Johnstons' berries peak around the time the other u-pick places are done for the season), raspberry & blueverry U-pick, good deals on large quantities of local maple syrup, and their INSANELY HUGE variety of apples in the Fall. I swear they have more types of apples than anywhere else around.

What is extra impressive about it, is that they actually have large signs with the names & description of each type of apple, including details down to the best way to use each apple (eat fresh/ applesauce/ canning/ etc.) and any fun "lore" about the variety. They do the same with their crates of squash out front in the Fall as well!

Finally, if you're looking for other family-friendly things to do there, they have a small petting zoo, U-pick flower field, and fresh homemade donuts😊 Do yourself a favor and check...

Can’t say enough about the service you will get at Johnston’s Fruit Farm!!! My husband and I stopped at Johnston’s this afternoon to pick up some apples and, as usual, had a great experience at this family farm! It started before we made it inside as we were checking out the bins of squash varieties. We chatted with the young woman who was labeling the squash (I believe it was the owners’ daughter who has a botony degree) about the varieties and picked a couple of her favorites to try. We then went inside to check out the apples and grab donuts and cider. Co owner Fernando Mora was quick to approach to assist us. We talked about wanting a crisp apple; he walked us through the store showing us a handful of options and then got fresh apples from the back and cut samples of each for us. They were so good! We bought two of the three we tried. Fernando went out of his way to ensure we got exactly what we were looking for…wonderful customer service that is not very...