277 State Route 18, New Wilmington, PA 16142 • (724) 652-3221
About Us
Since 1861, five generations of the Johnston family have been farming on our property in the heart of Western Pennsylvania Amish country. Our farm totals 145 acres, growing approximately fifty varieties of apples, plus peaches, nectarines, blueberries, raspberries, our famous sweet corn, and a number of other fresh fruits and vegetables for your family and ours.
Today, Lyle Johnston manages the farm and the market, and Sandy, his wife, is the bookkeeper and works many hours in the market as well. Lyle’s father, Ralph, continues to work around the farm where needed, and has the important task of beekeeper, assuring the apples and other fruits and vegetables are pollinated.
In 1950, he and his wife Ruth, who grew up on an apple farm in Beaver County, built the original Apple Castle salesroom. Ralph chose the name Apple Castle since the apple is 
the “king” of fruit and because of our proximity to New Castle. Ralph and Ruth had four children: Sally, Hood, Lyle, and David.
In 1977, Lyle came to the farm and joined the business. The additional help, and Lyle’s own interests, led to the construction of a new sales room in 1982. This made it possible to add some new products including our famous homemade donuts, cheese, and other specialty farm market items.
Lyle and Sandy have three children: Mark, a certified financial planner, Mindy, product manager, and Steven, a student at Penn State University. Mark and his wife, Liesel, just had their first child in January ’08; the seventh generation of Johnstons has arrived and lives within walking distance of the farm and orchard.