About JOHNNY APPLESEED Orchards
Johnny Appleseed Organic is the result of decades of discovery and investment, including development of the famous “Algeo” apple tree and the Johnny Appleseed Organic™ Village near Folkston, Georgia.
Johnny Appleseed, born John Chapman in 1774, saw the birth of our nation and experienced the expansion of its frontiers. His legend is based on values that resonate today — focus, sharing and perseverance, coupled with creativity. He pioneered organic growing methods still used today, spreading his orchards to the ever-expanding edge of the frontier for his entire adult life. Johnny was a true American pioneer and missionary — an entrepreneur who brought apple trees to an ever-expanding frontier. Apple orchards were a staple of frontier life, often a prerequisite for homesteading and settling land.
A frontiersman who owned and settled more than 1,200 acres, Johnny supported the humane treatment of animals, practiced vegetarianism and was a friend to Native Americans. In many ways, his values and the life that he led are still deeply relevant in the 21st century. He would become a symbol of a nation’s philosophy, setting an example of faith, industry and service to one's neighbors while forming the foundation of the young country's conservation legacy.
Our story began decades ago by saving and propagating the last surviving apple tree he planted. Today, we are are pioneering the next step in the organic food revolution, developing a Climate Farming model that will allow small farmers and gardeners to produce delicious, nutritious fruits and vegetables while empowering them in the fight against climate change.
This reimagining of the food production infrastructure is based on five key principles:
• The integration of animals in growing operations;
• The minimization of topsoil disturbance;
• The stratified planting of varied species, including cover crops;
• The use of appropriate erosion and water management techniques, and;
• Continual soil improvement programs like composting.
Our MISSION
Our mission is to bring the 200-year-old Johnny Appleseed legacy to life, honoring his legendary example of what each of us can accomplish by commitment and persistence. The authenticity of his story is built into some of our Nation’s finest attributes — being environmentally-friendly, wholesome, nurturing, and neighborly in your daily life. These values are made real at the Johnny Appleseed Organic Village.
Jeff Meyer, the founder of Johnny Appleseed Orchards LLC, could be called a modern-day Johnny Appleseed. In 1995, he discovered, authenticated and acquired exclusive genetic rights to the “Algeo tree,” the last surviving tree planted by Johnny Appleseed. Thousands of genetically identical, bud-grafted Johnny Appleseed Authentic™ trees will be commercially available starting in 2021. He also documented the diversity of trees planted by Johnny Appleseed in his orchards. Jeff has been planting trees for over 50 years and is a lifetime conservationist. In the 1990s, he worked with American Forests to plant trees on public lands, culminating in September 2002, with the planting of his 20 millionth tree. Jeff is a published author whose works include “America’s Famous and Historic Trees,” a book that documents some of our nation’s most significant and important historic trees, and which led to the production of the award-winning TV series Tree Stories. Jeff also founded and developed our nation’s single largest privately-funded habitat conservation bank, located in Wyoming. This 626,000 acre project is dedicated to enhancing and restoring one of our nation’s most critical sage brush habitats for endangered and threatened species. Prior to launching Johnny Appleseed Organic, he was involved in the creation of large-scale renewable energy storage projects.
