Kevin Martin, President and CEO
A Message From Our CEO
At Martin’s Family Fruit Farm, we often refer to our Mission of Growing for Healthy Communities and our values of Passion, Partnership and Sustainability. I thought it would be good to provide a little more detail about what this looks like for us at Martin’s.
Everything is grown here.
Growing Healthy Lifestyles
The Martin family has farmed these Ontario lands since 1820. The apple growing part of our history began with a suggestion from Branko Premlec, a Yugoslavian exchange student with a background in horticulture. Branko and Leighton Martin agreed that the region’s combination of warm summer sunshine, adequate rainfall, rich soil and cool autumn nights would be perfect for producing the sweet, juicy apples that the Martin’s Family has become famous for. With a future full of fine apple varieties in mind, they planted their first trees and waited patiently for them to mature.
A young Leighton Martin at the family homestead near St. Jacobs.
A Seed Was Planted
The first early harvest of Tydeman Reds yielded four and a half bushels and were sold at the Elmira Farmers’ Market. With a larger harvest the following year, Leighton and his sons set up a stall at the Waterloo Farmers’ Market around the corner. They soon had a loyal following of market regulars seeking out their fabulous fruit. From there, the seed was planted and the Martin’s orchard grew from a hundred trees in 1971 to more than a million trees on over 1150 acres today.
Farming is hard work. But at Martin’s Family Fruit Farm it has been a labour of love for nearly two centuries. We are a family of Ontario farmers who truly care about the land, community, and the food we produce. An enduring focus on integrity and quality, our appreciation for real food, and our commitment to innovation, continue to feed the Martin’s entrepreneurial spirit and desire to create great-tasting foods that support healthy lives and a cleaner planet.
Certifications & Memberships
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Affiliate
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Fresh Apple Facility
Kosher Certified Products
Martin’s Family Fruit Farm Apple growing and packing operations are CanadaGAP certified by NSF. We are BRC Global Standard (BRC Apple Products Facility).
For a bruise-free planetTM.
JOIN THE CLUB
CONTENT FOR APPLE LOVERSWe invite you to join the Apple Lovers Club, where you’ll find news and updates, history, folklore, and fun apple trivia. As a member, you’ll get insider information on new product releases, access to special offers, discounts, and invites to exclusive events and promotions.