Lemon Ladies
San Mateo County farm soars with a sour fruit!
If you’ve never tried a Meyer lemon, you may just be in the minority these days. Softer, juicier and sweeter than your common household Eureka lemon, the Meyer has quickly built a devoted following—and one that includes Karen Morss. She is the epitome of the statement, “When life hands you lemons, make lemonade.” But in Karen’s case, she took it a step further. She made a lemon empire.
It all started back in 2004 when zoning laws prohibited her from building on her backyard land in San Mateo County. So, she built an orchard instead—an orchard that was inspired by one famous lady.
“I just love Meyer lemons,” Karen said. “From the very first time I tasted one, I thought they were the most wonderful. So, I was looking at this big backyard full of weeds and I thought if Martha Stewart is using lemons, I bet I could grow them and sell them online.”
Indeed, since Martha Stewart began using Meyer lemons in the 1990s, their popularity has exploded. Thin-skinned and slightly less acidic than other varieties, Meyer lemons are known as “backyard lemons” because they’re usually too fragile to ship; therefore they’re not often sold commercially. When Karen planted 40 trees in her backyard, she hoped to sell a few to neighbors and friends—maybe. But, nearly six years and 80,000 lemons harvested later, the backyard fruit has turned Karen’s backyard into a full-time farming profession. Welcome to the Lemon Ladies Orchard!
As for the name, Karen said she had multiple reasons for dedicating her farm to “the ladies,” so to speak. The first reason is that lemon trees are self-pollinating; they don’t actually need male trees to reproduce. And the second reason is that Karen decided to name each tree after a lady who had affected her life for the better. Now it is Karen who is affecting other ladies (and gentlemen) for the better, by informing them about her beloved lemons. That includes local chefs who pop by for a visit, including Ursula Gallichotte of the nearby Flea St. Café in Menlo Park. There they use Karen’s lemons in everything from drinks to entrées to desserts.
Karen’s farm continues to grow—she now ships all over the United States. The Lemon Lady Orchard begins and ends with one important lady. And if you haven’t tried a Meyer lemon yet, Karen fully intends to change that.
“Everybody is so happy when you show up,” she said. “Lemons just make people happy. It’s like delivering a box of sunshine.”
For more information about Lemon Ladies Orchard, visit www.lemonladies.com.
For more information about the Flea St. Café, visit www.cooleatz.com.
