An original vendor at the Monroe Street Farmer’s Market, Morren Orchard has been around for nearly every season since the market was started in 2015. Although farming is not something Henry Morren, farmer at Morren Orchard, originally thought he would do for the rest of his life, it’s a pratice that was always in the back of his mind and something that is in his blood as he grew up on a farm in western Michigan.
Morren Orchard is run by Henry Morren and his wife, Lisa Fishman, and despite the fact that his childhood farm functions at a much larger scale, Morren Orchard has evolved since it’s beginning in 1999 into something very similar to the farm he grew up on. Their orchard features apple, plum, peach, and pear trees, and using organic methods they also grow delicious grapes, blueberries, pink and red currants, and a select range of French and other melons.
Along with produce, Henry described a unique product of Morren Orchard’s and often their most popular selling item, cider. It is cold-pressed, unpasteurized, and rich with flavors from traditional cider apples such as Winesap, Grimes Golden, Baldwin, and many more. Henry enjoys crafting the cider and explained that although they try to make sufficient amounts for the duration of the market, the difficulty is when it sells out too early.
Morren Orchard is not only a popular vendor at the Monroe Street Farmer’s Market, but also the Dane County Farmer’s Market and the Eastside Farmer’s Market. On occasion, they also sell fresh vegetables and fruit to restaurants and cafes in the Madison area such as Bradbury’s Coffee. Henry values the size of the Monroe Street Farmer’s Market as he feels it allows him to frequently see the same people and create close connections to those customers.
“The Monroe Street Farmer’s Market really lends itself to that mix of vendors and customers having both a commercial relationship and also a human relationship. It’s more than just passing off your money,” Henry explained.
Not only does Henry enjoy connecting with people, but another aspect he loves about his work at Morren Orchard is the independence that it allows one to have. There is a rewarding nature in knowing that farming also demands a certain discipline; no one is telling you what to do, so everything you create is from your own initiative and ambition.
Henry and his wife cherish the support they have received over the years at the Monroe Street Farmer’s Market and all of the people who stop by their stand. Be sure to come out this Sunday anytime from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. in the Edgewood High School parking lot to say hi and check out some of Morren Orchard’s delicious products!
“We appreciate people’s trust in us to grow food for them and their families. And that appreciation is truly sincere,” Henry stated.