About Us

Irish Mountain Orchard

🍎 Irish Mountain Orchard: Growing a New Legacy, Rooted in Tradition

At [Lee’s] Irish Mountain Orchard, family is at the heart of everything we do. We're the Lee family—Jacob and Leslie—raising our four children on fresh air, hard work, and the beauty of southern Minnesota. Alongside our daughter Iszabela (Taylor) and their son Estyn, as well as Vanndin, Liviana, and Creidin, we are proud to be the next generation stewards of this orchard. What began as a retirement project for another family has now become our family’s calling: to cultivate something lasting and meaningful, not only for ourselves but for everyone who visits.

Irish Mountain Orchard was originally planted in 1970 by Dr. Dwain Merickel, a dentist with a passion for apple farming. Over the years, what started with a few trees grew into a thriving orchard business, and eventually a beloved U-pick destination by 2022. Dr. Merickel helped pioneer the planting of Honeycrisp apples in Minnesota in the early 1990s, and later expanded with Zestar! apples and other classic Minnesota varieties like Haralson and Fireside. His hard work laid the roots for the orchard's success.

Today, we carry forward his legacy—honoring what was built before us—while creating a new legacy for our family and our community. Taylor is leading efforts to expand into food plots and, one day, guided hunting adventures. Together, we’re planting the seeds for future orchard growth, including pears, peaches, cherries, and other fruits, and dreaming of ways to make Irish Mountain Orchard a place where families can create lasting memories.

For us, an apple isn’t just a fruit. It’s a chance to slow down, laugh with your kids, and savor the simple joy of fall. Whether you’re picking your first Honeycrisp, gathering friends for a picnic, or just breathing in the crisp autumn air, we hope your time at our orchard feels like coming home.

We’re honored to carry this orchard forward—and invite you to grow with us.

“The best things in life grow slow and steady, under wide open skies and in the company of those you love.”

Get to Know Jacob and Leslie

We’re Jacob and Leslie Lee—local to southern Minnesota and proud to call this small-town community our home. Our hearts are rooted here, even though life briefly took us to California from 2019 to 2021. It didn’t take long before we knew we wanted to come back home, raise our family, and build a life surrounded by the people and places we love.

Jacob grew up a city boy but always had the heart of a farmer. He spent his childhood summers on his family’s farm in Minot, North Dakota, helping his grandparents and running wild with his cousins. Those summer days planted the seed for his love of the land and the dream of one day having a farm of his own.

Leslie, on the other hand, was raised a farm girl—picking rocks from fields, walking beans, and selling sweet corn on the roadside to save up for family trips. Small-town grit and a love for life’s simple joys are woven into who she is.

Since returning to Minnesota, we've poured our hearts into building family-run businesses that reflect our values and our love for this community. We launched Ahavah Cottage, a cozy wedding venue where couples celebrate their new beginnings. We opened Lolli Pops Bakery, named after our grandson Estyn who calls us “Lolli” and “Pops,” serving fresh coffee, gluten-free treats, and hometown comfort.

Leslie works as an aesthetic nurse practitioner, helping men and women feel confident and age gracefully. She also keeps the back end of our businesses running, works alongside a plastic surgeon in the Twin Cities, and still finds time to mow the orchard rows, pick raspberries, or cheer at a gymnastics meet. Jacob is the steady presence at Ahavah Cottage, still doing painting and drywall when needed, but most at peace working outside at the orchard.

Together, we’re guiding our four kids—Iszabela (Taylor and Estyn), Vanndin, Liviana, and Creidin—and building the kind of life we dreamed about. Teaching our kids what it means to work hard, dream big, and enjoy the simple things—whether that’s mowing the orchard, baking cinnamon rolls, or watching our grandson explore the apple rows.

We hope when you visit the orchard, you feel like part of the story. Thanks for supporting our family’s dream and helping us carry on this legacy of love, laughter, and fresh apples.

“Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and He will establish your plans.” – Proverbs 16:3