When Audra Lawlor and her husband, Gerry, left New York City in 2011 for five acres on Washington’s San Juan Islands, she wasn’t sure how they were going to pay the mortgage. “But when I saw the property, with its raised-bed gardens and a stand of orchard trees, I just knew we needed to be here,” says Audra.
The first summer, just one tree alone—a shiro plum— yielded 150 pounds of fruit. Audra bought a copper pot and started making jam infused with the garden’s abundant mint. Friends urged her to sell it, but she resisted—until she learned a key bit of history: In the late-1800s, the islands were a major fruit-producing region for the U.S.
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Obsessed with the idea of preserving history, Audra founded Girl Meets Dirt in 2013. She sources heritage varietals from now-defunct orchards across the islands for her line of 20-plus jams, shrubs, bitters, and sparkling fruit wines.
Numerous awards later (several for that Shiro Plum with Mint Spoon Preserves), Audra remains enamored with the islands’ bounty. “I came here because I needed roots for myself,” she says. “This is a place they can grow deep.”
The Jam
Though Girl Meets Dirt now makes other fruit products, Audra’s award-winning spoon preserves, in a variety of surprising flavors, are still her primary product. “I love the idea of using jam not just for breakfast and dessert,” she says. For example: She recommends her savory Tomato Jam (pictured, above) with cheese and charcuterie.
The Cookware
Copper pots are not only pretty, but they are also extremely conductive and give Audra maximum temperature control. “We need the fruit to heat fast and cool quickly once the setting point is reached. Stainless holds the heat too long,” she says.
The Produce
Audra’s spoon preserves are motivated by respect for the island’s ecological diversity. “So much fruit today is grown only because it looks good or ships well,” she says. Using local heritage fruit, which is grown specifically for flavor, delivers the tastiest jams.
The Store
Audra first leased this small-shingled space (on Enchanted Forest Road!) for production in 2015 and shared a wall with her husband Gerry’s business. “At the time, the ‘shop’ was just a shelf in the corner,” she says with a laugh.
Her business soon grew, and in 2020 she took over the whole building, tripling her space to add a full store and larger production and storage areas.
Some Favorite Items from Girl Meets Dirt
Shiro Plum with Mint Spoon Preserves
Rhubarb Shrub
Apple, Pear, Plum & Quince Sparkling Wine
Pink Bartlett Cutting Preserves
Christopher Michel has been the Senior Food and Gardens Editor at Country Living Magazine since March of 2021. Chris has over ten years of experience writing and editing for national magazines and websites, mostly in the food space, such as Cooking Light, The Kitchn, Rodale’s Organic Life, and Bon Appetit. Prior to that, Chris worked in a variety of food spaces in New York City. In 2022, Chris completed the Alabama Master Gardener’s Program hosted by the Alabama Cooperative Extension System.
Chris lives in Birmingham, AL, where he enjoys running, reading, and cooking for his wife and two girls.
