Rural entrepreneurship is alive and well in North America! And much like farming and ranching that has deep roots in generations of families, the growth of multi-generational rural-based businesses are gaining a stronghold in the lives of those who live outside of urban areas. Imagine what happens if you combine ranching with the know-how and proven ability to build and grow successful small businesses from scratch. You become a force to be reckoned with in the rural landscape. One such ranching entrepreneur is Mary Heffernan, who along with her husband Brian, are living examples of what you can create while living your best rural life and helping other rural residents do the same for themselves. 

Heffernan is the co-founder of Five Marys Farms, a northern California ranch outside of Fort Jones that she shares with her husband and four daughters, all named Mary, who range in age from 9-14 years. Heffernan’s girls were named after strong and memorable grandmothers and great aunts on both sides of the family and each of her daughters carries the middle name of that grandmother or aunt. In day-to-day life the girls each go by a nickname: MaryFrances is “Francie”; MaryMarjorie is “Maisie”; MaryJane is “Janie” or “JJ”; and MaryTeresa is “Tessa”. The Five Marys name is memorable as a business brand while also being legacy-building for the Heffernan family as a whole. 

HOW FIVE MARYS CAME ABOUT

Five Marys Farms didn’t come about in a typical manner. The ranch started as a solution to a problem – the problem was sourcing enough top-quality meat for the two restaurants that the Heffernans owned in Menlo Park, where the family resided. After much research with their chefs and searching high and low within local farms, the Heffernans decided in 2013 to purchase a property – the Sharps Gulch ranch – and raise their own animals with a grass-fed lifestyle and barley finish, while also providing a good life and humane harvesting for them. Relying heavily on the advice of her brother-in-law (a 5^th generation cattle rancher) and other experienced ranchers, Heffernan and her husband became ranchers themselves, setting out to create a business from scratch, determined to develop a new business model that would sustain the lifestyle they desired for themselves and their daughters.  

It was a bold move to leave behind a busy law practise (Brian’s) and to sell the businesses (a DIY Craft shop, two restaurants, a coin arcade, a small hobby shop with a lego bar, and a drop-in play space) that Heffernan had poured her energy into building. But this serial entrepreneur, who started her first business when she was 12, knew that their passion to become first-time, full-time ranchers could become reality. Heffernan trusted their ability to find solutions and she knew that with their track record and combined work ethic, they could find their way forward. 

Five Marys Farms raises Black Angus cattle, Navajo-Churro sheep and Berkshire hogs – all who spend their lives roaming freely and grazing California grasses. Heffernan recalls some of the obstacles they had to overcome from their initial years. Traveling to deliver meat or going to farmer style markets meant they were on the road constantly, when they really wanted to be home on the ranch. The solution they were seeking was figuring out how to ship meat directly to their customers, as well as finding customers who wanted and appreciated well-sourced and well-raised meats.

“Shipping meat is no easy task, it took well over a year to navigate – but with lots of trial and error and lots of mistakes, we have a great system now to sell, pack and ship meat to customers all over the US,” explains Heffernan. 

Five Marys ships over 10,000 pounds of meat every month to 50 states and has grown to reach over 8000 customers from their ranch in rural California. Heffernan attributes a lot of their success to their use of social media. They share their stories and behind-the-scenes family life as well as the story of agriculture in today’s world. Spending the time and energy to cultivate their audience and community has been one of their best marketing decisions.  

Another strategy that Heffernan believes has been instrumental to their business growth and success is doing as much as they can themselves by limiting the outsourcing of business tasks. Her ‘boots on the ground’ approach to life and business have served her well.

After eight years the Five Marys brand now includes the following:

• Five Marys Meats
• Five Marys BurgerHouse 
• Five Marys Ranch Raised Cookbook 
• M5 Academy and M5 Entrepreneurs – business courses
• M5 Ranch School – curriculum

Because Heffernan works side-by-side with her husband all day, every day, they include their daughters in most of what they do – from daily chores on the ranch to packing and shipping boxes in the farm shop, writing notes to customers and everything in between. 

Says Heffernan, “In a rural lifestyle your work is your life and it all feels balanced when we work together as a family every day.”

Does Heffernan step out of work mode? Well – she is working towards it. One of the lifestyle activities Heffernan would like to bring back into her life is riding horses again. She used to be a competitive horse vaulter and traveled the US and the world playing polo; activities she gave up when she had children. Her daughters are now horse lovers and compete as rodeo ropers, barrel racers, in breakaway and team roping… and any rodeo sport they can find. Heffernan would love to saddle up and enjoy riding again, this time with her girls. 

ADVICE FOR OTHER RURAL ENTREPRENEURS

What advice does Heffernan have for other rural entrepreneurs who would like to emulate some of the business ideas they have developed? 

“Just do it. Get started. You can do it. The best time to start is before you are ready!” Heffernan states. “I think there are challenges for any entrepreneur – that’s the best part, always finding a solution.”

Heffernan continues, “I love sharing my passion for entrepreneurialism with others, especially in the agricultural world. I believe there are plenty of mouths to feed and I want to help others learn to find their own markets and expand their direct-to-consumer opportunities like we did.”

Let Heffernan’s story set your ideas and creativity in motion. This Trailblazher is the real deal and she can certainly serve as a shining example of what is possible!

Photography by: Christa Renee

This article was originally published in the Summer 2022, Issue #7 of Trailblazher Magazine.

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