Why one couple gave up Silicone Valley for ranching lifestyle

Mary and Brian Heffernan were living in Silicone Valley when they realized they wanted something different. While Mary ran two successful restaurants and Brian was an attorney, they realized they wanted a more hands-on approach to their food. So they bought a ranch and dove head first into the lifestyle. Now, Five Marys Farms is a major operation. It consists of approximately 500 heads of cattle, 600 sheep, 180 hogs, and a fair number of chickens.

“Carhartt-wearing, lamb-pulling, small-town business owner Mary Heffernan, her husband Brian, and four daughters (all named Mary!) once called Silicon Valley home. Mary and Brian — an attorney — flourished as small business owners, and planned to raise their family in the suburbs,” Can-Am highlighted in their video.

“Today, Mary leads a new — but much larger — enterprise, Five Marys Farms. She leads all aspects of the family ranch, now marketing, packaging, and shipping ranch-raised beef, pork, and lamb across the country. From their farm to their rural storefront — and directly to customers.”