Who We Are

WE TAKE BIG IDEAS AND MAKE THEM HAPPEN. 

Mary and Brian Heffernan are The H&H Company and love small town, small businesses. Mary founded Academic Trainers in 2001, followed by GoGo Menlo and Brilliant Babies in Menlo Park.  Brian is an attorney and started his own small firm shortly after their oldest daughter was born.  After moving to Los Altos in 2010 they opened Bumble. a farm-to-fork restaurant, and soon after Area 151, PLAY, Red Racer Hobby Shop, The Makery, The Botanist and Forest on First cafe.

"We love to create innovative small businesses and bring big ideas to life.  We love unusual, creative ideas and we pay attention to local needs to make businesses that enhance and support communities. From farm to fork restaurants to a boutique plant and floral shop, the businesses we have created have all been built on values like healthy lifestyle, sustainability and community, and we go above and beyond in every aspect of brand design, operation and marketing. We like to keep moving and have sold many of our businesses to new operators. We are proud of the businesses we have created and hope you have had the chance to enjoy them!"

After opening small businesses and restaurants in the Bay Area for years, they have settled happily on our ranch in Northern CA called "Five Marys Farms" raising cattle, sheep, pigs, chickens and our four girls in the wide open spaces.  They both came from farming backgrounds and always hoped to return to the soil.  Mary and Brian believe in raising meat naturally and that people still want to know your farmer.  Their products are available online and will be shipping soon!

Brian, Mary & their girls

For years, Mary and Brian Heffernan dreamed of moving to the country to ranch and raise “free-range kids” in the dirt and sunshine. They both have deep agriculture roots and a passion for small town, small business and family-centered food. So when the opportunity to purchase the historic Sharps Gulch Ranch came along in 2013, Mary and Brian knew they'd found their land. With eyes on a new adventure and California soil in their souls, they took their four spunky girls to Siskiyou county.

We are Five Marys Farms - after Mary and our four daughters all named Mary after grandmothers and aunts on both sides of the family.  MaryFrances or "Francie" is 11 and loves dogs and veterinary aspects of the ranch, MaryMarjorie or "Maisie" is 9 and can usually be found in her ranch clothes working next to her dad, MaryJane or "JJ" is 7 and will usually be seen in seven different outfits over the course of the day and MaryTeresa or "Tessa, aka Tiny" is 6 and the spunky but tough baby of the family. Those are the FIVE MARYS proud to be working the ranch everyday keeping up with the leader of our pack,Heff. 

Mary and Brian believe that good things take time, from restoring old ranch homes to raising cattle. As they start a new chapter, this ever-adventuring family can’t wait to share stories of everyday farm life, good food and- as always- hard work.