To the Heffernan Family, Five Marys Ranch is more than just a business; it’s a way of life. We met with Francie Heffernan (one of the eponymous five Marys) to learn more about her family’s Siskiyou County ranch, retail store and restaurant.

What’s in a name? The story behind Five Marys Ranch

Five Marys Ranch was founded by Brian and Mary Heffernan. The name is a nod to Mary and her five daughters – all of whom are named Mary. Francie smiles and explains, “Our first names are all Mary, and we go by our middle names.” 

Francie is the Heffernan’s eldest daughter. When she was six, her family ditched the Bay Area restaurant business and relocated to rural Siskiyou County. She recalls, “My parents owned restaurants in the Bay Area, but they wanted to raise good food for our family and teach us the value of hard work, so we bought a herd of Black Angus cattle and started Five Marys Ranch in Fort Jones, a little ranching town in Northern California.”

Ranch-Raised Goodness: Beef, Pork, Lamb & More

Five Marys Ranch is truly a family business – even the youngest girls pitch in and lend a hand at the ranch, restaurant and retail store. Francie elaborates, “Our ranch is more than just a business—it’s our way of life.

We raise all-natural beef, pork, and lamb and ship it directly to customers across the country. We also use beef tallow to make skincare products, and we run a restaurant where we serve our own meats. Everything we do is hands-on—my sisters and I help with the animals, pack orders, do chores, and work together on the ranch to help raise our livestock.” 

Real reels: Creating a community 

Five Marys’ pasture-raised meats have caused quite a stir in the culinary community – courtesy of their excellent quality and some savvy social media marketing. There’s no denying that folks are obsessed with Five Marys custom meats – and their reels and posts serve as an incredibly effective advertisement. The family’s TikTok and Instagram feeds don’t inundate followers with weekly specials or even encourage people to buy their product; they simply provide people with a glimpse into their family’s life on the farm. This strategy somehow managed to be honest and aspirational at the same time. It fosters a sense of community – their customers are comfortable trusting them, because they feel like they know them. 

Caring for the land and the animals

Like most California farmers and ranchers, the Heffernans do their best to conserve their resources and care for their land and animals. What truly sets Five Marys Ranch apart is that their operation is 100% vertically integrated. That means that they retain complete control of every decision made – literally from birth to burger.

Francie proudly states, “We are one of the only ranches in the US that has complete control of the process, from genetics to the customer’s table. This level of hands-on care—from birth to butcher to burger—means we can ensure animal welfare, food quality, and environmental responsibility every step of the way.”

Here’s why you should try Five Marys Meats

There’s a lot that goes into producing top-quality meats. Francie shares some of the reasons why Five Marys Custom Meats are truly a cut above the competition. 

• We breed for strong genetics to produce cattle that yield premium quality beef.
• We raise our animals on our own pastures. 
• We finish them on a combination of grasses and steam-flaked barley for optimal marbling and flavor.
• We harvest at our own USDA-certified harvest facility located right on the ranch—designed with the best animal handling principles together with Temple Grandin—so our cattle never leave the property.
• We dry-age and butcher in-house at our state-of-the-art facility, Five Marys Custom Meat Co., using high-quality packaging and no outsourcing.
• We sell directly to our customers—no wholesale, no middlemen. We ship 6,000–8,000 pounds of meat every week across the U.S.
• We build connection and transparency by sharing our daily life on the ranch and bringing customers behind the scenes.
• We serve our own beef at our restaurant, Five Marys Burgerhouse, giving locals and visitors a true Five Marys experience, from pasture to plate.

Five Marys Farm Store: A natural extension of the ranch

Although the vast majority of Five Marys products are sold online, the Heffernans recently opened a retail store in Fort Jones – think upscale gift shop meets meat market. In the front of the store, you’ll find tallow-based cosmetic products, Western-inspired clothing + accessories, spices, sheep pelts, cookbooks and recipe cards. In the back of the store, freezers are stocked with Five Marys custom meats. 

Part of responsible animal stewardship includes finding a use for every possible resource, and the retail store serves as a (shockingly chic) outlet for a wide variety of animal by-products. Francie notes, “Not wasting anything is a big part of our model – we believe that we should be using every part of the animal to the best we can. That’s where a lot of the retail part comes in. We sell tallow, sheep pelts, beef snack sticks, cooking tallow, lard and a lot of other products.”

Five Marys Burgerhouse: The way to the heart is through the stomach

Fort Jones is a small town, but it’s now home to one of Siskiyou County’s buzziest restaurants – where ranchers and road-trippers gather for an authentic taste of the region made with good quality ingredients. Francie proudly explains, “Everything on the menu is straight from our ranch—or our friends and neighbors who farm nearby.” 

Walking into the burgerhouse is like stepping into a modern-day take on a Western saloon – dark walls, steer heads and gleaming rows of bottles all play into the moody ambiance. The restaurant is a brilliant way to introduce potential customers not only to Five Marys meats, but also their small batch wine and whiskey. It’s also a cozy gathering space for the small community.

The Bourbon Bacon Burger is the most popular item on the menu, but Francie has a soft spot for the tri-tip sandwich and the French dip.

Five Marys partners with local distilleries and wineries on small batch whiskey and wine. Due to the limited production, both are available exclusively at Five Marys Burgerhouse.

Small farms and producers: The heart of California agriculture

Francie encourages everyone to seek out small family farms and producers, like Five Marys Ranch. “When you buy from smaller producers and local farmers, you are supporting your local agriculture as well as small agriculture in America.” She continues, “Part of our brand is educating others about the agricultural lifestyle and what we do as a family. Knowing your farmer and building a relationship with where your food comes from is something a lot of people miss out on when just buying your food from the grocery store.” 

Francie is proud of both the business and the community that her family has lovingly built. She concludes, “My parents always say this life isn’t the easy route, but it’s the one that feels right. It’s real, it’s honest, and it’s something we all believe in. Ranching has taught us how to work hard, how to care for animals and the land, and how to build something meaningful together as a family.”

Visit Five Marys Burgerhouse

11825 Main St, Fort Jones, CA 96032

(530) 468-4555

Open Monday through Saturday. Check the website for current hours. 

Visit Five Marys Farm Store

11903 Main Street, Fort Jones 96032

(530) 468-4001

Call for hours of operation.

Learn more about Five Marys Ranch School and other agritourism opportunities at Five Marys! 

Article by Hilary Rance. Photography by James Collier.