COUNTRY LIVING MAGAZINE
Five Marys was featured in the November 2020 of Country Living Magazine. The full 8 page spread focuses on Thanksgiving and live on the Ranch. They had us as one of the candidates for the cover shot and we were able to see what it wold look like if chosen. We had a great time having the team out to the ranch and showing them what a meal at camp looks like. Mary’s Turkey included her signature lemon and spice rub to make it a truly M5 thanksgiving. Read the full spread below!
Mary and Brian Heffernan always dreamed of moving to the countryside and raising “free-range” kids in the dirt and sunshine. So when the opportunity surfaced to purchase the historic Sharps Gulch Ranch in California, they took a leap of faith and moved their four daughters— MaryFrances (Francie), Mary- Marjorie (Maisie), MaryJane (JJ), MaryTeresa (Tessa)—to Siskiyou County. These days, the family raises Black Angus cattle, Navajo- Churro sheep, Berkshire hogs, and a wide variety of laying hens at the fittingly named Five
Marys Farms (fivemarysfarms .com). And, come Thanksgiving, this includes turkeys, which they spit-roast over coals while preparing assorted sides (in the cast-iron skillet, of course). While their approach to holiday entertaining is quite relaxed (think foraged wildflowers on an old-fashioned farm table), that doesn’t mean they’re taking it easy. “The animals don’t take holidays,” says Mary. “We do morning chores and make the rounds to feed them before we start preparing our celebration.” The latter includes congregating in the outdoor kitchen, followed by an alfresco feast and evening around the campfire, huddled under blankets and taking in blessings that, like the stars, seem to shine a little brighter on the ranch. “Ranch life is hard—there are obstacles and challenges at every turn—but I think that makes you more appreciative of the good moments, like a newborn calf standing to walk for the first time. We go to bed dog-tired every night, but we are grateful we get to live this life.”
Here is the cover they went with in the end! But we were honored to be one of the candidates and to be featured in this issue!
