Rural Siskiyou County is home to one of the buzziest brands in California agriculture – Five Marys Ranch. Here’s why Five Marys Ranch, Burgerhouse and Farm Store are worth the drive.
What is Five Marys Ranch?
Five Marys Ranch is a family-owned small business in Fort Jones, California. In 2013, Brian and Mary Heffernan abandoned Silicon Valley, moving to Siskiyou County in search of a simpler life for their young family. They dove headfirst into ranching and never looked back – raising Black Angus Cattle, Navajo Churro lambs and Heritage Berkshire hogs in the (sometimes) green pastures of the Scott Valley. The Heffernans have since expanded their family farm to include whiskey, wine, honey and olive oil and opened two brick and mortar outlets – Five Marys Burgerhouse and Five Marys Farm Store.
Visiting Siskiyou County? Stop in to Five Marys Burgerhouse + Farm Store
Visiting the small town of Fort Jones is a bit like stepping back in time. Tucked between the Klamath and Cascade Mountain ranges, the quaint main street is lined with historic buildings, some dating back to the mid-1800s. This seems a fitting setting for Five Marys Burgerhouse + Farm Store, given their brand identity is rooted in doing things the old-fashioned way.
Five Marys Burgerhouse
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 to Five Marys meats, as well as their wine and whiskey – but it’s also a cozy gathering space for the local community.
What to order at Five Marys Burgerhouse
The most popular menu item at Five Marys Burgerhouse is the Bourbon Bacon Burger. Obviously, the meats are the main draw, but we’re big fans of their fabulous French fries. California Grown potatoes cooked in beef tallow are pretty hard to beat!
Did you know that potatoes grow in Siskiyou and Modoc Counties? Learn more!
Grab a bottle of wine or whiskey to go
Five Marys partners with Alchemy Distillery in Arcata, California and Passalacqua Winery in Healdsburg, California on small-batch wine and whiskey.
You’ll definitely want to sample a sip with your meal. If you find something you like, stock up! Due to limited availability, these bottles are available exclusively at Five Marys Burgerhouse.
Check out Five Marys Farm Store
Five Marys Farm Store isn’t just a chic gift shop – it’s part of a brilliant business plan, serving as an outlet for a wide variety of animal by-products. The front of the store is stocked with tallow-based cosmetic products, Western-inspired clothing + accessories, spices, sheep pelts, cookbooks and recipe cards. Towards the back of the store, freezers are stocked with Five Marys custom meats, ground beef, bone broth and even dog food!
What to try (and buy)
Whipped Tallow
The Heffernan girls are big fans of the whipped tallow. This uber-trendy concoction is likely clogging your TikTok feed. So, if you’re going to try this natural beauty product, Five Marys is definitely a brand we trust!
Sheep Pelts
While admittedly pricey, the authentic Navajo-Churro sheep pelts at Five Marys will add the perfect rustic touch to your decor. Not sure how to display a sheep pelt? Drape it over your office chair or sofa, or layer it on top of a picnic-style bench. They’re machine washable, so no need to worry about getting these beauties dirty – just don’t dry them on high or it will quickly turn into felt!
Beef Snack Sticks
Unless you’re staying in downtown Fort Jones, you’re gonna need a few car snacks. Five Marys Beef, natural, all-beef snack sticks are the perfect solution. Choose from six different flavors, or try a variety pack!
Spun Honey
Creamy honey? Yes, please. If you’ve never tried lightly spun honey, you’re in for a treat.
Meats + Spice Mixes
After you’ve perused the front end of the store, make your way back to the meat freezers and grab a few of your favorite cuts. For the full Five Marys experience, season your meat with one of their custom spice mixes!
Five Marys Ranch: Experiences and Education
Even if you can’t make it to Fort Jones, there are still plenty of ways to experience Five Marys Ranch and learn more about life on a working ranch. Educating the community about California agriculture is incredibly important to Five Marys Ranch. Sharing the realities of ranching with their customers and audience helps to form a sense of community, which fosters trust and loyalty.
Here are some of the online and in-person opportunities to get a taste (quite literally) of ranch life.
Five Marys Ranch Camp
Five Marys Ranch Camp offers a fun and educational experience where teens can learn about ranching methods and gain important life skills in the fresh Northern California mountain air! During this camp weekend, teens will learn how to change a tire, drive a tractor, start a campfire, care for farm animals, check irrigation lines, and much more.
Future dates TBD. Join the waitlist here.
M5 Ranch School
M5 Ranch School is a collection of 40+ online workshops designed to introduce distance learners to agriculture and the outdoors.
Modules include Butchery, Cheesemaking, All About Horses, Gardening, Tree Harvests and much, much more! After enrolling online, community members gain access to video lessons, worksheets, and coloring pages designed to suit all ages and interests.
Social Media
Instagram and TikTok videos give their audience a peek into the Heffernan family’s everyday life, showing the realities of ranch life in a raw and honest way. Their quirky, unfiltered content focuses on relationship-building rather than sales, which helps to create trust and brand loyalty.
Five Marys Ranch also has dedicated channels for Five Marys Burgerhouse, Five Marys Custom Meat Co., and Five Marys Recipes.
Cookbooks + more
Five Marys has five cookbooks that feature some of the family’s favorite ways to prepare their pasture-raised meats, while sharing more information on the intricacies of their vertically integrated ranch.
A sixth book, The Hands-On Ranch Book, covers basic skills needed for life on a ranch – everything from knot tying to caring for livestock.
Cookbooks are available online and at Five Marys Farm Store.
Recipes
If you can’t wait for a cookbook, you’ll find plenty of recipes online. This is a handy resource for members of the M5 Meat Club, as you can search for homegrown recipes featuring specific cuts of meat.
Want to learn more about Five Marys Ranch?
Why did the Heffernan family decide to become full-time cattle ranchers? Are all of the girls really named Mary? Get the answer to all of these questions – and more – here.
Plan your trip to Five Marys Ranch
Ready to visit Far Northern California? We’re here to help you plan the perfect ag-based itinerary. Check out a few of our favorite agritourism opportunities in and around Siskiyou County!
Article by Hilary Rance. Photography by James Collier.