Ryan oversees all day to day operations of the business. In middle school Ryan started a seasonal Christmas tree business, starting his first entrepreneurial adventure. In high school he also worked at Davis Farmland, one of the largest agricultural tourism destinations in the country. From there he attended the University of Massachusetts Amherst for Agricultural Business and went on to start Lilac Hedge Farm. The business started as a hobby farm on many leased parcels of land in the town of Berlin where Ryan grew up. It has now grown into a 350 acre livestock operation in Holden purchased in 2015 and one of the leading livestock producers in the state. Ryan is actively involved in the industry serving as Worcester County Farm Bureau President, former Young Farmers & Ranchers Chair, and has served on the Massachusetts Farm Bureau Federation State Board of Directors for over 7 years.

Email: ryan@lilachedgefarm.com

Jimmy came to work for Lilac Hedge in the fall of 2018 after working at his family's dairy farm for many years. Jimmy has a dynamic role on our farm, overseeing crop production, animal health and breeding, construction projects and more. Jimmy attended SUNY Cobleskill for Agricultural Business, and plays an active role in his town Conservation District, and serves on various farm and dairy boards.

Email: james@lilachedgefarm.com

Ashley was a welcomed new addition to our staff when she joined Lilac Hedge Farm in September, 2018. Agriculture has always been a part of Ashley's life as she grew up on a farm and was always involved in 4-H. For Lilac Hedge Farm, she is in charge of the sales for farmer’s markets, retail and wholesale accounts and day-to-day operations. This often requires juggling several factors at once to keep everyone on schedule. Ashley has a solid knowledge of our meat products based on her previous experience working for Adams Slaughterhouse. She is married, mother to two busy teenagers and manages her own extensive collection of pets at home.

Email: Ashley.Lilachedgefarm@gmail.com

Sue joined Lilac Hedge Farm after retiring from 36 years of teaching Fitness and Wellness and brings her passion for health education to the job. She graduated from the University of Massachusetts in Amherst and later earned her Master's Degree in Public Health from Worcester State College. Sue works hand and hand with Ashley our Retail Manager helping oversee many aspects of the retail portion of our business. She probably should have a title, but there are too many jobs she does to lump into one category. Sue attends farmers markets, manages much of the signage and promotional materials, recipes, delivery logistics and more.

Email: susan@lilachedgefarm.com

Heidi didn't grow up in agriculture but after spending years in corporate offices in management roles she decided to branch out and join the farming community. With 10 years of experience managing farm stands and CSAs for fruits & vegetables, meat, and dairy, she joins our team bringing her "corporate work" experience together with her newly acquired knowledge of local food and farming.

She and her husband James, our Farm Manager, have three children (ages 7, 5, and 2) that join us on the farm frequently. Heidi has a passion for local food of all types and enjoys growing fruits and veggies at home in her gardens to donate to folks in her local community. She enjoys cooking with our meats as well as unique vegetables as they are available seasonally, and is our go-to for recipes and food preparation insight. Her favorite job on the farm is coordinating with our produce farm partners to acquire veggies and fruits for our produce boxes, and making sure to include hard-to-find items to share with our customers who maybe wouldn't otherwise experience them.

Email: Heidi@lilachedgefarm.com

Kerry attended Wachusett Regional High School, then graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from the University of New Hampshire, Durham. She worked as an account manager for a trade show company until the market changed post 9/11. She has been employed by Wachusett Mountain Ski Area since 2002, working as Office Manager and Web Manager. She is married to a chef and mother to two school aged children. Together they manage a hobby farm as well as a catering business. At Lilac Hedge Farm Kerry manages the online CSA portal, newsletters, and billing for the share program.

Email: CSA.Lilachedgefarm@gmail.com

Ann’s full time job is owner of Research Concepts LLC. As founder of Research Concepts, Ann is responsible for building and overseeing the company’s business development, client services and day-to-day operations. She has worked on both the end user and supplier side of the research business, giving her an extensive background in on-line surveys, panel functionality, management, data analysis, reporting and promoting best practices. Prior to founding Research Concepts in 1993, Ann was Director of Research at Network World, Inc., an IDG company where she was responsible for all of the advertising, editorial and custom research projects. She graduated Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. With Lilac Hedge Farm Ann is responsible for bookkeeping, payroll, accounting and taxes.

Email: Ann.Lilachedgefarm@gmail.com

Sarah and Sophia hold many roles on the farm from packing orders, home deliveries, farmers markets and on farm chores.