Meet the Lilac Hedge Farm Team

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 400 acre livestock operation (his Holden farm purchased in 2015 and Rutland farm purchased in 2020) and he is now one of the leading livestock producers in the state. Ryan is actively involved in the industry serving as Massachusetts Farm Bureau Federation Vice President, former Young Farmers & Ranchers Chair, and has served on the Massachusetts Farm Bureau Federation State Board of Directors for over 10 years.

Jimmy came to work for Lilac Hedge in the fall of 2018 with a lifetime of experience in animal agriculture managing his family's dairy farm.

Jimmy has a dynamic role on our farm, overseeing crop production, animal health and breeding, equipment maintenance, 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.

He and his wife Heidi enjoy raising their three young children while both working full time on the farm. Fondly called "Jim Dad" by many of the younger staff, he's a valuable resource and leader for our farm team.

Email: James@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. Now with nearly 15 years of agricultural experience in vegetables, meat, and dairy, she brings her team management, marketing, and customer service experience to our management team.

She and her husband James, our Farm Manager, have three children (ages 11, 9, and 7) that join us on the farm frequently.

She is deeply involved in Farm Bureau, our states and nations largest grassroots farming organization. She is serving her second term as the Vice Chair of the Promotion & Engagement Committee. She is on her town's Agricultural Commission and kid’s elementary PTO.

Heidi’s favorite part of her job is how it constantly evolves as the business grows and how she can help shape our farm's future.

Email: Heidi@lilachedgefarm.com

Erin joined the team in 2021. Before joining LHF, she was an Early Childhood teacher for many years. Erin and her husband also ran a disc golf course and pro shop. She is a very passionate disc golf player and has competed in and helped run many disc golf tournaments in the area and throughout the country. 2023 marks 25 years that she has played the sport (She is also trying to convince Ryan to build a course on our property one of these days too). Her favorite part time job in her younger years was working on a farm where she was actually Ryan's assistant manager at his first job when he was just in middle school! Her main job at the farm now is to manage both the packing house and delivery teams that package and deliver all of our orders. Erin is also in charge of making sure all orders get packed and delivered safely to your doorstep.

Meg officially joined the Lilac Hedge Farm team in 2023 as a fantastic bartender, and we're thrilled that in 2025, she stepped into her new role as Bar Manager!

With her vast hospitality background and down-to-earth nature, Meg is a perfect addition to our management team. Behind the bar, she loves to blend our local favorites with hidden gems from across the Northeast, always poured up farm style.

Outside of the Lilac Hedge Farm Bar, Meg's passions for food and flowers clearly influence her amazing drinks! You'll often find her and her kids playing fairies at the Botanical Garden or obsessing over goodies at a local bakery.

Mason Boyce has been part of the “farmily” for over four years. He first started scooping ice cream and then moved over to the farm store before showing interest in the inner workings of the farm kitchen. Mason quickly became proficient in the prepared foods division as well as honing his skills as a line cook - his favorite role in the kitchen. In addition to these responsibilities, Mason was very eager to cross-train in all the kitchen and bar positions to ensure he would be able to jump in and help where and when needed.

Mason’s hard work and passion for cooking paid off when he was promoted to Food Service Manager in the Summer of 2023. Along with the rest of the food service team, Mason ensures the kitchen runs efficiently while maintaining the high quality of our offerings.

He is currently a Bachelor of Science student at Fitchburg State University majoring in game design with a minor in computer science. He is also an avid hiker and really enjoys the White Mountains in New Hampshire.

Elizabeth has been part of the Lilac Hedge “farm-ily” since September 2021, when she first joined the team as an ice cream scooper. Through hard work, leadership, and a passion for creating memorable guest experiences, she has grown with the farm and now proudly serves as Assistant General Manager.

In her current role, Elizabeth helps oversee daily operations across the Ice Cream Stand, Farm Store, and other areas, working closely with the management team to ensure every guest's visit is welcoming and smooth. She plays an active role in training and mentoring staff, strengthening team culture, and brainstorming new ideas to enhance the overall farm experience. Whether she’s assisting guests, jumping in to support the kitchen, or helping coordinate special events, Elizabeth leads with positivity and dedication.

When she’s not at the farm, Elizabeth is a student at Fitchburg State University pursuing a degree in Elementary Education. She enjoys fishing, beach days, and spending time with her friends, family, and her boyfriend, Ronan — whom she met right here on the Hedge!

Molly began at Lilac Hedge Farm in 2024 when she joined the ice cream team as an ice cream scooper. She quickly became an asset to her team with her customer service skills, creative ideas, friendly attitude, and artistic abilities! Her art is showcased in the mural behind the farm store counter. Look for her hand-drawn stickers that are sold in the farm stand! She is always working on new art for the farm and willing to take on any creative challenge.

Molly was recently promoted to creamery and store manager. She has an active role in overseeing daily operations in store and ice cream, ensuring all customer experience is enjoyable, as well as owning any creative projects for the farm. She leads her team with confidence, flexibility and experience from her previous seasons here at LHF! You may even see her helping with animals or greenery around the farm, given her background and love for animals and the outdoors!

Molly currently attends Mount Wachusett Community College part-time to pursue a Veterinary Science degree. Her dream is to become an Agricultural Vet one day!

Fun fact: Every summer growing up, Molly spent time with her family in Northern Vermont where she saw and experienced the operation of a local dairy farm. This is what drives her passion for farm animals and agriculture!

Parker officially joined the Lilac Hedge Farm crew in late summer 2023, initially tackling both porter and food runner roles. Turns out, he's a natural at keeping our delicious food flowing! After a busy fall season and a winter helping out in the kitchen, Parker really stepped up, becoming a go-to leader for his teammates.

With his awesome skills in customer service, organization, and finding creative solutions to just about anything, Parker recently snagged a well-deserved promotion to Front of House Manager for our food service team. He's now a key part of our energetic and super-talented Farm Kitchen management crew.

You'll spot Parker making sure our team is trained up, customers are happy, and our dining area is ready for your visits to the farm. When he's not keeping an eye on the food window, Parker's usually out rock climbing, hitting the gym, crafting pottery, or hitting the slopes on his snowboard.

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.

After many years of bringing Lilac Hedge Farm products to farmers markets across the state, Sue’s role in sales has become focused on one location, the Farm Stand at our Overlook Farm. She continues to be involved with the farmers market application, preparation and packing process, creates much of the signage and promotional materials, dabbled with reviving the farm flower gardens and is basically willing to do any special project.

Email: susan@lilachedgefarm.com

Ronan joined the farm team in August of 2020, when he started as an egg washer. He eventually moved his way through nearly all our roles from the pack house to farmers markets, to the farm the store, then chores and landscaping, and finally special projects.

Today Ronan oversees the property and facilities of the Rutland Farm. He looks forward to helping the summer season go smoothly and create an excellent environment for our guests. Because he has held so many different roles at the farm, he is able to jump in and help in almost all of the farms departments.

Ronan currently attends Fitchburg State University for their Criminal Justice/Police Program. Between school and work he doesn’t have too much free time, but when he does he enjoys hanging with friends, family and spending time outdoors hiking and fishing.

Zach joined the LHF team in august of 2021. He originally started with scooping ice cream at the farm stand, but we quickly realized his skills would be best utilized elsewhere on the farm. Now Zach does a little bit of everything! He oversees all landscaping and facilities at Overlook Farm and works with our livestock ensuring they are happy and healthy while they are at our farm.

In his free time, Zach enjoys being outdoors, and you can often find him ATVing or fishing with his friends. Zach is also heavily involved with the boy scouts and is working on achieving his Eagle Scout Badge.

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.com