40 Under Forty 2021: Ryan MacKay
Photo | Erika Sidor
Ryan MacKay
Photo | Erika Sidor
40 Under Forty, Class of 2021 members (from left) Jamie Cormier, Timothy Geary, Jonida B. Duque and Ryan MacKay at the Central Rock Gym in Worcester (Special thanks to Central Rock Gym)
- Title Owner
- Company Lilac Hedge Farm LLC, in Holden & Rutland
- Residence Holden
- Birthplace Worcester
- College UMass Amherst
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As the market demand for locally raised and grown food has increased, Ryan MacKay has been at the forefront of answering that call. A first-generation farmer who bought his first property – 350 acres in Holden in 2016 – and his second – 50 acres in Rutland – MacKay has demonstrated a steadfast commitment to raising livestock and providing protein options to the Central Mass. community and beyond.
In 2020 alone, MacKay’s Lilac Hedge Farm saw a 420% increase in gross sales from the year prior, and he’s looking to continue building on that momentum. With increased sales, MacKay has expanded benefits for employees, including adding a 401(k) option not necessarily easy to come by in the agriculture business. He has ramped up donations to groups like Project New Home and Worcester Community Fridges. As president of Worcester County for the Massachusetts Farm Bureau Federation, a founding board member of Central Mass Grown, and a member of the Holden Agricultural Commission, MacKay’s devotion to agriculture is dynamic, multifaceted, and relies on giving back.
What Olympic sport would you be the best at? Have they made the Beer Olympics official yet?
How do you define success? Being able to expand and achieve my goals while truly enjoying what I do. Success is largely defined by the team you build around you.
Why do you live in Central Mass.? Being able to buy my property in Holden, where my grandfather’s dairy farm was so many years ago, was when all the pieces came together for me. This is where my roots are.
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