From College Student Worker to Co-Owner: Jennifer (Hansen) Durocher ’12 and the Next Generation of Cider Hill Farm

What is Cider Hill Farm?

Cider Hill Farm is a 145-acre farm located in Amesbury, north of Boston, and we are best known for our pick your own experiences—starting with tulips in the spring, berries in summer, and apples and pumpkins in the fall. 

Our farm store is open daily from mid-April through mid-December and includes a bakery, fresh produce, local meats, dairy, gifts and more. We also have a food truck, a hard cider bar and host live music on weekends.

We run a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program with around 400 members who pick up weekly crop shares. Beyond that, we host festivals, community events and educational programs—it’s always busy around here. We like to move!

You’re from Vermont, how did you get to know about Cider Hill Farm?

While I was at Gordon, I met my husband. He grew up right down the road from Cider Hill and was close with the Cook family—the owners of the farm. He brought me here on one of our first dates and that’s how I met Karen and Glenn Cook. I started working here while in college and later, when we were planning our wedding, they offered the farm for us to get married on. 

Around that same time, they were looking for a new farm store manager. I was working in corporate hospitality but wanted something more creative. They hired me, and within two weeks, I got married, moved and started the new job.

When you think back on your years at Gordon, what experiences or people had the biggest impact on you?

I would have to say the people I met. My closest friends are still the ones I met at Gordon. We all just went on vacation this summer with our families—over 10 years after graduating. There is a special bond you make at Gordon that really lasts. 

In addition to that, I had an incredible advisor, Professor Kent Seibert, who taught me in an organizational business class. His class left a lasting impact on me. I loved the business classes, and I felt like Gordon really challenged me academically. That really helped strengthened my understanding of the business side of things.

What have you learned through your journey at the farm?

My story at Cider Hill Farm has really been about showing up—day after day, season after season—even when crops are lost or the weather doesn’t cooperate. Over time I’ve learned to move from being reactive to being intentional—building systems, learning from mentors and creating space for creativity to thrive.

Farming is where grit meets growth meets resilience. Every season teaches you something new. How to adapt, how to lead and how to let go. Some seasons bring too much rain, others bring droughts. Every year we have to change, but that keeps us creative.

Karen and Glenn spent 40 years building this farm, and stepping into that legacy has been humbling. Farming isn’t easy, and it’s rare for farms to go outside of family. But we’re committed to keeping this land protected and this place a home for families for generations to come.

What does community mean to you at Cider Hill Farm?

Community is everything. We work with local organizations like Coastal Connections and the Amesbury Chamber of Commerce, and we host events for groups like the Kiwanis Club Barbecue and Council on Aging Barbecue.

One of my favorite programs is Let Us Grow, a free children’s program that teaches kids how to grow vegetables. They come every week to see the farm change through the seasons—from buds to fruit. Later in the fall, we transition into Let Us Harvest, where we glean fields and donate the produce to Our Neighbor’s Table. Watching children notice the little things on the farm is incredible. They see more than we do sometimes.

We take pride in being ambassadors for Amesbury. For many visitors, this is their once-a-year destination. Families come to pick apples, enjoy the view and make memories together. It’s one of those last great American traditions, putting the phones away and just being together.

Looking to the future, how do you hope to see Cider Hill Farm continue to thrive?

We’re constantly evolving while keeping agriculture and community at the center. I’m proud of how far we’ve come, but even more proud of how much we’ve grown in so many ways. I think it's always about being innovative and looking for that next way for us to make this business sustainable and allow us to just keep doing what we're doing and have fun.