Our HIP Team

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Dan Lagueux, a man with vision, integrity, high morality, and the "Hippie" behind the Peas. 

Dan was born and grew up in Quebec. He taught himself English by watching American sitcoms. He didn’t know it at the time, but this would serve him well in his future. Dan served his country by joining the Canadian Service. He learned a lot in those years: strength, teamwork, how to be a leader. After getting out, he was working in an upscale restaurant where he would meet his future wife and the mother of his two beautiful girls. 

An opportunity came up which would move his young family to the states. In trying to teach his daughters the importance of following your dreams, he realized he wasn’t following his. Next followed a few years of very hard work, but he had the support of his entire family. Dan and his wife, Valerie, opened New England’s Tap House & Grille in January of 2013, a now thriving restaurant in his hometown of Hooksett, NH.

Dan being the entrepreneur that he is, saw a piece missing from the equation. Dan has always tried to get the best, freshest product to serve his guests at the Tap House, why not grow it himself. And, oh, the property he found to do just that. Over the river and through the woods from his home, his dream came to fruition. With an emphasis on ecologically safe growing practices, Hip Peas Farm is showing the fruits of all the hard work Dan and his family put in to this adventure.

Jacob grew up in Manchester, New Hampshire and recently graduated with A.A. Liberal Arts degree with a focus on agriculture, from NHTI, Concord's Community College. Jacob certainly has "Farmer Fever"! Growing up, Jacob dreamed of being a farmer so working on the farm has brought him much happiness! He also likes to landscape and design the flower gardens on our farm. He has started bee keeping and helps run our Airbnb. Jake said, "We are setting an example for others on how to grow their own food, to advocate healthy eating and to educate about where our food comes from". Congratulations to our friend, Jake! 

Occasionally, you can also see Jacob over at the Tap House and Oscar Barn, proudly serving the produce he has grown from seed.
 

As a kid, Michael used to help his dad in their subsistence farm in Merrimack, New Hampshire. Michael graduated from Merrimack High School in 1987. After graduation, he joined the U.S. Army where he served for four years as a radar repair technician. Upon completing his time in the army, Mike worked in restaurants until 2011, when he took a hiatus to became a stay at home dad. Last year, Michael joined the Hip Peas team to become a 5th generation farmer. Mike specializes in maintenance and landscaping, and is a key member of the farm team. 

Nancy is our customer centric guru who loves to organize and plan events.  She grew up on a small farm in northern New Hampshire so she is no stranger to farming, however, she comes to us with a corporate past, which is helpful to us farm hands.  Nancy pulls things together with ease and is ready to help you with your  event  working with you every step of the way.  When Nancy is not at the Farm, she is multi-tasking over at the Tap House Grille, or skiing the slopes.

Brendan was born and raised in Manchester, NH.

He graduated from Plymouth State University with a B.A. in Communications Studies in 2021.

Farming was something he never expected to get into. Brendan worked with food in other capacities such as serving and cooking, but he says, "there is something very rewarding about growing, harvesting and selling crops at our local markets that gives you a great sense of community".

His favorite part of farming is learning about and experiencing new foods that he's never tasted or even heard of. He says, "being able to grow these foods yourself before trying them makes it that much more rewarding". 

Brendan always considered himself to be pretty creative. He has a big passion for music and other forms of content creation. He says that working on the farm, surrounded by nature inspires his creativity.

Brendan's goal for the farm is to have an on-site farm stand so that we can be more engaged with our local community. 

Malory is from Hudson, NH. She has an associate degree in General Studies. She wanted to be a farmer because she finds it very rewarding. She wants to support small farms and help offer the community quality, healthy local produce. She enjoys hard work, being outside and wants to learn and grow with the farm to become more self-sustainable. Her favorite part of farming is learning and watching the process of the seasons. Malory says "Industrial agriculture is not a sustainable way for us to live. The land has lost its biodiversity. Crops are sprayed with chemical fertilizers that are harmful for us to consume and harmful for the environment around these industries. Local farms will support the economy and community. The farm can teach kids and bring the community together." Malory's goal is to learn as much as she can because she wants to have her own garden. She wants to sell vegan food and buy produce from the farm. She wants to teach people the importance of understanding where their food/anything you buy comes from and where it ends up. Malory is interested in composting on our farm, and she enjoys helping people, meeting new people and she loves to cook! 

David was born and raised in Manchester, NH. He graduated from Trinity High School in Manchester, NH. Farming was never something he thought about but now he loves it. 

Daves favorite part of farming is watching the crops grow. He says, "I believe everyone should experience this for themselves at least once, it is incredibly rewarding. Supporting local farms is something I've come to believe is important. Not only is the food fresh, but it makes you feel good knowing that you're supporting your local community".

Dave is interested in how our farm can work with local food pantries to help our community.