Our Story
We (Mike and Brenda) are the owners of the Chapel Hill Carriage House, and as of 2023 have been married for 43 years! We have 4 children, Bradley, Alison, Casey and Rich. All of them have been married at Chapel Hill Carriage House. It was wonderful! We also currently have 1 dog, Dixie, that lives in our house, and a cat, Boone. In the pens and pastures we have goats, llamas, an alpaca, chickens, ducks and flemish giant rabbits.
Our connection with the property began in the early 1980s. At that time our dear friends, George and Frances Hogan, offered us the use of their farm. By the early 1990s we decided to purchase the land, and it came to be known as Leeperland when our family moved here in 2000. Leeperland became a place of many cherished memories for our family, and in recent years we began to envision it as a place to be shared with more than our family. We have become known as the Chapel Hill Carriage House, and we have hosted countless events and celebrations to add to our list of joyful experiences!
The Farm
Our farm sits on many acres of land that are a mix of woodland, ponds, trails, and open space. During our time here, we have acquired a variety of animals including goats, alpaca, chickens, guineafowl, turkey, and fish! Most days you will find us tending to the farm in one way or another–feeding the animals, maintaining the landscape, renovating the property, sowing seeds, harvesting, etc. Depending on the season, we sell a variety products including animal furs, flowers, seeds, garden vegetables, pumpkins, dried herbs, and eggs. Contact us to schedule a trip if you would like to come see what we do! Our farm animal friends are a big hit with kids (and adults)!
Goats
It all started in 2006 when Mike offered to get me goats for my birthday. We thought it would be fun to have goats, so we began to investigate what type to get. Our first two goats were Nigerian Dwarf wethers, Patrick and Henry. A couple years later we added Betsy Ross to our farm, and the numbers continue to grow. We now breed goats and sell them. Let us know if you are interested in buying any!
Rabbits
We got 2 female flemish giant bunnies in late February 2020. We have thoroughly enjoyed watching them grow. Can’t wait to see how big they will get. They love to dig to escape the heat. They burrow also for a place to have their babies. We don’t anticipate babies as we think we have two girls. They are super friendly and can’t wait to see us each day to see what type of food we will be bringing them. The rabbits have very sharp claws (which they use for digging). We have found that if we pick them up we usually end up getting scratched, so we just feed them and pet them for now.
Alpaca and Llamas
In December of 2013 we got Abraham Lincoln our alpaca. I was a little afraid of him when we got him but I have now understand him and enjoy bringing him out to meet the guests. He does not like to be petted but does like meeting people. In 2018 we got 2 llamas named Thomas and Isaac. Llamas are known for protecting your herd and they do a good job looking out for predators and investigating situations.
Fish
Both of our ponds contain a variety of freshwater fish. Our first “stock” of fish arrived shortly after we moved to Leeperland. Casey went fishing at other ponds and brought back his catch. We realized that the ponds needed to be stocked properly when, while swimming, we were being nibbled by the hungry fish! We bought a minnow trap to catch minnows that would provide the bigger fish some food. In 2009 we brought in more fish to both ponds, and the fishing has been good! In 2019 a friend who was redoing a leak in their pond was looking for a place for her koi to live. They have been here for over a year now and we love feeding and watching them.
Chickens
We acquired our first chickens, two roosters and three hens, from my children as a Mother’s Day present. We eventually brought ten more young hens to the farm but suffered our first predatory loss when a fox dug underneath both a fence and the chicken coop to take away the hens. To prevent such a tragedy from happening again, we installed an electric fence to protect them. Now our hens are safely roaming around and producing fresh brown eggs! Our current production level varies usually it is approximately a dozen eggs per day.
The Gardens
Mike earned his degree in turf management, and he definitely put that education to good use on our property. If you come for a visit, you’ll notice his green thumb isn’t limited to grass–he also has quite an eye for gardening and landscape design. We are cultivating many perennials and plants across several garden plots around the farm, and something is always in bloom!
