The 150 acres on Templeton Farm has been in continuous family ownership for over two hundred years. Over the course of nine generations, Templeton farm has produced hay, grain, wool, timber, apples, milk, maple, and beef. In 1993, the farmland and forest was conserved with the Vermont Land Trust. This ensures that the land will never be developed or used for purposes other than agriculture, forestry or recreation.

In 2010, Bruce Chapell retired from the Natural Resources Conservation Service and his son, Seth Chapell, graduated from the University of Vermont with a degree in animal science. At this time, the father-son duo started raising twelve angus cattle, but soon ran out of product thanks to the support of the local community. Today, the herd size is around 70 with a mix of angus and hereford cattle that rotationally graze the land. This beef is sold in Templeton Farm’s onsite farm store, a variety of local retailers such as the Plainfield Hardware Store and Adamant Co-op, and served at restaurants like Hotel Vermont and Courtyard Marriott located in Burlington.

Maple sugaring has been a consistent venture at Templeton Farm since 1986. The operation started with 400 taps in a small sugarhouse hand-crafted from spruce, fur, and hemlock that was harvested from the land. Over the years, the sugarbush has expanded and investments have been made for efficiency such as vacuum technology, reverse osmosis, and wood-fired CDL Intense-o-fire evaporator. In 2016, Seth and his wife Natalie Chapell purchased their home and 40 acres of sugar woods in East Montpelier. Today, between the two locations, the farm has nearly 4,000 taps and produces roughly 1,800 gallons of syrup each sugaring season. The syrup is sold in retail sizes and in bulk to schools, bakeries, and maple processors.

The Chapell family can be found in the sugarhouse or woods most evenings and weekends February through April. In the summer and fall, you will often see the family moving cows to rotate fields for grazing or putting up hay for the winter.