Johnny and Melody Divers and their two sons, Chapel and Creek, started Chapel Creek Farms in early 2016. As a family, they run a large beef cattle operation spanning more than 2,000 acres of Bedford County farmland and offer raw apple cider made with local apples from mid-October through mid-December. The Cider Barn is situated on the tract of land that Johnny’s grandfather used as a garden plot. His grandfather started a beef cattle operation on the property, and the land has been used for agriculture since his post-WWII land purchase.
At Chapel Creek Farms we strive to be good stewards of our land and animals. We are mindful of our resources and try to keep our process as simple as possible. Our pastures are made up of various annual grasses, including Rye, Triticale, Sudan, and Fescue. We seed in the spring and fall and allow the clover to regenerate the grazed sections of our pastures. We utilize poultry litter imported from the Shenandoah Valley and try to limit the use of synthetic fertilizers.