The Farm at Piper Hill is a family-owned camp and event space in west Chatham that features one of the largest spring fed ponds in the area
By Anna Rhesa Versola | Photography by John Michael Simpson
Jimmy Ford and Christina Ford of Chapel Hill take their kids – Annabel Ford, 10; Nathan Ford, 13; and Emily Ford, 17 – to check out camp and glamp options at The Farm at Piper Hill. The 100-acre farm in Silk Hope celebrates its first anniversary this spring. In addition to catching fish in the stocked pond and hunting for old coins and artifacts with available metal detectors, visitors can extend their stay, opting to spend the night in an upscale bunkhouse, barn house, a log cabin, a furnished tent or a waterfront fishing shack.
Business partners and co-owners, David Schwartz and Gary Nardilla, plan to open treehouses and more cabins in the coming year. The pair met and became friends while working in Hollywood for “Entertainment Tonight.” David, who also founded 1870 Farm in Orange County, lives in Governors Club with his veterinarian wife, Amanda McKee, while Gary resides on-site with his wife, Joyce Nardilla.
Weeklong kids camps continue to follow pandemic precautions by limiting kids’ camps to 30 attendees at a time. Once restrictions are lifted, Gary and David hope to increase camp capacity to 90-100 kids per week.
