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Our Story
Coppal House Farm got its start in Stratham, NH 31 years ago as Coppal House Station, a small family farm run by John and Carol Hutton. They decided to make the move to a 78-acre piece of farmland in Lee, NH that was once a dairy farm, with just six sheep, two Belgian draft horses, three cats and a border collie. The farm name then changed from “station” to “farm” because of the unfamiliarity of the word “station”; a name for a large sheep farm in New Zealand. Knowing they would always use draft horses in their farming, the name “Coppal”, meaning horse in Gaelic, was chosen with the help of an Irish friend.
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Only months after moving to Lee, John and Carol started preparations for a corn maze. With only a folding table and an umbrella for a booth, the first Coppal House Farm corn maze opened in the fall of 2005. What used to exist only as an idea has flourished into a highly diversified, self-sustaining farm. Coppal House is now home to a flock of seventy-five Dorper Katahdin breeding ewes, five hundred heritage breed chickens of the laying and meat varieties, twenty-five hogs, three Belgian draft horses, three sentry cats, and two Great Pyrenees sheep-guarding dogs. Aside from the livestock, it also boasts a six-acre corn maze, the largest in seacoast NH, and a yearly sunflower festival which has carried the farm name into the surrounding states.
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Sheep are rotationally grazed on the pastural fields. Hogs are raised on grains grown on the property. Laying hens and roasters free range in selected areas. Belgian Draft horses plow and work the fields. A variety of crops are rotated around the farm from row crops to small grains, corn and oilseed. The public is encouraged to purchase farm fresh products from the farm stand and partake in the fall activities of the sunflower festival, corn maze, and pumpkin harvest.
Coppal House Farm holds itself to high standards, trying to keep all of its vistas scenic and beautiful. The animals are healthy and active, and the buildings are well maintained and upgrades are part of the growth plans for the farm. Guests always comment on the beauty of the farm. This farm has been in existence since the 1740’s and we try to maintain it’s historical integrity with modern functionality.
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Pasture Raised Lamb
We raise a closed flock of Dorper-Katahdin cross ewes, which means the lambs that are born on our farm stay on our farm to become mothers themselves. This keeps our sheep healthier, and we know exactly how they have been raised. We started with only 6 ewes when we moved to Lee in 2005. Through careful selection of only the best traits in our sheep, we have grown our flock to 75 breeding ewes. Our flock is rotationally grazed on our fields from May until November. In the late fall and winter months they are fed hay that has been produced on our farm. The grain they are supplemented with year round is a ration of our own making. From the corn, oats, and sunflowers that we grow, and the addition of vitamins and minerals that we buy, we are able to make our own well balanced diet for all of our sheep.
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All of our lamb is processed into retail cuts by The Local Butcher in Center Barnstead NH and Green Mountain Smokehouse, both USDA inspected facilities. All cuts can be purchased from November through July in our self-serve farm stand, or August through October in our full service farm stand. We also bring a selection of our cuts to every farmer's market we attend.
Free-Range Chicken Products
The health and well-being of our animals is of the highest importance to us at Coppal House Farm, so that we can provide our customers with the best product possible. When it comes to our eggs, we have done our best to ensure that we are raising happy, healthy chickens. Here on the farm you can find hundreds of chickens free ranging on our 78-acres. We maintain a flock of heritage breed chickens that are free to eat the grasses, grains and grubs on our property. We do this because nothing tastes better than an egg from a happy chicken. Our eggs are picked daily and each dozen is marked with a "picked on" date, so you know exactly how fresh they are.
Why eat farm fresh eggs?
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Farm fresh eggs contain more nutritional value than commercially raised eggs. They contain two to ten times more omega-3 fats which aid in reducing inflammation in your body. They contain two times the vitamin E, an important antioxidant, which lessens damage caused by normal aging and helps the body rid itself of toxins. They contain three to six times the vitamin D, an important nutrient if you do not get enough exposure to the sun. They are also higher in vitamin A; folate, the natural form of folic acid; vitamin B-12; lutein & zeaxanthin, two antioxidants important for eye health. For those concerned about cholesterol, eggs contain more good cholesterol than bad and will not raise your blood cholesterol levels.
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How can you tell the difference?
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When you crack an egg open you can tell how the chicken was raised. Pasture raised chicken egg whites do not spread, and they may appear cloudy in color. The color of the yolk is determined by the diet of the chicken. The paler the yolk, the more commercial feed they have eaten. Chickens on pasture will lay eggs with a vibrant orange yolk due to the greens and grasses they consume. When pasture is not available they receive food scraps and vegetable matter from the high tunnel we maintain.
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All of our chicken is processed at Granite State Poultry & Processing in Milford, NH. All cuts can be purchased from November through July in our self-serve farm stand, or August through October in our full service farm stand.
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Our Oils
In 2007, we started with only two-acres of our first crop of winter canola to press for culinary oil, and we haven’t looked back. We quickly found out how much the local deer populations appreciated our canola feeding stations, and needed a solution. Sunflowers became that solution. Although predation played a role in our decision to grow sunflowers, the need also had to encompass our overall vision for our farm. From our motto to “compliment not compete”, grew the desire to produce a product that has been absent from the New England agricultural scene. Culinary oils are the result of that desire. While researching how culinary oils are produced, we discovered that not only could we produce a human food product, but the meal byproduct, being high in protein, would give us the potential to produce our own home-grown feed for all our livestock. Our feed costs to date have been drastically reduced, and we have control over its contents. Our ultimate goal is to produce multi-use crops that aid in the sustainability of our farm and the local food system.​​
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Today, we grow over 10-acres of sunflowers that we cold-press into unrefined, Non-GMO sunflower oil using traditional extruding methods. We have a refill station at the farm and at all farmer’s markets we attend to reduce waste and encourage recycling. We have created feed rations for our hogs and sheep, and are developing a ration for our chickens. In only one season of feeding our own grain, our processing locations for our livestock have commented on the tenderness of the meat that they process from our animals. We attribute that increase in quality solely to the sunflower meal.
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We are excited to say that we have plans to expand our culinary oil offerings. In 2017, we grew our first crop of camelina, an oil known for its high omega-3 to omega-6 ratio, vitamin E content, and it's ability to lower your blood cholesterol. Camelina also boasts extensive skin benefits due to its vitamin E and omega content. In 2018, we will be growing pumpkins to harvest and press into pumpkin seed oil. The health benefits of pumpkin seed oil are extensive, making it a worthy addition to our oil offerings.
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Our culinary oils are available for purchase from November through July in our self-serve farm stand, or August through October in our full service farm stand. Currently, our sunflower oil is available at most farmer's markets that we attend. We have 16.9 oz bottles for sale as well as a refill station to refill an already purchased bottle or a container of your choosing.
Meet the Farmers & Their "Staff"
Our farm would not run smoothly without the work of our dedicated staff of the two-legged and four-legged varieties! Learn a little more about the familiar faces you see when you visit us!
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Ice
Like Twiggy, Ice also came to us at four years old from Prince Edward Island Canada. He is a Belgian gelding and he is our largest horse in the barn at 2,100 lbs and standing at 18.2 hands. Ice is one of our most versatile horses. He can be hitched single, or with a team of anywhere from 2-6 horses. He has done every job on the farm and is our best horse to go logging with because of his easygoing nature. Ice has only one stipulation while on the farm...he is not a riding horse...or as we say "His union card says DRAFT HORSE only".
Twiggy, "The Queen"
Twiggy is a Belgian mare that came to us when she was four years old from Ontario Canada. At 17, she is now one of our most seasoned working horses on the farm. At 1900 lbs she is also one of the biggest horses in the barn. She enjoys working with her fellow horses pulling the plough, grain drill, or wagons. Her least favorite job is pulling logs out of the woods...our once big, tough horse acts like the smallest twig is a 2,000 lb mighty oak log. No worries, we know where each horse shines, so we let Twiggy work with her fellow horses and keep her out of the woods!
Charlie
Charlie is a shire/percheron cross that, at 20 years old, is the oldest horse in the barn. With that age comes smarts. Charlies brain is always thinking and he is ready to take advantage of sneaking more hay on his way out of the barn or checking the other horse stalls to be sure they vacuumed up all their grain before heading to the pasture. Charlie is great with the public and kids, so he has become a well loved addition to the farm. Charlie was born right over in East Kingston NH and has been owned by John and Carol for the better part of 18 years.
Wyatt
Wyatt is a Belgian gelding that was born in Barnstead NH. He has only been at Coppal House Farm for a couple of years and is the youngest horse in the barn at 9 years old. Wyatt is our famous "dead" horse in our front pasture. even though he is a young horse, he is the one that enjoys sleeping by laying down in the tall grass the most. We have had more phone calls from passers by concerned that we have a dead horse because of wyatt than any other horse we have owned. For those that call, we appreciate your concern...we always check, but he is just sleeping.
Marcel & Scarlet
Marcel & Scarlet are Great Pyrenees livestock guarding dogs. They arrived at Coppal House Farm as 4 month old puppies and quickly acclimated to our flock of sheep. It was our sheep that had to get over the fact that we put "coyotes" in their pen. Marcel & Scarlet are a great team. When guarding the same flock of sheep Marcel takes day duty and Scarlet takes night duty. We did not train this, they just decided when they would guard all on their own. They also have their own distinct personalities. Marcel loves love and will flop on his back at our feet to receive a belly rub every time we enter the pen, but will notify us of "stranger danger" if someone unfamiliar gets too close. Scarlet, while she may stay silent when strangers arrive, she has a very watchful eye. She always watches us construct fences to find weak points as she feels it is her job to patrol the entire farm.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to wear a mask while at the farm?
Wearing a mask at the farm is up to you and your comfort level. We do ask that if you have been exposed to Covid that you wear a mask when interacting with employees or other customers.
Are your sunflowers still in bloom?
No, they are not. Our large oilseed sunflowers bloom from the end of July until the beginning of August and are no longer in bloom. Once they are passed bloom, the field is closed for visiting.
Can I bring my well-behaved pet to the farm? How about if they're on a leash or if I carry them?
Sorry, but no pets are allowed on the farm.
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Can I bring my emotional support animal to the farm?
Service animals are defined as working animals trained to perform tasks for the benefit of individuals with physical or mental disabilities- such as guiding people who are blind, alerting people who are deaf, alerting and projecting people prone to seizures , or other tasks directly related to a disability and are welcome at Coppal House Farm.
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Dogs whose sole function is to provide comfort or emotional support do not qualify as service animals under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Coppal House Farm requires guests to leave pets at home to provide a safer and more positive experience for all attendees, including those pets.
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Is your farm and the corn maze handicap accessible?
Yes, for the most part it is. Our paths in the corn maze are certainly wide enough to allow wheelchairs through, but you would need assistance pushing it. Plan accordingly, please remember that this is an outside event with uneven terrain. Please call ahead prior to your visit to discuss your needs.
About how long does it take to go through the maze?
It take approximately 35-45 minutes to go through. Sometimes a little bit longer, especially if you get lost!
Is there a charge to go through the corn maze?
Yes. Rates may change so please check our Corn Maze page for up to date admission info.
Do you accept credit cards or checks?
Yes we do! We accept all major credit cards, Applepay and local checks. Checks must include a working phone number.
My kids would like to go through the corn maze with their friends. Do I have to go in too, or can I just sit in the picnic area?
You must purchase admission for yourself and accompany your children and friends if they are under the age of 16 years old.
Is the corn maze open even if it is raining? Can I bring an umbrella?
Yes, the corn maze is open rain or shine. You are welcome to bring an umbrella into the maze! Please wear appropriate footwear & clothing. We only close the maze if the weather is not safe. Closures due to safety will be posted on this website and our Facebook page.
Can I bring my own drinks and snacks?
Yes you can! For our corn maze customers, we have a lovely picnic area in a shaded area near the maze. Picnic tables are on a first come, first serve basis. There are plenty of benches and picnic tables to sit at. We also offer a variety of drinks and snacks for purchase at our farm stand.
We're coming from about an hour or so away and would like to spend the day in the area, are there other things to do close by?
Yes, there is plenty to do! We would be happy to give you suggestions on where to eat and other places to visit while you're in the area. Just ask us when you come to the farm!
My company would like to have an employee event at Coppal House Farm, how large of a group can you accommodate?
We can accommodate small or large groups without a problem. You can schedule a private event either during public hours or after hours. We have many schools, companies and other groups come to the farm and maze. Please call us at 603-659-3572 or email info@coppalhousefarm.com for more information.
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Will I really get lost in the corn maze?
Yes, but in a very fun way! There are educational questions to help you navigate through the corn maze. If you need additional assistance, we have "corn cops" in the maze to point you in the right direction.
What else is there to do at the farm besides the corn maze?
You can also visit our beautiful farm stand! We grow the very best pumpkins, squash, gourds, straw, cornstalks, fall decorative corn & more! We feature products from our own farm and local farms, as well as products from NH Made members. In the winter months, we offer public and private horse-drawn Wagon and Sleigh rides. In late July/early August we hold our Sunflower Festival.
Do you do any special events during the year?
Yes we do! We offer night time corn mazes a few times every fall, public sleigh ride events in the winter, special events during our Sunflower Festival, and we co-host a few events throughout the year with Flag Hill Distillery & Winery. See our Sleigh Ride page for winter events, and our Sunflower Festival page for summer events. Check our website and our Facebook page often for other news and event info!
What happens to the Corn Maze at the end of the season?
The corn is harvested and stored in the wire corn crib beside the main barn, then used as winter feed for the livestock.
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Do we have to pay for parking?
No, parking is always free on the farm.
Google Maps and Mapquest are very unreliable. The do not have our location far enough down RT 155, so please use these directions instead. We have also purchased blue state road signs on RT 125 north & south as well as on RT 152 east, so keep an eye out for those.
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From the South
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Take EXIT 7 off RT 101. Head NORTH on RT 125. Take a RIGHT onto RT 155 (see blue road sign). At STOP sign go STRAIGHT. Coppal House Farm is 1 mile further on LEFT.
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From the North via 95
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Take EXIT 5 onto RT 4 WEST. Take EXIT 6W to stay on RT 4. At traffic circle go SOUTH on RT 125. Take LEFT onto RT 152 (at stoplight - see blue road sign). Take LEFT onto RT 155 (see second blue road sign). Coppal House Farm is 1 mile further on Left.