Website: http://www.baltimorediy.org/p/boone-street.html
Facebook: Baltimore DIY – Boone St.
Email: boone.street.farm@gmail.com

About our Farm

Cheryl Carmona and Aliza Sollins started the Boone Street Farm in Fall 2010, in the East Baltimore Midway neighborhood.  About 20 years ago, twelve rowhouses on the 2100 block of Boone Street were demolished, leaving two large vacant lots about a quarter acre in size. The lots remained vacant until 2010, when Cheryl Carmona talked with neighbors about the idea of growing food in the neighborhood, tested the soil, and adopted the lots.  Boone Street Farm includes a free community garden for neighbors, one hoop house, and a small fruit orchard, in addition to a small-scale market farm.  In our first two years, we harvested over 2000 lbs of a large variety of produce, including kale, tomatoes, okra, cucumbers, beets, collards, black eyed peas, peanuts, green onions, garlic, summer squash, and green beans. In addition to selling fresh produce, we have also made value-added products such as vegetarian banh mi sandwiches vended at Artscape, or a bloody mary bar  at a New Year’s Day event with homegrown canned tomatoes and pickles.  In our 3rd season, we will continue to offer healthy food options and improve soil and water quality in our neighborhood, work to build economic sustainability and improve our farm infrastructure.  Community engagement is an important part of our model.  This year we are focusing on clean community initiatives, expanding our vermiculture system, hosting a series of monthly gardening and cooking workshops in our neighborhood, and collaborating with Cecil Elementary to host an after school garden club to promote science and nutrition education.

Where we grow

East Baltimore Midway Neighborhood
2100 Boone Street
Baltimore, MD 21218

Farmers

Aliza Sollins believes in the power of living the homegrown life and community engagement. She is a certified pickle maker who loves canning tomatoes, fried eggs on salad greens, and experimenting with a variety of foodmaking projects from pasta making to kimchi fermenting. She has taken the Beginner Farmer Training classes hosted by Future Harvest CASA, was a steward at the 2640 event space for many years, and is not afraid to share that urban chickens played a large part in her romantic life. She is currently excited about the all-natural beekeeping classes she is taking through B’more Honey. Growing food at Boone Street Farm has been one of the most intense and enriching experiences of her time in Baltimore City.

Cheryl Carmona has been gardening in Baltimore for 8 years.  Her interest in sustainable agriculture led her to an environmental science Masters program at the University of Maryland, where she studied agricultural soil and watershed sciences. With this training, Cheryl has been working to build an urban agriculture project that uses sustainable practices to raise awareness about the connections between agriculture and the environment, grow healthy food, and develop an urban community around agriculture.

Where we sell

Our produce will be available at the Farm Alliance Stand at the Waverly market on Saturdays. Email us at boone.street.farm@gmail to receive updates about our upcoming markets, special prepared food events, workshops, and volunteer days.

Photos