I fall asleep in the thick of Baltimore rush hour traffic as Bobby and I head out to Two Boots Farm. When he wakes me we're curving around a bend, past a pond that's home to a gigantic chicken sculpture. Ha! It's good to be out in the country and we're looking forward to seeing Elisa and Doron. Typically seen tending to Whitelock Community gardens at their Baltimore urban farm, this duo bought land in the country this past winter, creating the home of Two Boots Farm!

Self-taught farmers, this quiet and modest team have helped create big change in the Reservoir Hill neighborhood of B'more. Whitelock Community Farm is a resident supported urban farm effort. Whitelock helps pursue affordable sustainable fresh food sources, provide neighborhood job creation, and help revitalize the neighborhood through greening and positive community activity. With the success of their dreams in Baltimore flourishing, Elisa and Doron have taken on the next frontier, 15 acres of peace and quiet to test their green thumbs.

While they may be scratching their heads a bit at where to dig in with this plethora of new space, they've got the garden business down pat. Tomatoes, kale, collard greens, a huge variety of peppers, asparagus, artichokes, watermelon, squash, thai basil, to name a few...have you eaten asparagus right out of the ground before?? I hadn't....man that's good stuff!

Elisa has another talent that requires lots of dedication and a good sense of humor, she's a clown! Long-time volunteer with Clowns Without Borders, an organization near and dear to our hearts, she has traveled to Egypt, Sudan, and Haiti multiple times, spreading laughter. A graduate of Dell'Arte International School of Physical Theater, (I'm class of 2011), Elisa and I chat it up, swapping war stories while the fellas head towards the barn.

Built in the 1700's, the barn is home to an old truck left by a previous farmer now living in Florida, and shitake mushrooms, growing inside of logs. The mushroom seeds are injected into the logs and sealed with wax to grow until it's time to harvest. Doron explains the process before busting out some wood chopping skills! Woah...this is a very cool Monday.

Animal nuts like us, Doron and Elisa, have a couple four-legged companions to roam the land....and they look forward to more friends in the future. For now, the terrain belongs to Brown (aka Cola), an old girl with a frisky spirit and a firm opinion about how and where she spends her time. Her buddy, a little grey kitty who lives across the way, seems to like it here on the farm. Who could blame him? Even the fruit are happy!

As the twilight hour starts to set in, we finish our tour of Two Boots Farm, happy to have made new friends. Friends with food! They hook us up with a care package and we get ready to hit the road. But not before the arrival of their buddy Steve, the Chicken Guy! What could be the perfect end to our trip? I get to hold a chicken! Do you know how many times I've unsuccessfully tried to catch a chicken??!

We'll be back at Two Boots soon, that's for sure!

Thanks for having us you two!!! Enjoy the farm!

Story by: Kolleen Kintz

Photos by: Bobby and Kolleen Kintz

Check out Whitelock Community Farm!