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During the summer of 2019, CEI purchased a 6.4 acre-organic farm in our hometown of Columbia, Maryland. We have protected this unique property from housing development and are preserving and restoring the farm--creating a place where people can learn through hands-on experiences about how to lead happier, healthier, more connected and sustainable lives. Our land was part of the Underground Railroad and is now within Columbia, Maryland—a place explicitly founded by James Rouse to be “a garden for growing people where anyone—whatever their race, wealth or religious beliefs—could reach their full potential.”​
Please help us to continue enhancing this beautiful and unique place of diverse common ground.  ​

The lay of the land

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Freetown Farm is designed to demonstrate numerous land-based sustainability practices.
When you enter the farm, you are flanked on the left by our Climate Victory Garden and on our right by a biorentention pond and wildflower meadow we created to address community stormwater issues. Just past our farm stand is our northern greenhouse and straight ahead is the entrance to our Maker Space.  To the left is the NAACP Garden, the Nourishing Garden, and then our Market Garden and the Chicken's Garden.  Midway down the property is our Community Engagement Center. The southern half of the farm is comprised of our large youth garden and food forest, a medicinal herb garden, and two acres of woods that are enlivened by two small streams.  We have a flock of hens, two rescued box turtles and serve as an out yard for two local honeybee keepers.

​*The farm map was created by Hawke Reyes.​​

VISITING THE FARM
Freetown Farm is private property and accessible during open Farm Stand Saturdays and by event, program, or appointment only. Check out our upcoming events to learn more!

​The following are our basic fundamental farm rules: 
  • Dogs are prohibited 
  • Alcoholic beverages and tobacco are prohibited
  • Weapons are prohibited​

Inspirations from the Farm

Our team loves food. We grow food, we eat food, we share food with our community, we even dream about food sometimes. We have wanted to put together a book like this for many years and are so grateful to finally be able to share our love of food in this format with y’all!

Our goal for this book is to highlight recipes that are special to our team, volunteers, and community. We also hope that sharing these recipes can help show how to use the delicious produce our farm grows, and how we can eat our way to a more just, sustainable, and resilient future.
Special thanks to:
  • Molly Cooper who designed the beautiful cover
  • Our community and team who shared these delicious recipes; especially our food distribution partners at Laurel Advocacy and Referral Services and Feeding Forward.
  • All who shared their time and energy working at Freetown Farm to help grow the produce that nourish our bodies and souls in these recipes.
  • The Howard County office of Community Sustainability who helped fund this project through their Plastic Reduction and Environmental Protection Grant.
In 2022, we were a participant in a lovely project called Writing the Land, which is a year-long, recurring partnership between the environmental and creative communities meant to promote and support the protection of lands. The themes for 2022 were food ways and social justice. The links below are of poems written about Freetown Farm as a part of this project.​

CEI Property & program norms

The mission of the Community Ecology Institute (CEI) is to cultivate communities where people and nature thrive together. All people are welcome at the spaces that CEI stewards, but not all behaviors are acceptable. Each person present on either of CEI’s properties (Freetown Farm and the Green Farmacy Garden) is expected to follow basic agreements to ensure that we are creating and maintaining safe and respectful spaces. While at our properties, you agree that:​
  • You are responsible for your safety and the safety of any minors in your care.
    • Come prepared for your experience, be mindful of your environment, and behave in a way that prioritizes your safety and the safety of those around you; ask questions if you are unsure. Always supervise children and be mindful of how they interact with the property. 
  • You must treat all others with respect.
    • Make an active effort to connect to others with kindness and an open mind. Harmful behavior of any kind will not be tolerated, including racist, sexist, ableist, phobic or threatening language.
  • You will treat our property with respect.
    • Only enter spaces where you have been invited by staff and remain in the area where the activity you are here for is taking place. Be respectful of the plants and animals on our land as well as our tools and supplies. Clean up after yourself - whether working independently or with a group; if you are not sure where things go, ask a staff member.