our story

Our story begins with our team—us. Communitas Farm is run by a two-person partnership, Nick and Shoshana (aka Shosh).

We met in an environmental health class at Towson University. Together, we worked on two assignments: the first was an in-class exercise researching pollution caused by concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs). Our second assignment, a semester-long group project, focused on Lyme disease. Shosh, who was more interested in the conservation and ecological side of environmental science, focused on human ecology, whereas Nick, who picked the topic and was more interested in studying vector-borne diseases, reviewed Lyme disease etiology and pathophysiology. Our interwoven interests enabled us to deliver a comprehensive project highlighting the intersection between humans, the environment, and infectious diseases.

Since meeting in college in 2015, we’ve held a variety of government, non-profit, and university jobs focused on different aspects of environmental and human health. After graduating college, Shoshana found her calling in organic farming while working at Moon Valley Farm in Baltimore County. She held several jobs after Moon Valley but returned to the field a couple years later, this time in Howard County, as a full-time organic vegetable farmer at Clark’s Elioak Farm.

As the Covid-19 pandemic worsened throughout 2020, the economic fallout suddenly caused many people to, for the first time in their lives, become food insecure. In addition, the impacts to food systems—disrupted supply chains, empty grocery store shelves, and limited availability—forced many people to start considering the source of their food. Watching this unfold, Shosh partnered with a local non-profit to provide produce for food distribution centers in Howard County. Over the course of three years, she helped grow and donate several tons of food to local residents. She worked throughout the pandemic to increase food production and support the supply of fresh vegetables throughout Howard County.

In 2022, we decided to create our own farm, specializing in sustainably grown produce, to support ourselves and nourish our community. After searching for several months, we found a property that was ripe for this adventure and decided to put our roots down in northern Baltimore County, where Nick grew up and where Shosh began farming.

Shoshana Nachman

I remember going to Larriland Farm, in western Howard County, as a child. I used to pick apples, blueberries, and pumpkins with my friends and family. Little did I know that an activity as simple as picking delicious fruit would become such a large part of my life. In fact, I didn’t think farming could be career for myself until I entered my mid-to-late 20s.

In college, I studied environmental science. I knew I wanted to work outside, but I also wanted to support my community and help address climate change at a local level. For a while, it was difficult to reconcile these values. I worked various jobs looking for “the right fit.”

Unexpectedly, I found that farming combined my values with my desire to be connected to nature. I’m excited to enter the next phase of my farming journey, starting a farm that is ecologically and sustainably minded.

Check out my interview with VoyageBaltimore to learn more about my journey.

Nick Healy

I love vegetables—salad has always been my favorite food—but I didn’t really think about food until I read Michael Pollan’s book, The Omnivore’s Dilemma, which forced me to consider the source and quality of my food. When Shosh and I first met, I still was unaware of eating seasonally. I used to buy strawberries in January, thinking if they were on the grocery store shelf, they were in season. With some coaching from Shosh, I later learned how to eat seasonally and prioritize freshness and quality.

A connection between my background and farming may not be immediately clear; however, my penchant for creating, learning, and getting my hands dirty provides a strong foundation for this endeavor. I hold master’s degrees in biotechnology and professional writing as well as a bachelor’s degree in environmental science.

I’m drawn to farming because of the breadth of skills, knowledge, and innovation it demands. Farming also directly links two of my professional interests, human and environmental health.

acknowledgements

Helping hands often extend far beyond their reach. Nick likes to say, “to help once is to help forever,” believing that every contribution indelibly alters our farm’s future. It’s certainly true that our farm would neither look nor function the same without the help from the people in our community.

When we started the farm, we felt confident we would be able to lean into our network for help. What we didn’t know was how many people would show up for us—week in, week out—to help with every aspect of our operation. Some of them even brought their own helpers! We are so grateful to have this community.

Whether it was an early-morning breakfast delivery, an extra set of hands, or a light-hearted joke during a physically demanding task, we've been blown away by all the support we've received across our first two years. More than 35 people have taken time out of their busy lives and weekends to help us put this farm together. A huge shout out to all of these wonderful and kind folks who shared their time, expertise, and perspective throughout our start-up phase.

In particular, we would like to thank the following individuals for helping us bring this farm to life and keep it alive:

  • Bryan Alexander (field work)

  • Brendon Buck (construction)

  • Molly Burton (field work, marketing)

  • John Laudick Dougherty (field work)

  • Julie Laudick Dougherty (field work)

  • Kristine Dennis (field work)

  • Leslie Ehrmann-Rossen (field work)

  • Hanna Gunnoe (field work)

  • Leo Hastings III (field work)

  • Leo Hastings IV (construction, field work, marketing)

  • Dan Healy (construction)

  • Keith Hollister (construction, field work, farmer’s markets)

  • Emily Holloway (field work)

  • Colton Kief (construction, artwork)

  • Ashlynn Kief (artwork)

  • Yun-Yun Li (construction)

  • Thomas Libertini (field work)

  • Morgan LaRocca (field work)

  • Brody McAllister (construction, field work)

  • Kaela Murphy (farmer’s markets, field work, marketing)

  • Robert Nachman (field work)

  • Joan Nachman (field work)

  • David Pearman (construction)

  • Samantha Parry (construction, field work)

  • Billy Pearson (field work)

  • Ian Reid (construction)

  • David Royer (field work)

  • Tyler Saron (construction)

  • Neta Shwartz (artwork, field work)

  • Steven Smith (construction)

  • Ed Stettinius (construction, marketing)

  • Mark Townsend (construction)

  • Ellen Verner (field work)

  • David Wacker (construction)

  • Helana Zagami (artwork, construction)