Our story
Seven generations on the same land
The Clark family has farmed in Howard County since 1797. Clark's Elioak Farm opened as a petting farm in 2002 — the newest chapter in a very long story.
The story behind the farm
From Wheatfield to Elioak
In 1797, three Clark brothers — James, John and David — leased land from Charles Carroll of Carrollton and began farming wheat. By 1850 the family owned the land outright, and successive generations raised Angus cattle and ran a dairy across farms around Clarksville.
Martha's grandfather, a circuit court judge with a farmer's heart, bought Elioak Farm in 1927. Her father returned from the Second World War to farm full time and started the roadside vegetable stand that still runs today.
After her husband Douglas Crist died in 2000, Martha Clark opened Clark's Elioak Farm in September 2002 as a petting farm and educational venue. Her daughter Nora Crist, a University of Delaware agriculture graduate, took over running the petting farm in 2009. Nora's husband JR and their children — the eighth generation — are part of it now too.
Who runs the farm
Martha & Nora
Martha Clark opened the petting farm and led the rescue of the Enchanted Forest. Her daughter Nora Crist runs the day-to-day operation — the animals, the rides, the parties and the school tours.
Between them they've spent more than twenty years moving, rebuilding and repainting storybook figures, and looking after a farm full of animals and small visitors.
The family motto
"Never Sell The Land"
Carved on the family memorial stone
What matters to us
How we think about the farm
Keep it a working farm — real animals, real fields, real seasons.
Keep it affordable — a family should be able to come often.
Keep it unhurried — no queues to beat, no schedule to keep.
Look after the Enchanted Forest — it belongs to Maryland, and we're only its keepers.
Kind words
Recognition
Baltimore's Best — 2025 Readers' Choice
Frederick — 2025 Readers' Choice
Washington Parent — Parents' Picks finalist
Kids Out and About — #4 best thing to do with kids in the DC area, 2025