The Microfarm behind Este and Suerte

Farmer Anamaria Gutierrez, who has managed the garden for the last three years, poses for a portrait in front of the tool shed Sept. 13. Gutierrez is a first-generation Mexican American who grew up on the border in south Texas. As garden manager, Gutierrez aims to create a welcoming space that promotes learning from each other and connecting with nature. 

Este stands in Austin’s Blackland neighborhood Sept. 13. The owner, Sam Hellman-Mass, and executive chef Fermín Nuñez of sister restaurant, Suerte, bring bold flavors and a taste of the coast to east Austin.

With the help of Two Hives Honey, bees pollinate the garden Sept. 13. Gutierrez says that the garden is a green haven for life: birds, bees, bugs, plants and people.

Long-time volunteer Elvira Rodallegas snips an eggplant from the vine Sept. 13.

Volunteer Sarah Nielsen collects cherry tomatoes in a harvesting pouch Sept. 13. 

Volunteers await instruction from Gutierrez about their next task Sept. 13. Since Gutierrez started in farming by volunteering at local farms in Austin, she says that she aims to provide that same opportunity for people interested in learning to grow food who want to spend time outdoors and meet like-minded people.

Mullein, known colloquially as “cowboy’s toilet paper,” grows wildly in the garden Sept. 13. The herb is not only good for treating respiratory illnesses or a quick fix for toilet paper; it also works to rehabilitate the soil where it takes root.

A volunteer carefully places snap pea seeds in the soil, which will reach full maturity in about nine weeks, Sept. 13. Gutierrez says that since peas keep the soil healthy by providing it with nitrogen, they typically follow up any heavy-producing crops with legumes the next season.

Plants hang from the roof of the drying shed to save their seeds for future use Sept. 13.

Sept. 13, 2023 - Austin, Texas - As the summer fades into the fall, Gutierrez said the harvests at Este Garden become sparser; during the peak of summer, it is not uncommon for volunteers to fill at least seven baskets with produce.

Water droplets collect on the billowing leaves of a corn plant Sept 13.

Gutierrez continues to lead Este Garden to a bright future of plentiful harvests and sustainable practices. To her, the garden is an invitation to connect with ourselves, our neighbors and the food on our plates. 

In 2022, Mexican seafood restaurant Este opened at the former neighborhood favorite, Eastside Cafe, which closed in 2019. When its doors closed forever, Eastside Cafe left behind a half-acre garden and soil rich from three decades of organic crop cultivation. After much hard work to refresh and re-invent the urban farm, Este Garden now provides farm-fresh produce for both the namesake restaurant directly in front, as well as Suerte.

Photos by Jenna Wilson 

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