Images by Lota Montagne

is a city of surprises. Case in point? l’Orto Nostrana is an organic vegetable garden along SE 14th Avenue and the kitchen garden of Nostrana, Chef Cathy Whim’s acclaimed restaurant just across the street. L’Orto is just one part of Whim’s vision to provide a democratic approach to food—a casual space where people feel at home. Nostrana staff are pleased to offer guests the experience of food and the community garden.

At its core, l’Orto Nostrana is a testament to the power of transformation. What was once a modest plot of land has blossomed into 10,000 square feet of vibrant blooms, buzzing bees, and lush vegetables. This urban oasis, the city’s most extensive restaurant garden, is not just Nostrana’s source for food and fl owers. It’s a bustling community engagement hub, where neighbors engage in lively conversations with the gardeners (two former Nostrana employees who now run the garden), and dinner guests take leisurely strolls before their meals.

It’s become a vibrant part of Portland’s Southeast neighborhood, alive with activities—this past summer, for instance, Nostrana hosted monthly dining and wine tastings at l’Orto’s picturesque, umbrella-covered picnic tables. The garden, a captivating visual narrative, provides visitors with a relaxing opportunity to immerse themselves in a serene, tranquil escape from the city bustle. It’s a bustling community engagement hub, where neighbors engage in lively conversations with the gardeners (two former Nostrana employees who now run the garden), and dinner guests take leisurely strolls before their meals. It’s become a vibrant part of Portland’s Southeast neighborhood, alive with activities—this past summer, for instance, Nostrana hosted monthly dining and wine tastings at l’Orto’s picturesque, umbrella-covered picnic tables. The garden, a captivating visual narrative, provides visitors with a relaxing opportunity to immerse themselves in a serene, tranquil escape from the city bustle.

Seeking to enhance their commitment to providing “simple food from honest ingredients, ” the Nostrana staff began dreaming of a city garden seven years ago. Originally an empty lot, the l’Orto property first belonged to Portland Public Schools, and for many years, the Nostrana team tried to get permission from PPS to do some gardening there. They were finally successful once the property was sold to a new developer, who offered them the option to farm the land at no charge as long as they paid for the water. The Nostrana crew got to work building out the initial 50 x 100ft plot in the spring of 2023, putting together flower beds under the guidance of multi-disciplinary artist, farmer-facilitator, and collaborator Arielle (Ellio) Zamora.

Head farmer Stacey Roberts, Ben Adams—a farmer who wears several other hats at Nostrana, and Dee Williams, a farmer, prepped it through the cold, wet spring.—Since spring was upon them, there was a lot of catch-up to do, but the beautiful space was established very quickly. Roberts is proud of the produce coming from the garden, including heirloom varieties of cauliflower, leaf broccoli, peas, green lettuce leaf, baby beans, garlic, shallots, squash, peppers, tomatoes, and much more.

“Right now, we are harvesting summer favorites: tomatoes, eggplant, hot and sweet peppers, basil, beans, cucumbers, squash, and squash blossoms, as well as beets, carrots, kale, chard, lettuces, shallots, garlic, and radishes. Going into the fall, we should start to have more greens like spinach, pac choi, arugula, broccolini, peas, and small cabbages,” says Stacey.

“Some of our favorites from the summer season: Fiolaro di Creazzo (Italian leaf broccoli), Italian heirloom tomatoes and San Marzano tomatoes, Calabrian chilis (they are still coming on but we’re planning how to preserve the harvest now), squash blossoms, and our purple sprouting cauliflower from the spring.”

Nicholas Suhor, Nostrana’s Director of Operations, shares, “The garden has really taken over the menu this season. In our second year and with over three times the capacity of our original plot, we have the ability to both plan entire dishes around what’s growing, as well as add garden-grown flourishes throughout. Chef de Cuisine Justin Carr has been particularly active in coordinating and planning with our Head Farmer Stacey Roberts. It’s tough to believe that only two years ago, l’Orto was just a barren plot of land, with the downtown skyline as a backdrop. Now, brimming with life and greenery, it feels like a visible site of our city’s—and maybe our restaurant industry’s—healing.”

“Opening up the farm to guests during the summer’s monthly wine tastings was an enjoyable way to engage the community and show how the farm is evolving. And it is always fun to hear what people are planting in their own gardens at home,” Roberts adds. “So many factors play into what makes things flourish, and I love hearing about how we all work with the earth to have a productive and abundant season. All we can do is provide support for the soil and plants. Farming is all about working with the earth to bring nutrients and life back into the soil. We can prepare and plan all we want, but at the end of the day, Mama Earth is the one who decides what happens. I am continuously reminded that farming is an ever-evolving exercise in relinquishing control and being the best support staff you can be for all the land.”

Suhor adds, “The farm will continue to change every season as we rebuild soil health and structure. We have been trying different techniques in order to encourage microbiomes and organic matter back into the land and I’ve found that different methods work better in different beds. Lasagna gardening (A lasagna garden is one in which a series of layers of organic matter is added that decompose over time and create a fertile garden bed.), deep mulch systems, and cover cropping have been my favorite ways to be as no-till as possible and still loosen up the clay soil. Watching the soil change has been the progress I am most excited about because I know it will keep us producing more and more edible beauty.”

Suhor anticipates, “The l’Orto Nostrana team will be back next year with regular garden-side events. Wine will still be a component, but we’ll likely lean harder into food offerings, particularly as informed by what’s growing at any given time,” he says. “We’ll also likely reposition the entire experience as more of a stand-alone , casual affair rather than being supplemental to a meal at Nostrana. It’s been an amazing season, and we’ve continued to grow and deepen our commitment. It’s been incredible to watch reactions from everyone and witness the joy that the garden brings. I’ve been lucky to work on several projects that interact with our customers and community during my tenure at Nostrana, but none have been as universally celebrated and loved as l’Orto Nostrano.”