The Side Yard is a 1-acre urban farm, catering company, and venue space located in the NE Cully Neighborhood of Portland, Oregon. We provide local restaurants & the community with organic produce, education, and opportunity since 2009. The farm grows a wide range of seasonal veggies, fruits, seeds, flowers, and specialty herbs, harvested the same day to ensure quality and freshness. We grow our produce sustainably and ethically, using methods based on permaculture no-till to cause the least damage to the soil and the environment. We believe in whole plant utilization, starting with the seed and ending with the seed. We apply this approach with whole-plant cooking and farming methods, tasting different stages of a plant’s life, exploring flavors & textures, and getting a chance to be creative in the kitchen. We host an average of 10,000+ visitors each season at the farm for workshops, farm events, dinners & brunches, grief groups, farm tours, BIPOC Farmers Markets, and more. Side Yard feeds upwards of 15,000 people per year through restaurants, Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) boxes, donations, catering, and farm events. We are committed to continuing our work in building and fostering community resilience by providing a safe, inclusive space for all identities. Side Yard Farm acknowledges the land on which we farm and occupy, along with the ongoing issues and struggles of the Native Peoples. The Chinook people are the original stewards of the land where Side Yard resides today in NE Portland. It is a privilege to farm this land and continue to feed the community as those that did before us. Our valley is fertile because of the stewardship of tribal people tending to the soil. We are committed to sharing this land and our resources to Indigenous communities and organizations through various avenues. We also honor the Black & Brown labor that has made this country flourish and prosper; we nurture this land in honor of you. In May 2020, the Side Yard was finally able to purchase this parcel of land so that we can preserve this farm for future generations of farmers to come. We will continue to work together in solidarity to build connections, cultural diversity and lift one another up during challenging times. Stacey Givens is the Farmer/Chef/Owner of The Side Yard Farm & Kitchen. She grew up in Southern California as the youngest child in a big Greek family. From an early age, she was immersed within a deep food culture, her mother and Yiayia teaching her how to grow, forage, and preserve food as women in Greece had done for generations before. Stacey gained her first experiences in the food industry at the age of fifteen working in kitchens from L.A., S.F. She found a home and community in Portland; with her Seed-to-Plate philosophy first sprouting while working at Rocket’s (now Noble Rot) rooftop garden. Driven by this deeper connection to her food and desire to create a community-centered space, she began farming on a small plot of land in the NE Cully neighborhood in 2009 and taking her Seed-to Plate concept into a full-scale catering business. Over the years, she has won the Local Hero Award, has been featured on Food Network’s Chopped, TIME Magazine, NBC’s Today Show and more. In 2013, neighbors in the Cully saved the 1-acre plot of land that is now Side Yard Farm from development. Stacey has tended this land with dedicated farm crew members and volunteers. The farm has become a stunning backdrop for events and gatherings throughout the farm seasons. In 2020, Stacey was able to purchase the land outright through a USDA loan for women farmers so she can preserve the land for future farmers. Throughout the years Stacey has been inspired by the community around The Side Yard Farm and continues to expand the Seed-to-Plate catering business, starting with the seed and ending with the seed, in the field, kitchen, and all areas in between.
