Farm to Fork
A Fight for Healthy & Local Living
Editor Eastside Staff | Photos Baptiste Despois
Boggy Creek Farm isn’t just one of the few urban farms left inside Austin’s city limits—it’s a living, breathing piece of Texas history, still thriving in a city that seems to reinvent itself every few years. But the folks at Boggy Creek Farm aren’t only growing gorgeous, leafy greens for farm stand devotees. They’re on a mission to pass on the knowledge that food isn’t something that has to come from a grocery store. It can—and should—come from your own hands.
“Anyone can grow food,” says Tracy Geyer, Director of Operations at Boggy Creek Farm. And she means anyone. No backyard? No problem. “Get a pot, fill it with soil, grab some seeds. If you have access to the sun, you can grow food,” she encourages, insisting that even if your first attempts fail, the reward is worth the effort.
For most, simply choosing organic produce seems like enough. After all, it’s marketed as better for the environment and healthier than industrial farming. But Tracy makes the case that the real difference isn’t just in how it’s grown, it’s in how “alive” it is. In fact, nothing tastes quite as good as something you pull from the earth yourself.
“As the lady who sells pottery [at the Farm] says, ‘It’s still vibrating,’” she explains. Harvested produce begins to lose its vitality almost immediately, and by the time it reaches a supermarket shelf—even a high-end organic store, it’s long past its prime. The crispness, the depth of flavor, and even the nutritional value all diminish with time. That’s why chefs clamor for produce straight from nearby farms like Boggy Creek and why customers who buy from their farm stand keep coming back.
But for all their dedication, Boggy Creek Farm doesn’t insist on being the only game in town. Quite the opposite, actually. Their goal is to have more people growing their own food. “Some might think backyard farming would hurt us,” Tracy smiles. “But the more food people grow, the more food there is to go around.”
If any place understands the importance of an abundant local food supply, it’s Boggy Creek Farm. Established in the 1840s, the farm has deep East Austin roots—literally and figuratively. The farmhouse, built in 1841, is one of the oldest existing homes in the city. Through the years, the land has weathered Austin’s transformations, from a sleepy frontier town to a bustling tech hub, all while remaining dedicated to sustainable farming. In the 1990s, when Carol Ann Sayle and her late husband Larry Butler revitalized the farm, they did so with a vision: to not only grow food but to inspire others to do the same. That vision has only grown stronger over time.
Today, Boggy Creek partners with organizations such as Austin Community College and Farmshare to help cultivate the next generation of farmers. And for those who think farming is a relic of the past, Tracy has a simple reminder: “You can’t have too many farmers.” After all, it wasn’t that long ago that people knew exactly where their food came from. It’s not too late to get reacquainted—even if that means becoming your own farmer in the process.
Contact:
3414 Lyons Rd.
boggycreekfarm.com
@boggycreekfarm_atx
