The Future is Abundant
A Guide to Sustainable Agriculture

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Tilth People

In 1974, Gigi Coe, Becky and Woody Deryckx and Mark Musick formed Tilth to sponsor the Northwest Conference on Alternative Agriculture. Held in Ellensburg, Washington in November of that year, the goal of the conference was to bring together the diverse groups and individuals who had been working independently to create a new agriculture-small farmers, urban gardeners, land reform advocates, environmentalists, and food system activists. Nearly 800 people attended the three-day conference, and interest ran high in workshops and discussions on all phases of crop and livestock production, seed exchanges, and alternative energy sources.

That first Tilth conference was an exciting, unique event. It certainly achieved its objective of establishing communication among people throughout the region working to strengthen small farms, establish alternative distribution networks, and expand urban gardening programs.

In February of 1975, the first issue of what has become the quarterly journal Tilth, Biological Agriculture in the Northwest, was published to carry on the information exchange initiated at the Ellensburg conference. Tilth continued as an informal network for two and a half years. In August of 1977 Tilth was officially incorporated as a non-profit research and educational association "to support and promote biologically sound and socially equitable agriculture."

Tilth Chapters

Tilth chapters are as diverse as the region itself. Each chapter develops its own goals and programs, so styles and projects vary widely. Yet they all share a common desire to work with others in supporting local agriculture. In some communities this has meant forming a farmers' market, while in others the focus has been on getting to know neighbors and exchanging skills.

One of the best ways to describe the day-to-day work of Tilth is to summarize some of the ongoing projects of a few Tilth chapters.

• Southwest Washington Tilth was the first chapter to form. They coordinate working weekends on local farms and sponsor workshops in cooperation with the Extension Service and The Evergreen State College Organic Farm in Olympia.
• North Idaho Tilth's major project is an annual tree sale. They specialize in locally-adapted trees, shrubs and vines which provide high quality fruits, nuts, timber, and wildlife habitat. They are also compiling an inventory of plants adapted to their region.
• Nooksack Tilth, in Whatcom County, Washington, hosts workshops, has organized a group fertilizer purchase, and has members active with the County Weed Control Board to advocate IPM practices.
• Methow Valley Tilth is active in a research program on alternatives for economic development in their area. They seek to increase employment opportunities through a revitalized local agriculture.
• Palouse Tilth works with schools of agriculture at the University of Idaho in Moscow and at Washington State University in Pullman. They also cooperate in the annual tree sale with North Idaho Tilth.
• Good Earth Tilth is located in the Wenatchee, Washington area. Tilth members are active in the local farmers' market and the chapter has sponsored several educational programs, including a major conference on Integrated Pest Management for commercial fruit orchards.
• Seattle Tilth was Tilth's first urban chapter. They have established a lively Urban Agriculture Center in Seattle's Wallingford neighborhood, with demonstration vegetable and fruit gardens, a solar greenhouse, and an extensive reference library. They also publish a frequent newsletter and sponsor a workshop series.
• Willamette Valley Tilth is a large and diverse chapter made up of farmers, homesteaders and home gardeners. They have sponsored annual conferences in cooperation with Oregon State University and coordinate an active Working Weekends on Organic Farms program.
• Rogue Tilth in southwestern Oregon promotes local agriculture in a variety of ways. Members are actively involved with the local farmers' market, and the chapter coordinates a testing project to identify locally-adapted vegetable varieties with commercial potential.