Community Partner Spotlight: Tilth Alliance
May 6, 2025
SAL is proud to spotlight our Community Partner Tilth Alliance!
Read on to learn more about their work in Washington supporting farmers, increasing food access, and bringing community together. We’re excited to have them as a partner on our upcoming SAL Presents event with Merlin Sheldrake at Town Hall Seattle on May 21. 2025.
Tilth Alliance – Overview:
Tilth Alliance works in community with Washington farmers, gardeners, and eaters to build a sustainable, healthy and equitable food future. Tilth Alliance was created in 2016 from the merger of Tilth Producers, Cascade Harvest Coalition and Seattle Tilth — combining over 90 years of leadership in Washington’s local and sustainable food movement. Through advocacy, education, and working directly within our community, we aim to build a food future that is healthy, sustainable, and equitable, using farms, gardens and kitchens as classrooms where people from all backgrounds can learn to grow and prepare food in ways that are ecologically sound, economically viable and culturally appropriate. Through our programs, we support WA state farmers, increase food access, and provide education to youth and adults.
Support of Farmers
Tilth Alliance supports Washington farmers in adopting organic, regenerative, and sustainable practices through education, funding, and advocacy. Key initiatives include:
- Coalition for Organic & Regenerative Agriculture (CORA): Advocates for policies, resources, and education to expand organic farming opportunities, especially for BIPOC farmers.
- Washington State Organic & Sustainable Farming Fund (WSOSSF): Since 2015, has provided over $3.6 million to 421 farms to support climate-resilient practices, prioritizing underserved communities.
- Farm Walks and Tilth Conference: Offers peer-to-peer learning and networking opportunities for farmers, with real-time Spanish interpretation and scholarships to ensure accessibility.
- Eat Local First: Connects consumers with local farmers through the WA Food & Farm Finder, featuring diverse farmer-owned businesses to improve market demand for farm direct purchasing.
Food Access
Tilth Alliance increases food access through initiatives including our Good Food Bags Program, a weekly sliding scale produce subscription serving South Seattle families by sourcing from immigrant, refugee, BIPOC, and women-owned farms. Our seasonal Farm Stand offers fresh produce and locally produced goods and increases access by offering a sliding scale discount of up to $20 of free produce per visit for low-income individuals, along with the ability to accept EBT and other food assistance benefits.
At the Rainier Beach Urban Farm & Wetlands, we grow over 1,500 pounds of organic produce annually for food banks and senior centers. We also host a free U-Pick program, providing a large variety of culturally significant produce like Ethiopian rue and Asian long beans to local communities.
The Culturally Relevant Plant Starts Program grows and distributes culturally significant plant starts to immigrant and refugee families, ensuring access to traditional foods through consultation and collaboration with community members.
Community Education
We provide year-round educational programs for youth, adults, and seniors. Adult classes cover topics such as gardening, permaculture, composting, and food preservation. Multi-month training programs including our Master Composters & Sustainability Stewards and Water & Soil Stewards focus on ecological practices like soil health and water conservation.
Through our youth programs, we offer summer camps and after-school initiatives to youth ages one through fifteen, connecting young people, with nature and their local communities. Our Rainier Beach Youth Stewards Program provides BIPOC teens with skills in urban farming and wetlands management while fostering knowledge of food justice.
For seniors, Tilth Alliance supports over 20 multicultural meal sites with food safety and culturally relevant nutrition education, offering nourishing meals and opportunities for social connection.
For over 25 years, the Garden Hotline has provided free guidance on sustainable gardening practices, partnering with community organizations to serve immigrant, refugee, low-income, and elder populations. Through workshops and interpretation services, we ensure these services are accessible for all.
Through each of our programs, we’re working to build a better food future—one where food is produced using organic, regenerative, and sustainable practices that protect and nurture the environment. We envision a world where everyone has access to healthy, nutritious, and affordable food, and where people of all ages value the land, food, and the humans and non-humans who care for our soil, pollinate our crops, and nurture our ecosystems.
