South Whidbey Tilth

Among people everywhere there is increasing concern about the quality and safety of our food as well as concern about harm to the environment from ill-conceived agricultural activity. Tilth's mission is to promote environmentally sound and sustainable agriculture. We are devoted to learning about and promoting ways in which to raise food, ornamentals, other farm crops and farm animals without damage to the environment.

As we have been navigating these uncertain times, we have been figuring out if the market will be able to open for the season. On March 23, 2020, Governor Inslee’s order of “Stay at Home, Stay Healthy” allowed for only essential businesses to remain open. Thankfully, farmers’ markets were included in this. However, there is still a lot to figure out to make fresh produce and prepared take-out food available in a way that follows the Public Health Department’s latest guidelines for social distancing and avoiding spread of the virus. The GOOD NEWS is, we do plan on opening on our regularly scheduled date of May 3 following all protocols. We will post updates, so stay tuned! We’re looking forward to providing a safe venue for the advancement of local food production, access, and nutrition as a means to a stable and thriving community.

There are still opportunities to spend time outdoors and help Tilth! There is much outdoor work to be done around the campus at this time of year, and we welcome you to come work independently or in small, informal groups, if you are feeling well and would like to get out of the house and spend time in a peaceful setting. Please contact the land steward, Ida, for a list of tasks that can be completed independently on the beautiful Tilth campus.

You can access this month’s film online and watch from home. We'll plan to do so on April 5, 6 p.m. our usual movie night. Perhaps those watching can share a few brief impressions with everyone afterwards. You can access the film at this link: Look and See, the PBS Wendell Berry film online. Connect with Mark for the password.

Goats for food security is the theme for this series which happens on the first Sunday of each month. This month at 2 p.m. we can stay at home and still discuss goats and goat herding. Gary Ingram will lead a virtual meeting using Zoom. Tune in to share your experiences, ask questions and talk about establishing co-op. For more information email Year of the Doe.

The Farmer’s Shadow is a monthly drop-in educational event sponsored by South Whidbey Tilth and Slow Food Whidbey Island. Led by South Whidbey farmer Anza Muenchow, meetings start with a short presentation on a chosen topic.

It’s April–Let’s discuss what’s going on in our gardens. Anza Muenchow will lead our virtual garden discussion group using Zoom. She will email a Zoom invitation shortly before the meeting. If you don’t receive it, or have questions, contact the education committee.

2020 South Whidbey Tilth Council of Trustees

South Whidbey Titlh Councl of Trustees, pictured from the left: Leah Claire, Janet Richards, Ida Gianopulos, Anza Muenchow, Gary Ingram, Edward Hueneke, Andréa Linton and Lynae Slindon

The 2020 members of the governing council of trustees are President Gary Ingram, Vice President Lynae Slinden, Secretary Janet Richards, Finance chair Edward Hueneke, Membership, Community Relations and Development chair Andréa Linton and Education committee chair Anza Muenchow. Unfortunately, Leah Claire needed to step away from the Council for personal reasons. She was Market committee chair. Prescott assumed that role at the March 19 meeting. Contact her at Market committee. The next regular business meeting is Thursday, April 16, 2020, at 6 p.m. conducted virtually using the Zoom application. Members are welcome to connect and participate. Questions? Contact the President or Secretary for information or leave a message at 360-321-0757.

Find us on

...and like us! Please look for both South Whidbey Tilth and South Whidbey Tilth Farmers' Market.

South Whidbey Tilth depends on its volunteers. Please download a volunteer form as a pdf file. Keep track of your time all year. Mail to South Whidbey Tilth or email to the Treasurer.

The South Whidbey Tilth 11-acre Sustainability Campus is at 2812 Thompson Road, Langley, WA 98260 and provides a unique, leisurely ambience and focus for learning. The campus is open for walking, and you can view our ongoing projects: demonstration field crops, community garden and orchard, forest trail and understory recovery project, native plant salvage beds operated by Native Plant Stewards, the highway vegetation management model, and bluebird nesting boxes established by Coupeville fifth-graders. Dog walkers, please use the poop bags in the recycling area by the restrooms. Use the trash can there.

South Whidbey Tilth has opportunities for you to help with classes, farmers' market, community gardens, facilities maintenance and improvements and forest restoration projects.

On August 27, 1977, more than 70 people gathered at Pragtree Farm near Arlington, WA, to develop strategies for the sustainable agriculture movement in the Pacific Northwest. Known as the "Regional Planning Meeting," the gathering established the framework for the Tilth Association.

The meeting at Pragtree Farm laid the foundation for organizing local Tilth chapters. The next spring the first chapters were formed in Seattle and in Southwest Washington, followed by Willamette Valley Tilth and Rogue Tilth in Oregon. By the summer of 1982 there were 15 Tilth chapters in California, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington, with an estimated combined membership of 2,000. At the Regional Planning Meeting three years later Anthony Judge's ideas were incorporated into Tilth's strategy of organizing autonomous local chapters empowered to respond to the needs of their communities. Over the past three decades the Tilth movement has ebbed and flowed, with the central organization dissolving into statewide organizations in Oregon and Washington, and local chapters forming and fading away. Because of its decentralized, ecological strategy, however, Tilth has continued to adapt, survive, and thrive. Today Tilth is experiencing a resurgence parallel to the growth of the organic food and farming nationwide. The complete story by one of the founders, Mark Musick is on the Washington Tilth website select History.

All the Tilth organizations celebrated the 40th anniversary at the Tilth Producers Conference in November 2014. Mary Berry, Wendell’s daughter, was a keynote speaker.