LOI

Organization Name: Tilth Producers of Washington
Contact Name: Nancy Allen
Title: Administrative Director
E-mail: nancy@tilthproducers.org
Website: http://www.tilthproducers.org/

Organization Background:

Paralleling the growth of the Tilth Association was the growth of the Northwest Organic Food Producers Association, a group of organic farmers who cooperated to form a state-wide production, distribution and marketing group, and which became the Tilth Producers Co-operative in 1977. TPC administered the organic certification program in the state for many years. With the needs of growers as its reason for being, the co-op engaged in many activities: marketing help, growers’ meetings which turned into the annual conference and workshops, a quarterly journal; and grew stronger as more and more growers saw the benefits of organic production. In 1992, the Co-op became simply Tilth Producers, a chapter of Washington Tilth. It is the only chapter which is not ‘localized,’ but rather has approximately 400 grower-members throughout the state. It took the lead in organic certification issues in the state and is involved in working on the national organic standards. It provides a multitude of educational functions for the growers and for the general public. It works with the land grant university in research and the state department of agriculture on certification and small farm issues. It networks with other associations concerned with the survival of the small farm, the safety and purity of the food supply and issues of social equity.