Tilth Alliance has recently launched the Sustainable Ag Farmer Forum, a digital platform created to offer dynamic peer-to-peer engagement, resource sharing and community building for farmers and other food system stakeholders in the region.
“Farming can be a lonely profession – opportunities to connect in person are often limited to annual conferences which are not always an option for everyone to attend,” said Andrew Corbin, Farm Program Director at Tilth Alliance. “Developing and growing SAFF as a trusted resource for organic and sustainable producers has been a longstanding goal of Tilth Alliance. We live in a wired world, and this platform plays a key role in providing folks with an active space to be in conversation and for finding resources they need.”
Nearly 20 unique groups serve as dynamic, virtual meeting spaces to discuss topics such as organic and dry farming, on-farm food safety, funding opportunities, soil health, and marketing strategies. Forum members can learn about and share upcoming events and learning opportunities in the “Keep Growing!” group, advertise employment opportunities and supplies or equipment for sale in “Classifieds.”
Additionally, regionally specific groups give farmers a space to discuss local happenings or topics with their neighbors and peers. “The Sustaiinable Ag Farmer Forum is already being used in support of producer education,” said Kate Smith with Washington State University Food Systems in Skagit County. “We set up a WSU Cultivating Success Group for our 2025 Agricultural Entrepreneurship and Business Planning Course. In week one, students are already using it to connect and propose discussion topics including market trends and models of successful farms.”
Member accounts on SAFF are available at no cost to farmers, ranchers, ag and food systems professionals, educators, homesteaders, non-profit/advocacy organizations, researchers, retailers and buyers, and service providers doing business in Washington and the greater Pacific Northwest region. Accounts can be created here– users can download the Connected Community app to continue the conversation on the go or access the resource library wherever they need it.
This platform comes at a critical time where economic and political uncertainty are leaving many with unanswered questions. A resource that allows for food systems actors to connect with one another is crucial and Tilth Alliance is committed to continuing to advocate for Washington’s farming community.
“Our team is moving ahead as planned and continuing to build on the momentum of this launch to really make it this go-to spot for farmer-to-farmer connections, but also for this broader community that’s adjacent to these conversations,” said Sheryl Wiser, Special Projects Consultant with the Tilth Alliance. “We’re all in this together and we’ve learned that so beautifully from the work we’ve been doing through the Farm Program at Tilth Alliance.”
A project of Tilth Alliance, SAFF is generously supported through the United States Department of Agriculture Transition to Organic Partnership Program, a program of the USDA Organic Transition Initiative administered by the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service National Organic Program. Additionally, Northwest Partnerships for TOPP can be found here and include PCC Community Markets, WSDA Organic Program, Viva Farms, Elderberry Wisdom Farm, Organic Seed Alliance, Oxbow Farm & Conservation Center, Northwest Agricultural Business Center, Intertribal Agricultural Council and Rodale Institute.
For more information, or to send questions, comments or resource suggestions please contact farmteam@tilthalliance.org.