In the News

Fifty years ago, a group of Washington activists began a movement that revolutionized Western food growing, eating and composting. With a focus on organic farming and sustenance, the group of activists would eventually become Seattle Tilth and later Tilth Alliance, which turns 50 this year.

On a recent drippy Sunday afternoon, dozens of Seattleites made their way from the street onto the bouncy soil of the luscious Rainier Beach Urban Farm and Wetlands. As people sipped water infused with salad burnet (an herbaceous plant that tastes exactly like cucumber) and hot tea, the congregants settled around sheltered tables outside — they came to eat, listen, and learn.

While eating fruits and vegetables is good for our health, buying fresh produce isn’t always a reality for the thousands of families in King County who face food insecurity. That’s why Tilth Alliance, a garden and farming nonprofit, is on a mission to bring healthy food into more homes through their Rainier Beach Urban Farm and Wetlands which grows 5,000 pounds of produce a year.

In Washington’s rainy, temperate climate, edible plants grow in abundance. For many nature enthusiasts, urban foraging is a tradition in Seattle from summer to early fall, whether it’s collecting invasive Himalayan blackberries from streetside patches or picking apples from Piper’s Orchard in Carkeek Park.

The culturally relevant edible plant starts program, now in its third gardening season, aims to fix that. Local nonprofit Tilth Alliance operates the program out of the Rainier Beach Urban Farm and Wetlands, a 10-acre site owned by Seattle Parks and Recreation and co-managed by Tilth and Friends of Rainier Beach Urban Farm and Wetlands.

Family mealtime could be a key ingredient for raising healthier kids. Tilth Alliance’s Community Kitchen events not only promote family togetherness, but gathering with friends and neighbors as well, all in the spirit of healthy food education, community building, and celebrating cuisines from Puget Sound’s diverse cultures.

There is a new push to improve our local food and the land it comes from. It is happening with an effort from two groups, and we are hearing from both of them on Good Day Seattle.

On March 18 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Tilth Alliance will be hosting an Edible Plant Sale at Rainier Beach Urban Farm and Wetlands. The sale will include plants bearing fruits, greens, and more, all for between $5 and $15.

With inflation at the top of mind for many, you may be wondering if it’s most cost-effective to grow your own food versus shopping at the grocery store.

Since 2017, Rainier Beach Urban Farm and Wetlands (RBUFW) has been jointly operated by the Tilth Alliance and the Friends of Rainier Beach Urban Farm and Wetlands.