Tilth Association Papers, 1974-1986

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Washington Tilth Association
Title
Tilth Association Papers
Dates
1974-1986 (inclusive)
Quantity
6 containers., (6 linear feet of shelf space.), (231)
Collection Number
Cage 602
Summary
Subject files, correspondence, business records, and photographs of an organization concerned with promotion of sustainable agriculture and organic farming in the state of Washington.
Repository
Washington State University Libraries' Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections (MASC)
Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections
Terrell Library Suite 12
Pullman, WA
99164-5610
Telephone: 509-335-6691
mascref@wsu.edu
Access Restrictions

This collection is open for research use.

Languages
English
Sponsor
Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Historical NoteReturn to Top

Tilth is a non-profit organization centered in the Pacific Northwest. Its main purpose is to promote organic agriculture. Tilth was originally formed at Palouse, Washington in August of 1974 to host the Northwest Conference on Alternative Agriculture, held in Ellensburg in November 1974. The people who founded Tilth had originally met at the ``Agriculture for a Small Planet" symposium at Expo-74 in Spokane. Wendell Berry, an agricultural poet and essayist, was one of the speakers at that symposium, and a letter from him following his visit to Spokane was the catalyst for forming Tilth and for organizing the Northwest Conference on Alternative Agriculture. The Tilth Newsletter was started the following spring, but the group was not incorporated until 1977. As an organization, Tilth has promoted sustainable agriculture and forestry through its newsletter, conferences, workshops, and books. The organization is made up of regional chapters that have individual approaches to common Tilth goals

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

The records of Tilth consist of correspondence, business records, photographs, newsletters, and various enclosures covering all aspects of the organization's interests.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Preferred Citation

[Item Description]. Cage 602, Tilth Association Papers . Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections, Washington State University Libraries, Pullman, WA.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Arrangement

The records are, with few exceptions, in original order. This arrangement preserves existing divisions in the records to form the archival series. The five series are named Tilth chapters, Pragtree Farm, Tilth people, Other organizations, and Tilth. The last series concerns the larger, regional organization. The principal exception to original order is several folders that were refiled with similar files. For example, a "Washington Tilth" file that was misfiled in the "Tilth" series is now located in the "Tilth Chapters" series. Original titles of folders were retained, except to spell out abbreviations. The alphabetical and chronological order of folders also reflect the original order.

Acquisition Information

Records of Tilth were donated to the Washington State University Libraries by Mark Musick of Seattle in 1990 (accession number MS90-54), with a small addition in 1992.

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection.

Series 1 - Tilth ChaptersReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
1 / 1
Tilth chapter organization
1 / 2
Methow Valley Tilth
1 / 3
Nooksack Tilth
1 / 4
North Idaho Tilth
1 / 5
Olympia Tilth
1 / 6
Oregon Tilth #1
1 / 7
Oregon Tilth #2
1 / 8
Oregon Tilth #3
1 / 9
Palouse Tilth
1 / 10
Portland Tilth
1 / 11
Rogue Valley Tilth
1 / 12
Santa, Idaho, Tilth
1 / 13
Seattle Tilth #1
1 / 14
Seattle Tilth #2
1 / 15
Seattle Tilth #3
1 / 16
Seattle Tilth #4
1 / 17
Seattle Tilth #4: Tilth children's garden
1 / 18
Seattle Tilth - 10th anniversary
1 / 19
Seattle Tilth - Taste of Organic Seattle
1 / 20
South Whidbey Tilth #1
1 / 21
South Whidbey Tilth #2
1 / 22
Southern Humboldt Tilth
1 / 23
Tilth Producer's Co-op
1977-1980
1 / 24
Tilth Producer's Co-op
1981-1986
1 / 25
Washington Tilth (Tilth Producer's Co-op) #1
1 / 26
Washington Tilth (Tilth Producer's Co-op) #2
1 / 27
Western Washington Tilth

Series 2 - Pragtree FarmReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
1 / 28
Pragtree Farm reviews
1 / 29
Tilth Salad
1 / 30
Greenhouses
1 / 31
Land payments
1 / 32
Old documents - property
1 / 33
Drainage
1 / 34
Pragtree Farm #1
1977
1 / 35
Pragtree Farm #1, 2
1977
1 / 36
McKenzie River proposal
1977-78
1 / 37
Pragtree Farm
1978
1 / 38
Pragtree Farm Business records
1978
2 / 39
Pragtree Farm Meeting minutes
1976-1981
2 / 40
Pragtree workshop
1979
2 / 41
Pragtree Farm
1979
2 / 42
Pragtree Farm Budget
1979
2 / 43
Pragtree Farm Sales journal and paid time cards
1979
2 / 44
Pragtree Farm Sales journal, receipts, creative writing samples
1980
2 / 45
Pragtree Farm
1981
2 / 46
Pragtree Farm
1982
2 / 47
Pragtree Farm
1983
2 / 48
Pragtree Farm Business records
1983
2 / 49
Evergreen Land Trust refugee project
1983
2 / 50
Pragtree Farm
1984
2 / 51
Pragtree Farm Business records
1984
2 / 52
Pragtree Farm
1985
2 / 53
Pragtree Farm Meeting minutes
1985
2 / 54
Evergreen Land Trust

Series 3 - Tilth PeopleReturn to Top

Container(s) Description
Box/Folder
2 / 55
Bender, Tom
2 / 56
Benton, Robert
2 / 57
Berger, Kari
2 / 58
Berry, Wendell
2 / 59
Caruthers-Akin, Maryanne
2 / 60
Clark, Wilson
2 / 61
Coe, Virginia
2 / 62
Colebrook, Binda
2 / 63
Cooperrider, Bob
2 / 64
Davenport, Elaine
2 / 65
Deryckx, Woody and Becky
2 / 66
Drum, Ryan
2 / 67
Engeland, Ron
2 / 68
Epstein, Rhoda
2 / 69
Geno, Larry and Barbara
2 / 70
Goldstein, Walter
2 / 71
Gorsline, Jerry
2 / 72
Jaybird Information
2 / 73
Johnson, Steve
2 / 74
Korn, Larry
3 / 75
Litwin, Shery
3 / 76
Livingston, Brian
3 / 77
Lougheed, O.J.
3 / 78
Ludlow, Mary
3 / 79
Maki, Mike
3 / 80
McCrea, Margaret
3 / 81
Mathews, Lynn
3 / 82
Musick, Mark
3 / 83
Organic Gardening and Farming (magazine)
3 / 84
Odum, Howard T.
3 / 85
Pilarski, Michael
3 / 86
Rain, Willow
3 / 87
Robinson, Tom
3 / 88
Schowalter, Joyce
3 / 89
Silha, Stephen
3 / 90
Shook, Larry
3 / 91
Snyder, Barbara
3 / 92
Thompson, William Irwin
3 / 93
Venne, Christopher
3 / 94
Weaver, Don
3 / 95
Williamson, Laura
3 / 96
Yurgel, Danae

Series 4 - Other GroupsReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
3 / 97
Abundant Life Seed Foundation
3 / 98
Alternative Market News
3 / 99
Arable
3 / 100
Cascadian Farms
3 / 101
Cloud Mountain Farm
3 / 102
Equinox Food Exchange
3 / 103
Healing Gathering
1978
3 / 104
Hoedads
3 / 105
Henry Doubleday Research Association
3 / 106
International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements
3 / 107
National Land for People
3 / 108
Northwest Organic Food Producers
3 / 109
Other organizations
3 / 110
Permaculture Institute of North America (PINA)
3 / 111
RAIN
3 / 112
Rainbook - Resources for Appropriate Technology
3 / 113
Seriatim - Journal of Ecotopia
3 / 114
Women and Agriculture

Series 5 - TilthReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
4 / 115
The Future is Abundant-A Guide to Sustainable Agriculture
4 / 116
Tilth articles of incorporation
4 / 117
Federal tax exemption information - Tilth
4 / 118
Internal Revenue Service information - Tilth
4 / 119
Tilth income tax return forms
1978-1984
4 / 120
Washington state income tax returns
4 / 121
Northwest Conference on Alternative Agriculture Directory
4 / 122
The Tilth Newsletter
1975
4 / 123
The Tilth Newsletter
1976-1977
4 / 124
Tilth
1978-1979
4 / 125
Tilth
1980
4 / 126
Tilth
1981-1982
4 / 127
Tilth
1983-1984
4 / 128
Symposium series
1974
4 / 129
The Bend in the River
1974
4 / 130
Barter Fairs
4 / 131
Agricultural conference-1
1974
4 / 132
Agricultural conference-2
1974
4 / 133
Agricultural conference-tape recording
1974
4 / 134
Tilth
1975
4 / 135
Central Washington State College proposal
1975
4 / 136
Benefit for Tools for Transition
1975
4 / 137
Tilth letters
July-Aug. 1975
4 / 138
Tilth letters
Sept.-Oct. 1975
4 / 139
Tilth letters
Nov.-Dec. 1975
4 / 140
Tilth - garden ecology research project
4 / 141
Aquaculture project
1975-1976
4 / 142
Biodynamics conference
Sept. 1975
4 / 143
Conferences
1975
4 / 144
Ellensburg solstice meeting
1975
4 / 145
Tilth
1976
4 / 146
Tilth vol. 1 #9
Jan. 1976
4 / 147
Tilth vol. 1 #10-12
1976
4 / 148
Tilth letters
Jan.-Feb. 1976
4 / 149
Solar greenhouses
1976-1977
4 / 150
Leap year conference
1976
5 / 151
Northwest Trade Directory
1976
5 / 152
That`s Agribusiness
1976-
5 / 153
COM/PLEX- 4th Cascadian regional communications conference
5 / 154
Tilth
1977
5 / 155
Equinox gatherings
1977-1979
5 / 156
Planning meeting
1977
5 / 157
Communications group (Tilth)
1977-1978
5 / 158
Winter Gardening by Binda Colebrook
1977-
5 / 159
Winter Gardening - promotion and distribution
5 / 160
Proposals - guidelines and samples
5 / 161
Puget Consumers Co-op (PCC) loan file
5 / 162
Tilth
1978
5 / 163
Alternative food system conference
1978
5 / 164
Tilth
1979
5 / 165
Tilth budget
1979
5 / 166
Research program
1979
5 / 167
Puyallup meeting
1979
5 / 168
Planning workshop
1979
5 / 169
Clover project
1979-1980
5 / 170
Tilth
1980
5 / 171
Contract services
1980
5 / 172
Correspondence
1973-1984
5 / 173
Correspondence, continued
1973-1984
5 / 174
Reviews of Tilth
1980
5 / 175
Brochures
5 / 176
Contributions
5 / 177
Nitrogen fixing trees and shrubs
1980
5 / 178
Soil fertility workshop
1980
5 / 179
Seed patenting
1980
5 / 180
Natural farming workshop
1980
5 / 181
Organic farming study
1980
5 / 182
Pacific pipeline
5 / 183
Demeter conference
1980
5 / 184
Tilth
1981
5 / 185
Tilth placement service
1981-1984
5 / 186
Fairhaven
1981
5 / 187
Tilth information service
1981-1982
6 / 188
Permaculture conference
1981
6 / 189
Permaculture book budget
6 / 190
Permaculture book
1981-1982
6 / 191
The Future is Abundant - introduction
6 / 192
The Future is Abundant - Becky Deryckx
6 / 193
The Future is Abundant - cover
6 / 194
The Future is Abundant - promotion
6 / 195
The Future is Abundant - reprint
6 / 196
Executive committee
1982
6 / 197
Planning
1982
6 / 198
Surveys
1982
6 / 199
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) conference
1982
6 / 200
Slide show
6 / 201
Organic Farming Act
1982/1983
6 / 202
Annual meeting minutes
1982-1983
6 / 203
Annual meeting
1983
6 / 204
Tilth
1983
6 / 205
Board minutes
1983
6 / 206
Tilth tour
1983
6 / 207
Future of agriculture in the Northwest conference
Feb. 4-6, 1983
6 / 208
Tilth
1984
6 / 209
India project
1984
6 / 210
India fund file
6 / 211
India video script
6 / 212
Apple Computer proposal
1984
6 / 213
Renewal notices
1984
6 / 214
Annual meeting
1984
6 / 215
Board meeting agenda
June and August 1984
6 / 216
Statements - board meeting
October, 1984
6 / 217
Regional Tilth closeout - correspondence
6 / 218
Loans
1984-1985
6 / 219
Exchange
1984
6 / 220
Chestnuts
1984
6 / 221
Marketing service
1984
6 / 222
Nicaragua seed fund
1984
6 / 223
Permaculture conference
Fall 1984
6 / 224
Tilth Jamboree
Sept. 1984
6 / 225
Tilth meeting
1985
6 / 226
Tilth placement service
6 / 227
Tilth annual meeting
1986
6 / 228
Tilth executive committee
6 / 229
Tilth graphics
6 / 230
Tony Maskal
6 / 231
Organic agriculture - general

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Agriculture -- Washington (State)--Research--Archives
  • Organic farming --Washington (State)
  • Sustainable agriculture--Washington (State)

Personal Names

  • Musick, Mark, donor. waps (donor)

Corporate Names

  • Washington Tilth Association --Archives (creator)