The annual Tilth Conference in Washington will be held online this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We’ve held the conference annually for going on 45 years in our various renditions as a tilth organization,” said Melissa Spear, executive director of the Tilth Alliance, based in Seattle. “We weren’t going to miss this year, even though we couldn’t hold it in person.”

The conference will be Nov. 9 and 10. The deadline to register is Nov. 1. The cost ranges from $50 to $200.

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the small and mid-sized farmers the organization primarily represents, Spear said. Many had to find alternative ways to connect with consumers due to the closure of restaurants or changes to farmers market safety requirements.

“It really has been amazing how innovative farmers have been in figuring out how to pivot,” she said.

The alliance worked with other organizations to build the Washington Food and Farm Finder, a website designed to help consumers purchase directly from farmers. Most community supported agriculture programs, or CSAs, sold out this year, Spear said, citing high demand.

Farms that rely on labor have also been impacted by new safety regulations, Spear added.

Chris Newman of Sylvanaqua Farms in Virginia, and Kathleen Merrigan, executive director of the Swette Center for Sustainable Food Systems at Arizona State University, will be the keynote speakers.

A member of the Choptico Band of Piscataway Indians, Newman emphasizes indigenous ethics, values and knowledge serving as the foundation of the modern permaculture movement, according to the Tilth Alliance.

As USDA deputy secretary and chief operating officer from 2009 to 2013, Merrigan created and led the Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food Initiative to support local food systems and was a key architect of First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! campaign, among other things.

Spear says Newman and Merrigan will complement one another in helping farmers and consumers connect.

Topics on the agenda include biochar, stress in agriculture, managing farm and food legal risk in the midst of COVID-19, a discussion about gender and race in agriculture and water rights.

Spear said she has heard from many regular attendees who were relieved that the conference will continue to provide them with an opportunity to interact with other farmers. The conference will include social events, music and networking opportunities, she said.

“I think we’re all feeling isolated as a result of COVID-19,” she said. “Having an opportunity to just have some down time and relax together is actually really important.”

http://www.tilthalliance.org/special_events/Conference