Farmland & Finances

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Realize Your Farming Vision: Intro to the New Washington FarmLink Website

Julie Kintzi, Tilth Alliance
Join WA FarmLink, a program of Tilth Alliance, and explore the new website! The session will be hosted by Julie Kintzi, the coordinator of the statewide program that connects farmers to farmland and other supporting resources. She will guide you through the new and improved website. There will be plenty of opportunity for discussion and feedback. We also hope to build energy on how we as a farming community can help bring more available farmland to the website. In addition, Julie will sign up a willing farmer or two as a member on the spot!

Finding Land to Farm, Finding a Farmer for Your Land — Panel

Julie Kintzi, "Cart Before Horse" Farm; Chandler Briggs, Hayshaker Farm; Jim Baird, Cloudview Farm; moderated by Amy Moreno-Sills, PCC Farmland Trust and Four Elements Farm
If you are a farmer looking for land or a land owner seeking to lease or sell their land, this workshop is for you. There are many variables to consider when buying or leasing farmland. Come prepared with specific questions you may have about buying, selling or leasing land. This will be a panel/discussion style workshop comprised of Amy Moreno-Sills, Farm to Farmer Coordinator at PCC Farmland Trust and co-owner of Four Elements Farm in Puyallup; Julie Kintzi, WA Farmlink Coordinator at Tilth Alliance; and Chandler Briggs, co-owner of Hayshaker Farm.

How to Get Credit: The 5 Cs

Jess Sarsfield, Northwest Farm Credit Services
All of us in agriculture share a responsibility to launch the next generation of promising young producers. Many grew up in agriculture as the sons and daughters of Northwest Farm Credit Services’ customers. Others are entering agriculture for the first time. Helping young beginning producers start their own business is an integral part of the cooperative mission at Northwest Farm Credit Services.

Accessible Farm Financing that Gives Back to the Community — Panel

Cole Blitzenburg, Community Action of Skagit County; Salvador Morales, NW Green Farm; Arielle Luckmann, Waxwing Farm; moderated by Kate Smith, Washington State University Food Systems
In Northwest Washington, a new farm financing opportunity has taken hold for low income farmers that also improves food access. Implemented by Skagit County and Community Action of Skagit County, this WA Dept. of Commerce Community Development Block Grant Economic Opportunity Project has provided Microenterprise Assistance for On-Farm Infrastructure Improvements for low income farmers of Skagit and Whatcom counties. It has allowed low income farmers to acquire up to $35,000 of infrastructure for their farms, repayable through the wholesale organic value of produce donated to the Skagit Food Distribution Center. In this session, we’ll share the program model as well as experiences of participating farmers, the food distribution center manager and other program partners. This program has positively impacted the local food system, allowing farmers to improve record keeping skills, access capital, scale up their business and provide fresh, local, and culturally unique produce to the local community in need. This model has been successful and serves as a replicable model with a variety of sources of community funding and investment.

Classes for Adults