A Letter from the President

Dear Sammamish Valley Alliance Friends and Supporters

Sammamish Valley Alliance was founded in 2006 out of a desire to highlight the rich soils and storied traditions of the Sammamish Valley. At that time, we understood the need to share the potential bounty of this agricultural valley with the local community. People expressed their awe of the valley, but they had little understanding of the potential bounty. While they expressed their appreciation for the openness of the place, they had limited opportunity to be on the land, to get their hands in the soil, or to taste the harvest. Our initial mission was to connect the local community to farms and farmers.

Now, nearly two decades later, we find ourselves fortunate to share this mission with many other groups. 21 Acres, Sammamish Valley Grange, Woodinville Farmers Market, Friends of the Sammamish Valley, Viva Farms, and others all working to protect farmland and farmers. Our beautiful and productive Sammamish Valley is valued as a huge community asset. Working with the Woodinville Rotary Club, the Sammamish Valley Grange has evolved as a ‘clubhouse’ where community building is rooted in an understanding that local farms and local food are the foundation of any society. Senator Daniel Webster wrote in 1840, “When tillage begins, other arts follow.” This acknowledges that once people establish a food garden, they settle and become a society, complete with art and greater understanding.

One of our greatest challenges is keeping these various organizations relevant and churning along.  Often, the work done is difficult to quantify. I’m convinced that it’s time to reduce the number of local entities that are working toward a common goal, thereby freeing the resource of time and dollars that are so limited. SVA will cease as an active non-profit which will remove the burden of keeping the organization running.

I look at this decision not with sadness or regret, but rather with excitement for the possibility of being more efficient with our limited resources. Change is constant and necessary. Failure to take needed action is only detrimental. This is not an ending, but rather a step forward in our mutual goal of preserving a place where food can be grown, and community can come to know and renew their connection to their land.

Sincerely, Tom Quigley (April, 2025)

Here are links to many of our partner organizations: 21 Acres, Sammamish Valley Grange, Woodinville Farmers Market, Friends of the Sammamish Valley, Viva Farms & Woodinville Rotary Club.