WA Makes Farm Internship Program A Permanent Fixture

A program created in 2010 in WA state to allow people to learn about farming while working as an intern on an ag operation is getting some major changes in 2024.

  Farm Intern program made permanent by Labor and Industries

The Farm Internship Program will see some major modifications in 2024 going forward, one of which could be very welcome for the future of AG in Wa.

According to Labor and Industries:

• "Permanent: The Farm Internship Program is permanent and is no longer a pilot, or project, with an expiration date.
• The Farm Internship Program is for small farms: The program is for farms that generate less than $265,000 in annual sales per year.
• Expanded statewide: All 39 counties in Washington state are now eligible to participate in the Farm Internship Program."

Some other major additions include:

• I"f the farm employs more than one intern, the farm must employ at least one intern with direct experience as a migrant farmworker. This includes a parent or grandparent has direct migrant farmworker experience.
• If a farm receives only one application, the rule changes. The migrant farmworker requirement doesn’t apply.
• This rule applies to the following counties: Adams, Asotin, Benton, Clallam, Columbia, Douglas, Ferry, Franklin, Garfield, Grays Harbor, Klickitat, Mason, Okanogan, Pacific, Pend Oreille, Skamania, Stevens, Wahkiakum, and Whitman."

For more information and details on how to participate, click here.