The FIELD program on Washington’s Olympic Peninsula is an innovative internship opportunity for beginning farmers, combining formal education with field-based experience in sustainable agriculture. FIELD is a  collaborative approach to farm education, bringing together a variety of host farms and Jefferson County’s Washington State University Extension to better meet the educational interests of farm interns and offer academic credit for farm internships.

Each intern is paired with a local host farm and is fully immersed in the day-to-day activities of farm life. In addition to farm-based learning, interns attend weekly intensive workshops on applicable subjects as diverse as animal slaughter, agricultural law, cheese making, and farm construction. FIELD interns work with their host farms, other local farmers, and WSU extension staff to develop a learning plan, culminating in an independent project at the end of the semester. Interns may participate in a total of three FIELD semesters and are eligible for academic credit or continuing education credits through WSU.

The program is still seeking applicants for 2012. To learn more about the program and to apply, go to the FIELD Program page on WSU extension’s website, or email the internship coordinator directly at fieldinternship@gmail.com for more information.