Get your hands dirty with the Jefferson County FIELD Program!

Jefferson County Farm Innovation, Education, and Leadership Development (FIELD) Program is an on-farm based internship program in sustainable agriculture located on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State.

This collaborative educational program was developed by Jefferson County farmers and Washington State University (WSU) Extension and provides interns the opportunity to study sustainable agricultural enterprises and community-based production systems at several diverse farms in the Port Townsend area.  Interns are provided formal instruction, field-based application of information, and involvement in projects on farms that produce and market vegetables, fruit, field crops, and livestock. Opportunities to observe and engage in different production, business, and marketing approaches are provided through activities at the different farms throughout the season.

Throughout the FIELD program, student interns may earn either Continuing Education Units (CEU) or University credit from WSU. CEUs are appropriate for interns who are not or do not expect to enroll in a degree program while university credit may be desired by students who are enrolled in a degree program.  It is the responsibility of each intern to determine if said credits are transferrable to their home institution.  All interns who successfully complete the FIELD program will earn a Certificate of Sustainable Agriculture.

For programs consisting of CEUs, each intern will pay $100 per 3 months. A limited number of scholarships to help defray the cost may be available. Additional tuition is needed for academic credit, and tuition payment is the responsibility of the intern. For more information about potential scholarship support and how to earn academic credit, contact John Bellow at info@springrainfarm.com. Potential interns should also inquire about potential financial support through their respective institution. Interns are required to provide their own health insurance coverage.

Student interns who have completed an undergraduate degree or are in a graduate program are preferred. Well-qualified undergraduates will be considered. For interns to get the maximum benefit, they should plan to participate in the FIELD program for the entire planting/growing/harvesting season if students’ schedules permit (Mid-March through November).  The minimum length of participation is 3 months.

To apply for the FIELD program, contact the farmer you are interested in having as your primary mentor and fill out and submit the application.

To apply and find more information, visit http://www.springrainfarmandorchard.com/FIELD/