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Alaska covers fewer kids with public insurance vs. 2019; Judge Cannon indefinitely postpones Trump's classified docs trial; Federal initiative empowers communities with career creation; Ohio teacher salaries haven't kept pace with inflation.

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Former Speaker Paul Ryan weighs in on the 2024 Presidential election. President Biden condemns anti-semitism. And the House calls more college and university presidents to testify on handling pro-Palestine protests.

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Bidding begins soon for Wyoming's elk antlers, Southeastern states gained population in the past year, small rural energy projects are losing out to bigger proposals, and a rural arts cooperative is filling the gap for schools in Pennsylvania and West Virginia.

WA Tries Growing a New Crop: Farmers

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Monday, July 7, 2014   

OLYMPIA, Wash. - The state of Washington is looking for a few good farmers, willing to also be good teachers.

After a successful pilot program in two counties, Washington's Farm Internship Project expands in July to 16 counties.

Patrice Barrentine, education and outreach coordinator with the Washington State Department of Agriculture, said the program is the first of its kind in the nation.

The average age of a Washington farmer is almost 59. And Barrentine noted there are 34,000 farms across the state that will eventually need a new generation of owners and workers.

"The majority of them are small farms," said Barrentine. "In the last few years, we've had a lot of interest, but this expands those opportunities one step further – which means we're going to preserve a way of life, the countryside, and the quality of life we have in Washington."

The internships last one year. The project is open to farms with annual sales of less than $250,000, and they can have up to three interns at a time.

Having interns on a farm comes with specific responsibilities. The state waives minimum-wage laws, but requires the farm to have workers' compensation so interns have basic protections if they're injured.

The farmer also has to create a curriculum and expectations for interns.

Tisa Soeteber, agricultural employment standards specialist at the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries, said the Farm Internship Project is about more than getting 'free' workers.

"Oftentimes, having an internship is more time-consuming for the farmer than having employees," said Soeteber. "A worker who's employed to work at a production level is very different from an intern."

Soeteber added that her department knows of many informal learning arrangements at farms. The internship project ensures that farms meet the state's internship guidelines, and that the people who spend their time as interns have a quality learning experience.

Farmers can learn more about the program from the Washington Farm Bureau, or the Department of Labor and Industries.


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