Nash's Organic Produce is accepting applications until Aug. 15 for a farm chef internship. The six-month to one-year full-time position provides an opportunity for a chef from the food and restaurant industry to learn and teach within the sustainable farm environment.

Outgoing chef intern Mike Shethar sought an internship at Nash's last year after training at the Culinary Institute of America in St. Helena, Calif.

"I helped start the student farm at culinary school," Shethar said. "I wanted a place where I could work on the farm, that had a kitchen connected with the farm. It took a little bit of persuading for my school. They were concerned it wouldn't be culinary focused enough."

Ironically, Shethar said, he has spent more time cooking than many of his culinary school classmates who interned in restaurants.

The internship has been especially valuable to Shethar because of the growing stress on local and organic sources of food.

"I want to be a combination of a chef and a farmer," he said. "To know where the food comes from is the most important part."

"I don't think the farm chef position is very common in other farms," said Kia Armstrong of Nash's Organic Produce. "We found it was really valuable because we were able to do a lot more education."

Nash's is looking for a highly motivated person with culinary training, cooking experience and a passion for learning about sustainable food production from the ground up. The farm chef intern will engage in a wide range of farm activities including field work, interacting with the public at farmers' markets and special events, cooking demonstrations and creating original recipes for the farm's newsletter, Armstrong said.

Applications and a job description are available online at www.nashs

organicproduce.com and should be returned by Aug. 15 to Nash's Organic Produce, Attn: Kia Armstrong, 1865 E. Anderson Road, Sequim, WA 98382 or e-mailed to kia@

nashsorganicproduce.com.