Gov. Chris Gregoire on Monday signed into law a bill sponsored by Sen. Kevin Ranker, D-San Juan Island, to help continue the legacy of Washington’s farmers for generations to come.

“The average age of a farmer in Washington is 57 years old,” Ranker said. “If we’re serious about promoting agriculture in Washington, we’re going to have to encourage younger people to get onto the farms and get their hands dirty.”

Ranker’s legislation establishes a pilot project to allow farms with gross sales of less than $250,000 annually to create internship programs for future farmers who are not enrolled in classes to work on farms throughout the state.

“With significant help from farmers, we were able to create a pilot that will help us ensure we preserve family farms in to the future,” Ranker said.

In order to qualify for the program, farmers must submit a written application to the state’s Department of Labor and Industries for certification and include the nature of work and how it will provide the intern with vocational knowledge and skills.

The farm intern bill is Senate Bill 6349.