Most D.C. restaurateurs knew him simply as “Vas,” but at Washington-area farmer’s markets he was known as Pennsylvania farming powerhouse Mark Toigo’s right-hand man at Toigo Orchards. Unfortunately, what should have been a quick trip home to the Czech Republic and visa renewal for food fixture Vaclav “Vas” Trnka became a messy citizenship fiasco.

It all started back in the late 1990s, when Vas lived with the American embassy’s chef in Prague, picking up catering stints from restaurant tycoons and hearing talk of opportunities in America. A few stacks of paperwork later, Vas found himself working for the esteemed Toigo on his farm in Shippensburg, Pa. But Vas wasn’t a farmer in the barefoot, Steinbeckian-sense. He was an operations guy. Even on relatively little English, Vas progressively wore more and more hats in the professional venture, and, according to Toigo, “was the only person to ever come through this operation who embraced every facet of the responsibilities.”

For five years, Vas woke up at 5 a.m., orchestrating weekly trips from Toigo Orchards to the Washington-metro area. He learned the eccentricities of the Toigo Orchards’ 17 different types of peaches. He befriended superstar chefs such as Ris Lacoste over chats about that week’s drupe supply.

On the verge of Vas’ returning to the States after his yearly trip home to Prague in spring 2005 to take care of business (cough, get his guest worker’s visa renewed), a few disapproving officials at the U.S. Consulate in Prague decided not to give Vas clearance to come back. There he was, stuck more than 4,000 miles away with just his laptop and a few personal items — his life (and girlfriend) waiting for him back in Washington.