MADRAS, Ore. — Ivy Sandford grew up in Eastern Oregon on her family’s dryland wheat farm, where she also raised a small herd of Corriente cattle. She graduated from Blue Mountain Community College with two degrees in agriculture, which she had planned to use on the family farm.

Plans changed after the recent passing of her father, and she went in on buying a small farm near Madras, Ore., with her mother and sister.

In March, Sandford signed on with Pratum Co-Op of Salem as an assistant crop adviser at the co-op’s Madras location.

When she’s not on the road meeting farmers throughout Central Oregon she’s busy working toward her crop adviser certification.

“We’ve been evaluating soil samples, identifying weeds and are now focusing more on the application of fertilizer and chemical spraying,” she said.“We have quite a few farmers in our area with anywhere from 500 to over 2,000 acres from Silver Lake all the way to Warm Springs.”

Sandford has enjoyed learning about the variety of crops grown in her new stomping ground such as the area’s Kentucky bluegrass and carrots. With the water restrictions imposed on Central Oregon, she has also been expanding her knowledge about crops that can thrive with less water.

She has enjoyed comparing the farming methods from Eastern Oregon dryland to Central Oregon’s irrigated crops, including the use of air drills for planting.

“Even though they’re expensive, they make the planting process easier and more efficient by applying fertilizer at the same time the seed goes into the ground,” Sandford said. “It is fun to discuss all the farming techniques from around the state.”

The Willamette Valley’s abundance of crops always turns her head when she travels to the central office to work with Kyle Roering, ag research agronomist for Pratum Co-op.

“He is evaluating different varieties of crops in the valley and up in the Walla Walla, Wash., area, seeing how they’re affected by climate and trying some different chemical applications; it’s a pretty cool setup,” Sandford said. “We are working toward having more research crops here in Central Oregon and hope to have our research farm up and running by next spring.”

You don’t see too many female crop advisers, let alone one who’s 24 with a mane of long blonde hair.

“I’ve been driving pickups and hauling trailers for many years, but a lot of growers aren’t used to having a girl show up on their farm,” she said. “They ask about my background quite a bit, but I’ve found that discussing these things helps me make better connections in the field.

“They often laugh or tease me when I show up with a truck to pick up a seed box or fertilizer buggy,” Sandford said. “When I hook up quick and easy and they ask how I did that, all I say is ‘I haul a 40-foot horse trailer to rodeos.’”

Sandford participated in extracurricular activities throughout school, including FFA, 4-H and high school and college rodeo. She has been competing in rodeos since childhood and still competes in breakaway roping at local jackpots and professional rodeos.

Though her career path took an unexpected turn this year, Sandford is glad about how things worked out.

“Working for Pratum Co-op has allowed me to be more involved in my community and provides me the opportunity for advancement in this field, which makes me excited for my future and the future of agriculture in general.”