Chad Allen of Tillamook and Randi Svaty of Ontario have been appointed to serve on the Oregon State Board of Agriculture. Both appointments were effective May 13, 2021 and the new members will fill the remaining partial terms left vacant when Marty Meyers passed away in December 2020, and Grant Kitamura moved to Idaho in January 2021.
“Chad and Randi represent two very different types of farming in Oregon and we welcome their experience and leadership to the Board,” said Oregon Department of Agriculture Director, Alexis Taylor. “Both bring with them a deep love and appreciation for Oregon agriculture and a commitment to inclusion and coexistence statewide.”
Chad Allen is the owner/operator of Victor Dairy LLC in Tillamook, Oregon. Allen grew up on his family’s dairy farm in Tillamook. After working in Australia and attending Oregon State University, where he graduated in 2000, he returned home and partnered with his father to form Victor Dairy. Allen and his wife Adrienne have five children, one girl and four boys. Allen serves or is a member with many groups including the Oregon Dairy Farmers Association Board of Directors, Tillamook County Creamery Association Board of Directors, Oregon Ag Heritage Commission, the Oregon Farm Bureau, and the Tillamook County Planning Commission.
“I had deep admiration and respect for Marty Myers and his work on the Board on behalf of the dairy industry and was saddened to learn of his passing,” Allen said. “I would like to continue Marty’s legacy of being the voice of the dairy industry and helping educate the department, my fellow Board members, and the public about the myriad of challenges and opportunities facing the industry today and the many innovative practices the state’s dairy farms are implementing.”
Randi Svaty is the owner/operator of R&R Seed Farms, Inc., located between Ontario and Vale, Oregon. Svaty grew up on a large third-generation cattle operation in Idaho. She started in agricultural leadership early by serving in officer positions with 4-H and FFA. She continued advocating for agriculture while attending Oregon State University. After graduating, she moved to Ontario with her husband to start a farming career specializing in vegetable and forage seed production. In addition to farming, she is also the Branch Manager and Relationship Manager for Northwest Farm Credit Services. Svaty serves or is a member with many groups including the Treasure Valley Community College Foundation Board, Malheur County Development Corporation, Malheur Experiment Station Advisory Board, Malheur County Onion Growers Association, National Onion Association, and Oregon Wheat League.
“The love and drive I have for the industry shows up in every aspect of my life,” says Svaty. “Being on the State Board of Agriculture is a way for me to help be the voice for, and give back to, an industry that has raised me and is who I am.”
The Governor appoints all Board of Agriculture members. She is committed to ensuring that the Board represents the state’s growing age, racial, and gender diversity.
The Oregon State Board of Agriculture is a 10-member board that advises the Oregon Department of Agriculture on policy issues, develops recommendations on key agricultural issues, and provides advocacy of the state’s agriculture industry in general. The Board is established by Oregon Revised Statute 561.372.