Our Family
Four Generations
My name is Jake Madison and my family is the fourth generation to operate Madison Ranches in Echo, Oregon. We have grown from a 160-acre dryland wheat homestead in 1914 to a diversified and very efficient, irrigated farm. We farm nearly 10,000 irrigated acres growing a veriaty of crops that include Alfalfa hay, Alfalfa seed, Blue grass seed, Canola, Grain Corn for cattle feed, Timothy hay for export, Fresh yellow and red onions, Dehydrator onions, Sweet corn, Buckwheat, and various other forage crops. We lease ground out for Potatoes, Peas, Beans, Rye and Fescue grass seed, and Organics.
Generation
Gaylord & Gladys Madison
Generation
John & Nellie Madison
Generation
Kent Madison
Generation
Jake and Heather Madison with the 5th generation
How We Got Started
Gaylord Madison moved out west from Missouri in 1912. He heard about an irrigation project that was bringing river water to ag lands that had the potential to grow almost anything under irrigation. He started trading land, farming grain, hay, and sheep. When his son John Madison returned from Oregon State University with his wife Nellie they worked alongside Gaylord to help refine and improve the farming and cattle operations. Later John and Nellie bought some neighboring farmland of their own and developed the irrigation infrastructure that brought the land to life. Kent focused on adding value to the ranch. Developing water rights, partnering with a neighbor on developing the irrigation infrastructure, as well as developing several different relationships with local food processors to land apply their reuse water. In 2008 Jake and his Wife Heather returned home to help manage the ranch for Kent. In 2013 Jake and Heather had the opportunity to buy Kent and Johns sister Aunt Dorothy out of the farm. Since Jake and Heather purchased the farm they have developed over 2,000 additional irrigated acres with 1,450 of those being certified organic. They have also focused on producing higher valued seed and vegetable crops as well as partnering with Larry Cox and his family out of California on an onion packing shed that ships the farm grown fresh red and yellow onions across the nation.
Our Values
More information coming soon!