Sands Farm
The Sands farm was homesteaded in 1888 after Jared Sands’ great-grandfather, along with his brother and sister, emigrated from Varmland, Sweden. They began working for the railroad that was being constructed at the time. The brothers purchased 200 acres of land from the Great Northern railroad along the Snake River northwest of Alvarado where the Sands family lives today.
Today, Jared and his wife, Robbyne, live on the farm that has expanded to over 4,400 acres made up of a rotation of spring wheat, sugar beets, soybeans and dry edible beans. Jared's parents, Wendell and Michal, live in Alvarado and love to visit the farm and see all the activities and go on crop tours. Jared and Robbyne have seven children: Jaryne, Bella, Lucia, Jaxon, Clare, Claudia Jo and Joseph, and they have all had a role in various ways on the farm over the years. Their daughter Lucia recently graduated with a degree in farm management and runs all types of equipment on the farm. The couple’s oldest son, Jaxon, will be a senior in high school this fall and works daily on the farm. Robbyne has the three younger helpers at home to help with meals, rides and yard work.
Jared is the current chair of Oak Park Township and chair of the Farmers Elevator Company of Alvarado. He's also a director on the North Valley Grain Board. He has served on the Red River Valley Sugar Beet Growers Association executive committee and is a past chair of the East Grand Forks Growers Association. Jared is also a part owner of a couple of other local businesses. Robbyne and the Sands’ oldest daughter, Jaryne, own and operate a home decor store called Eden and Co in Grand Forks. Robbyne also serves as a board member of St. Gianna’s Maternity Home in Warsaw, N.D. The Sands family are members of St. Stanislaus Catholic Church in Warsaw.