By farmer friend, do you mean someone growing a certain "green" cash crop? Cause I have a few friends doing that now that it's legal. Tbh I know more ranchers than anything, all you'll see where I live is log trucks and pastures full of cows.
Oregon really can show you all seasons in a day (more understandable if going east-west, west-east). LOL I've seen every season within an hour out my back porch, right now kinda wish I could see something other than scorching sunshine though (nonstop heat, hit a new high of 108F week before and been high 90s ever since). Everything's been catching on fire!
That I-84 drive is also a good route, see the geography change the whole way up. Took it all the way there-and-back to Montana