Weiser, Idaho, has a new business in its midst as of August 2020, and the employees of Far West Agribusiness Association are thrilled about the move and excited to be a part of the Weiser community.

Far West Agribusiness Association (FWAA) was founded in 1959 under the original name of Inland Empire Fertilizer Dealers Association. Eventually, the name was changed to Far West Fertilizer Association to reflect the geography of our members, then ultimately to Far West Agribusiness Association, to include all crop inputs and representing Agribusinesses throughout the FWAA Region of Idaho, Oregon, Washington, Utah and Nevada.

FWAA was based in Spokane, Wash., since its inception. 2020 has brought about many changes within the organization, one being the addition of Weiser resident Margaret Jensen, as the executive director in April 2020. Jensen has been affiliated with FWAA for over a decade and was previously a member of the FWAA board of directors and has a long history in the agricultural industry. Jensen has a bachelor’s degree in genetics with a minor in plant science from UC-Davis, and has over 30-years of experience in the vegetable and seed industry, working in research, market development, product development, sales and product management before she became a seed and agronomy employment recruiter with clients across the Pacific Northwest.

In addition to her highly specialized knowledge, Jensen’s international connections have further expanded her understanding of the diverse needs of the global agribusiness industry. Jensen is also extremely active in numerous industry, political and community organizations and has a genuine desire to give back to the communities and organizations that have been so significant in her life and career.

Regarding the relocation of FWAA to Idaho, Jensen states, “This year, we made the difficult, but exciting decision to close our office in Spokane after almost 60 years in that location, and move the business to Weiser, Idaho.”

Jensen is making a lot of positive changes to the organization and she adds, “We are looking forward to growing our membership and offering more to our current members. We are excited to put our new roots down here in Weiser and be surrounded by agriculture.”

In addition to the move, another Weiser resident, Zane Davis, joined the team as the business manager for the organization. Davis has a bachelor’s degree in agricultural business with a minor in animal science and rangeland resources from Oregon State University and owns and operates a family ranch in Weiser with her husband, son and twin daughters and owns her own bookkeeping company. Davis brings a wealth of financial experience to FWAA as well as a strong agriculture background.

Errin Nelson, is the marketing and events manager and has been with FWAA for nearly 5 years and has nearly two decades in the agricultural industry. Nelson is an enormous asset to the organization with her extensive knowledge of the industry, coupled with her excellence in the digital world and event planning. Nelson remained in Washington, and will continue to work remotely from the Colfax, Washington area.

FWAA recently added Paige Jensen to the team as the social media specialist. Paige possesses an extensive history in business, sales and social media marketing and management to the position and her education and experience are vital to the organization.

According to Margaret Jensen, “The Number 1 focus is of FWAA is legislative.” She added, “The FWAA employs three lobbyists from Oregon, Washington and Idaho, who work very hard at their respective statehouses fighting and protecting legislation that impacts our members regionally.” Through the FWAA Political Action Committee, the organization was able to send over $13,000 to legislators regionally who have shown dedication to fighting and protecting agriculture. Every year the FWAA holds a PAC auction to raise money for the PAC, “as it is very important to have allies in our regions who help us!” said Jensen.

In addition to the legislative component, FWAA also provides safety training and continued education opportunities for our members (and non-members) to obtain proper credentials/certifications for Ag Chem Spills, CCA credits and Ammonia Sulfate training. These trainings are held throughout the region and throughout the year.

“The FWAA is very active in supporting the communities we are in” said Jensen. We offer scholarship opportunities for college and high school students who wish to pursue their education in agricultural studies.

The FWAA membership consists of ag retailers, crop input manufacturers of pest management and plant nutrition products, equipment manufacturers and retailers, as well as other industry affiliates and university extension services.

Far West Agribusiness Association will be holding a ribbon cutting ceremony and open house on Thursday, Oct. 29, from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. They welcome the public to stop by and say, “Hi!”