Ag Trends

For Amy Smith, managing relationships is more than just her job; it’s an inherent part of who she is. This above-and-beyond commitment is evidenced by customers calling just to check in on her livestock or showing up to support her at the county fair. Amy is a people person, through and through, but what’s more – Amy is an AgWest people person. She was born and raised on an Idaho family farm and ranch and is heavily involved in 4-H and FFA. She builds meaningful relationships with customers because she is entrenched in the communities where they live and work. She understands their needs and values because they align with her own, and the resulting customer-focused approach comes organically.

Meet Amy

Amy is a Relationship Manager in our Twin Falls branch. She began nearly 12 years ago as a Financial Specialist and moved into Credit Officer and Customer Solutions roles before coming back to lending. She grew up on a family-operated farm and ranch in eastern Idaho – about 15 miles west of Blackfoot – and moved to Jerome several years ago, where she currently lives with her husband and 14-year-old daughter. In addition to cats and dogs, they also have cows, horses, pygmy goats and pigs, which her husband lovingly refers to as their “funny farm.”

Giving back

Outside of her role at AgWest, Amy spends most of her time volunteering with FFA and 4-H. She credits her professional success, in part, to her long-term involvement with these organizations and felt it was her turn to give back. Amy currently serves as Vice President of the Idaho FFA Foundation Board and assists with several local FFA chapter activities, including involvement in Jerome FFA Alumni and Supporters. She is also involved in Jerome County 4-H and the 4-H club her daughter participates in.

Amy’s heart for community aligns with AgWest’s passion for helping communities thrive and she regularly writes letters of support for the Rural Community Grant Program. She recently supported Jerome County’s grant proposal for a much-needed swine barn update. The existing barn was originally built for much smaller animals and had gone more than 20 years without major improvements. The aging infrastructure was becoming a safety hazard to both the animals and the children showing them. Through a joint effort with parents, the Swine Superintendent and Jerome County, the grant was successfully awarded and the barn received the needed upgrades to remain in operation.

Thanks to her dedication to these community efforts, Amy has helped to identify and award more than $18,000 in rural grants to local organizations. Through it all, she continues to deflect from herself and focus on the joy it creates, explaining, “I don’t expect recognition; I do it because I love it.”

A family affair

Amy’s daughter has been involved with 4-H since she was five years old. She started out as a Clover Bud, showing chickens and cats before moving on to pygmy goats, beef breeding, heifer, beef steer and swine. A high point for Amy recently has been watching her daughter show beef coming out of their own herd. Now 14, Amy’s daughter has just recently enrolled in FFA, and Amy has high hopes her daughter will find the same fulfillment in both organizations that she did.

Core values

Amy credits the “amazing kids, parents and customers” she works with for allowing her to balance her personal and professional commitments. She is also incredibly grateful to work for an employer who not only supports the causes she cares about, but also supports her time away from the office to serve those causes.

When asked what she loves most about working for AgWest, Amy praises the organization’s commitment to their employees, their customers and the communities they serve. She notes that “AgWest doesn’t just care on a professional level, but on a personal level too.” Amy loves being a trusted resource and is proud to be working for an organization with the same core values she was raised on.