AMERICAN FALLS — As a way to give back to the community, Northwest Farm Credit Services has offered grants of $1,500 each to the American Falls High School for its weight room and the Power County Hospital for renovations.

Northwest Farm Credit American Falls’ branch, which covers not just the American Falls and Rockland areas but also stretches to north of Aberdeen and Raft River, provides financing for many agricultural businesses in the area, and these grants are just one of the ways they choose to give back.

“Some of the cool things about (Northwest) Farm Credit is that we do invest a lot into our rural communities,” Branch Manager Adam Teichert said. “We’ve done I don’t know how many thousand dollars worth of grants, and then we also invest in our customers by providing training and educational classes.”

Teichert, who has been with Northwest since 2009, said that because many of Northwest’s members grew up on a farm or ranch, they understand the needs and circumstances of businesses in those fields.

“The thing that makes (Northwest) Farm Credit unique is that it’s a co-op, we are owned by our customers, and we focus solely on agriculture,” he said. “Northwest as a whole just wants to continue to help farmers be successful and manage their cycles of agriculture for generations and see this passed onto the next generation of farmers.”

Northwest Farm Credit Services is located at 73 Fort Hall Ave, Suite A, in American Falls, is open Monday through Friday, 8 am to 5 pm.