Digger magazine

Written to make you a nursery industry expert.

  • FWS-2025-NEW-September_728x90.png
  • NurseryGuide2024-728x90-1.png
  • Digger-Employment_banner-2020-728x90px.jpg
  • FWS-2025-NEW-September_728x90.png
  • Media-Kit-DM-com-banner-2025-728x90-1.png
  • Home
  • Articles
    • Nursery News
    • Features
    • Plants
    • Growing Knowledge
    • Operations
    • Nursery Country
  • Issues
  • Events
  • Farwest
  • Columns
    • Director’s Desk
    • Mike Darcy
    • President’s Message
  • Employment Classifieds
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe to Digger
You are here: Home / Farwest Show / Farwest Show staying in Portland for 2024 and beyond

Farwest Show staying in Portland for 2024 and beyond

By Curt Kipp — Posted August 18, 2023

The Farwest Show will remain at the Oregon Convention Center for 2024 and into the foreseeable future, OAN leaders and staff have determined.

“Over the past year, we felt the concerns that some have raised about COVID-era conditions in Portland, and we knew it was important to explore various alternate locations in light of the ongoing needs of the show,” OAN Executive Director Jeff Stone said. “Ultimately, we found that the Oregon Convention Center is the only event venue in the state of Oregon with the adequate size, scale and services to accommodate the needs of Farwest going forward.”

The 2023 Farwest Show expects to serve more than 4,000 guests when it opens next week, and nearly 350 exhibitors will be there.

“We looked at other venues,” OAN Director of Events Allan Niemi said. “None of them have the room to accommodate all the booths and people that come to Farwest, let alone the educational seminars and other show features that we offer. We even looked at going to a smaller venue. That would require putting some exhibitors outside in tents, and even then, it’s questionable who all would fit. The Oregon Convention Center easily handles all our needs and offers us the space that lets us grow again.”

The OAN did hear concerns from some about the state of Portland.

“We all have watched with sadness has happened with Portland over the pandemic, with the state of houselessness,” OAN President Todd Nelson said. “It’s a problem that takes time to address, and it’s affecting more than Portland but smaller communities as well. That said, we have seen improvement in conditions downtown. Although Portland is not out of the woods, the Convention Center and Lloyd District neighborhood is in better shape, and the city overall is on a more positive trajectory back to pre-COVID conditions.”

The post-COVID recovery and the industry’s strong growth are positive signs for the nursery industry and for Farwest.

“For 50 years, Farwest has been a grand showcase for Oregon growers, who are the best in the country at what they grow,” Stone said. “The industry is growing and the show should grow along with it. Visitors to Farwest will find a celebratory mood, more exhibitors to visit, a compelling lineup of seminars, great networking opportunities, and a whole host of ideas and products to help them grow their businesses.”

“Farwest truly took off when it moved to the then-new Oregon Convention Center in the early 1990s,” Niemi said. “It generated a sense of excitement and allowed new room for growth and interaction. It’s still the best convention and event facility in the state and region, making it a suitable home for Oregon’s largest segment of agriculture and the talented growers who drive the industry forward.”

Share this:

  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
  • Click to print (Opens in new window) Print
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn
  • Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X
  • More
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest
  • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window) Pocket

Filed Under: Farwest Show Tagged With: Business, Farwest, OAN, Plants, Retail Nurseries, Wholesale Nurseries

About Curt Kipp

Curt Kipp is the director of publications and communications at the Oregon Association of Nurseries, and the editor of Digger magazine.

NURSERY NEWS

In Memoriam: Melvin John Steffenson

New USDA Census of Hort arriving in mailboxes this month

Oregon Association of Nurseries honors the industry’s best at 2024 Convention

Eason Horticultural Resources is now employee-owned

Oregon’s nursery licensing program aims to keep the entire industry healthy

Building trust is key to establishing clientele base for new nurseries

Five owners share their experiences on what it takes to start a nursery businesses

Bailey hires new CFO and chief HR officer

More Nursery News

From the pages of Digger

June 2025: Shrubs issue

May 2025: Sustainability Issue

April 2025: The Tree Issue

March 2025: The Perennial Issue

February 2025: The Greenhouse Issue

More issues of Digger

Pests and Diseases

Prioritizing nursery pest challenges

New tools in the battle against thrips

Aiming for precision in pest control

Oregon’s nursery licensing program aims to keep the entire industry healthy

$250,000 shifted to P. austrocedri research

More articles

FARWEST SHOW UPDATES

Sense of excitement prevailed at Farwest as nursery industry ‘Meets the Future’ 

Farwest Show attendees select favorites for the Retailers’ Choice Awards

Starway to Heaven™ Japanese Snowbell wins People’s Choice balloting at Farwest Show New Varieties Showcase

Hopper Bros. wins Best in Show booth award at 2024 Farwest Show   

Starway to Heaven™ Japanese Snowbell wins Judges’ Best in Show at Farwest Show New Varieties Showcase

More Updates from Farwest

The Value of Membership

Meet the leader: Sam Pohlschneider

OAN honors the industry’s best

Oregon Association of Nurseries honors the industry’s best at 2024 Convention

More member stories

​

Updates to exisiting subscriptions can be sent to [email protected]

News

  • Nursery News
  • Growing Knowledge
  • Nursery Operations

Features

  • Plant Features
  • OAN Members
  • Oregon Nursery Country

Columns

  • Director’s Desk
  • Mike Darcy
  • President’s Message
  • Digital Growth

Resources

  • OAN Home Page
  • Job Listings
  • Subscribe to Digger
  • Advertise in Digger
  • Online Plant Search

© 2025 Oregon Association of Nurseries