The Ohio State University’s Farm Science Review, which was held online last year because of the pandemic, will return this year to be live and in person for the 59th annual event.
The premier agricultural education and industry exposition is set for Sept. 21–23 at Ohio State’s Molly Caren Agricultural Center, 135 State Route 38, near London.
“While research, teaching, and serving communities throughout Ohio never stopped during the pandemic, we are grateful to once again be in person, working together, to advance our industry,” said Cathann A. Kress, Ohio State’s vice president for agricultural administration and dean of the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES).
CFAES is the host of Farm Science Review, which brings in more than 100,000 people annually.
Kress called the event a “critical component of our land-grant mission to provide research-based information and practical education to the people of Ohio and beyond.”
Jacqueline Kirby Wilkins, a CFAES associate dean and the director of the college’s Ohio State University Extension outreach arm, said Farm Science Review gives a “wonderful opportunity” to explore the latest CFAES research.
Featured at the event will be more than 100 educational sessions, including “Ask the Expert” talks; 600 exhibits; the most comprehensive field crop demonstrations in the United States; a career exploration fair; and immersive virtual reality videos of agricultural activities.
There will also be a new online component, said Nick Zachrich, Farm Science Review’s manager. Called “Farm Science Review Live,” it will “bring content from the Molly Caren Ag Center to wherever you are in the world with internet access,” he said.
It’s a next big step in ramping up the event’s digital tools, which in recent years have seen the addition of a mobile app and a digital directory, both designed to help people navigate the grounds.
“Our staff has strived to make it easier for visitors to find the exhibitors and information they need. But seeing the entire 100-acre exhibit area is a tall task, especially when stopping to discuss business with exhibitors or attend a session,” Zachrich said.
“Farm Science Review Live” will help people see what they might have missed, or will let them go back to watch and learn again, he said.
“It builds on our commitment to use the best tools available to make connections between farmers and other professionals in agriculture with our exhibitors and educators.”
Hours for Farm Science Review are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sept. 21–22 and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sept. 23. Tickets are $7 online, at county offices of OSU Extension, and at participating agribusinesses, and $10 at the gate. Children ages 5 and under are admitted free.
