More than 108,000 attendees made the trip to the Molly Caren Agricultural Center this week for the 62nd annual Farm Science Review, presented by The Ohio State University College Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES), bringing together tens of thousands of farmers and exhibitors from the region who are experiencing one of the worst droughts in recent history.
The weather, farm safety and stress, and new products and innovations were topics of interest over the course of the three-day event.
Highlights from the show included:
• Aaron Wilson, state climatologist and field specialist with Ohio State University Extension, gave several expert presentations on “Cultivating Resilience: Are You Prepared for Extreme Weather?” during the show, as the drought continued to escalate. OSU Extension is the outreach arm of CFAES.
• The Certified Agriculture Group, in partnership with FOX Factory Vehicles, revealed the world’s first purpose-built agriculture pick-up truck, the AGwagon, on Tuesday.
• Roughly 600 acres of field demonstrations resulted in an average of 175 bushels per acre harvested for corn and 50 bushels per acre for soybeans, with both crops coming out of the field very dry.
• The first-ever virtual equipment auction at FSR took place on Wednesday, presented by Upper Sandusky-based Walton Realty & Auction Co.
• The Ohio Agricultural Mental Health Alliance released results from its Farm Stress Survey, which measured the amount of stress of which Ohio’s farmers, families and communities are under, in conjunction with FSR. Extension experts were on-hand to share mental health and stress relief resources with attendees.
“As far as shows go historically, this one remains a standout for attendee-exhibitor interactions, field demonstrations and fostering connections, despite the challenges of the drought and some folks staying home to harvest,” said Nick Zachrich, FSR manager. “We’ve received great feedback from those in attendance about how the relationships formed here this week will have a lasting impact on the agriculture industry in the years to come.”
The three-day farm show welcomed 35,803 visitors on Tuesday, 52,540 on Wednesday and 19,844 on Thursday.
For exhibitors, it’s a chance to connect with current and potential customers. Longtime exhibitor Beck’s Hybrids looks forward to the show each year.
“Whether it’s interacting with high school students, new faces or our seasoned customers, we always enjoy having the opportunity to engage with those in attendance at Farm Science Review and share the story of Beck’s,” said Kyle Wise, area team leader.
First-time exhibitors, like The Ohio Hemp Company, found instant return on investment with their presence at the show.
“It was an excellent, five-star experience, and we’ll be back,” said TJ Richardson, co-founder of The Ohio Hemp Company. “Our booth was very full every day because there’s a lot of buzz around hemp right now and farmers are looking for alternative ways to make money due to the current corn and soybean prices. There are a lot of misconceptions about hemp, so we’re focused on telling the story of industrial hemp and its versatility for food and fiber uses.”
Notable attendees of this year’s show included Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, Ohio State President Walter “Ted” Carter Jr. and Ohio Department of Agriculture Director Brian Baldridge.
The 2025 show is scheduled for September 16-18 of next year.
“Planning is already underway for next year’s show and we look forward to welcoming everyone back to an even bigger and better Farm Science Review,” said Zachrich.
Farm Science Review is hosted by CFAES. Year-after-year, Farm Science Review welcomes more than 100,000 attendees and over 500 different exhibitors to the Molly Caren Agricultural Center in London, Ohio, making it the heart of agricultural innovation and education. For more information, visit fsr.osu.edu or follow Farm Science Review on social media.
