LONDON, Ohio – The return of in-person events at Farm Science Review (FSR) marks the resumption of daily Ask the Expert sessions.

Forty different talks are scheduled over the three days of FSR. Each session will feature one expert. FSR is Sept. 21-23 at the Molly Caren Agricultural Center near London.

Most of the 20 experts expected to take part in the presentations are faculty and staff at The Ohio State University’s College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, said David Marrison, agricultural and natural resources extension educator for Ohio State in Coshocton County. Sessions are 10 a.m.-3 p.m. on the 21st and 22nd and 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on the 23rd. New discussions start every 20 minutes.

“We try to hit the hottest farm management and veterinary medicine topics of the year, of the fall,” he explained. “There are sessions on carbon markets, tax reform and stepped up basis, Ohio tree laws, disease transmission and vaccines.”

Other topics include dairy farm consolidation, the financial security of farms, ag trade and policy, and protecting livestock from toxins and poisonous plants.

Speakers will also discuss COVID-19 and how it will impact agriculture going forward, Marrison said. “We’ve learned a lot about COVID and how it affected us. We’re planning a couple of sessions on farm stress. That’s related to a lot of things at the farm level, including COVID.”

The Ask the Expert sessions will take place at 426 Friday Ave., across the street from the Firebaugh Building. The Ask the Expert tent features benches and plenty of space for attendees, he said.

“We’re near some of the concessions so it’s the perfect time to grab some food and sit down, take a rest and listen,” Marrison noted. “The experts will take questions from the moderator and directly from farmers. Afterward, many times the expert will answer questions in the Firebaugh Building. Experts may have a one-on-one session with producers to continue to the dialog.

“We’re excited to be back in person. There’s something special about sitting next to each other, participating in a show like this in person. There’s such a value in the in-person event. There’s also the ability to have a personal conversation with the expert before or after the sessions.”

The overall theme of this year’s FSR is Measuring What Matters, Marrison said. “We’re trying to keep on target with farm management and veterinary issues farmers have on their minds. Our intent, our hope, is that we provide information that makes our farm managers continue to push the envelope. We want to show them ways to become more efficient, more effective. We’re challenging them to become better managers.”

A Farm Office Live session will be 10 a.m.-11:30 a.m. on the 23rd. The presentation will focus on pandemic relief, farm management law and policy issues. To learn more about Farm Office Live, visit https://farmoffice.osu.edu.

For those who can’t attend FSR in person, videos of the Ask the Expert sessions will be available later at https://fsr.osu.edu. For a daily FSR schedule, including the Ask the Expert sessions, visit the FSR website, click on visitors and then program and schedule 2021.