"Smorgasbord of Agriculture"

Look around the Farm Science Review, and you'll see plenty of evidence of Ohio State honoring its agricultural roots.

The traditional tractors and combines are there, along with demonstration plots filled with different varieties of corn and soybeans. But the Farm Science Review also showcases what's up next--including green features such as a field of biomass crops, a rain garden exhibition, and a small-scale biodigester.

In Ohio, food and agriculture is more than a $100 billion industry. And the state's No. 1 industry is continuing to grow, says Bobby Moser, vice president of Agricultural Administration and dean of the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences.

"Now we're into energy," Moser says. "We're taking raw products produced out of agriculture and making bioenergy and bio-based products. We're connecting more with the health industry, and finding those compounds in food that have medicinal properties, and prevention of certain types of diseases."

"It's a big industry and very encompassing," he says. "And that's good for the economy of Ohio."

The review gives Ohio State the opportunity to teach a wide variety of people--about 130,000 farmers, school children, and teachers--about agriculture. Throughout the event, workshops and seminars are offered, from social media marketing how-to's to the traditional market outlooks.

All of them lead back to the same thing: helping farmers, which in turn will help the state's economy.

"If agriculture is going well, it's going to help the economy of Ohio," Moser says. "That's why we feel obligated through our research and education programs to do the best that we can, to fuel this agriculture with the best information and keep it strong and viable."