LONDON, Ohio -- Early risers looking for the scoop on economic, business or policy issues will have the opportunity to check out new sessions at Ohio State University's Farm Science Review that kick off when the gates open.
Matt Roberts, an OSU Extension agricultural economist and Stan Ernst, an OSU Extension outreach program leader and marketing specialist, will hold an "Early Bird Outlook" session discussing grain markets, energy markets, and related issues at 8 a.m. on Sept. 19 and 20 at the Question the Authorities stage on Friday Ave. Farm Science Review will take place Sept. 19-21 at the Molly Caren Agricultural Center in London, Ohio.
"If we can get enough caffeine in Matt, he'll do the usual grain market predictions," said Ernst. "I'll focus a bit on more general trends and policy questions. But we really just want to chat with our industry colleagues about what they're seeing."
Said Roberts, "This is a new event for us at the Review. We decided to try the early bird outlooks to give people who may not be able to come during other times, the opportunity to discuss what's going on with the markets and hear some economic analysis."
The sessions will interest visitors coming through the gates first thing, but are also intended for exhibitors, vendors and other professionals already present at the Review who have obligations to their customers and can't find the time to get away during busy mid-day hours.
"We've had exhibitors sneak in to try to catch a bit during lunch and then scurry back to their exhibits," said Roberts. "We thought that this early time slot would be especially good for folks who often stop to say ‘Hi' early in the day but can't come back for our mid-day market programs and economic analyses."
Added Ernst, "Those of us who have to get to the Review site before daylight anyway, should take advantage of each other's expertise. And, frankly, there's nothing like a good argument …I mean discussion… first thing in the morning,"
Early Bird Outlook sessions will be longer and more informal than the rest of the days' Question the Authorities sessions. Question the Authorities provides live conversations on issues ranging from market behavior to farm policy to new technology. Roberts is a mainstay on a program that includes some 50 sessions over the course of the show.
For more information on this year's line-up, log on to http://fsr.osu.edu/schedule.html.
In addition to Question the Authorities, Ohio State's Department of Agricultural, Environmental and Development Economics will be hosting a panel discussion from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Sept. 19. "Energy & Bio-Fuels: Economic & Policy Issues Defining Agriculture," will be held in the Tobin Building on Beef St.
Visitors will also have the opportunity to provide input on a variety of economic and production issues through the FSR ‘Data Shed'. The Data Shed is designed to help shape future research and Extension projects and programs for future Farm Science Review shows. Economists will be popping up in various locations to quiz visitors, and participants may also be asked to participate in an experiment to find out what their production and financial decisions are worth to the ag economy.
Farm Science Review is sponsored by Ohio State University Extension, the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, and the academic units of the university's College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences. Tickets are $8 at the gate or $5 in advance when purchased from county offices of OSU Extension or participating agribusinesses. Children 5 and younger are admitted free. Hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sept 19-20 and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sept. 21. For more information, log on to http://fsr.osu.edu.