LONDON, Ohio -- The cases, codes and regulations of agriculture law can be confusing and easily misunderstood. Ohio State University's Farm Science Review will be the place where the complexities of zoning, nuisance laws and liability issues are unraveled.
Peggy Hall, director of OSU Extension's Agricultural and Resource Law Program for the Department of Agricultural, Environmental, and Development Economics, will be at the three-day event to help answer visitors' questions. An agriculture law exhibit will be on display in the Firebaugh Building, located on Friday Avenue. Hall will give presentations on rural zoning issues with wind turbines and livestock, and agricultural nuisance laws at the Question the Authorities program, as well as provide a program on liability issues for new and small farms in the Small Farm Center.
Farm Science Review will take place Sept. 18-20 at the Molly Caren Agricultural Center in London, Ohio.
Hall said that a variety of fact sheets and newsletters will be available in the Firebaugh Building covering topics from legal liability to eminent domain. Hall will also address many questions farmers have had regarding zoning.
"I've been getting a lot of questions as to whether county or township zoning can regulate or prohibit wind turbines or livestock," said Hall. "Many farmers don't know exactly what or where zoning can regulate, and when you are talking about county or township zoning, it can get a bit messy because counties or townships don't have as much zoning power as a city. It's a bit of a puzzle to put it all together."
Hall's agriculture law exhibit is part of a larger Farm Science Review program on farm financial management. Topics to be covered include a farm wages and benefits survey, the latest Ohio cropland values and cash rents survey, farm transition planning, and on-farm decision-making tools.
Farm Science Review is sponsored by Ohio State University Extension, the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, and the 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 18-19 and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sept. 20. For more information, log on to http://fsr.osu.edu.