LONDON, Ohio – Successful farm managers surround themselves with the best people and information. Expertise comes from study and experience. Agriculture is information driven and from year to year the questions and answers change due to production and economic forces.

Who should you go to for trusted answers? Ask the Experts at Farm Science Review (FSR).

Three days of experts have been scheduled to take center stage again this year at the 2025 Farm Science Review. This conversational dive explores hot and current topics between the moderator, experts and the audience. The 30-minute sessions give 15-20 minutes of information from the experts and five-10 minutes of Q&A with the audience. Under the comfort of a large tent, one will hear ag economists, weather scientists, Women in Ag leaders, veterinarians, ag attorneys, agronomists, animal scientists and farm management specialists.

On the minds of many of Ohio’s aging farmers is that of succession. OSU Farm Management Specialist David Marrison will help tackle this key element in farming during his presentation.

“The average age for an Ohio farmer is 56.3 years and it moves up each year,” Marrison said. “They’re getting older, not younger. People think succession is all about the estate planning part of it, but it’s actually much more than that. Estate planning is crucial, but the hardest part is knowing how to transfer the management of the farm, how to prepare the next generation and most importantly, how you, as one who has been in charge of the farm operation for many years, finally step back from the farm.

“There’s the legal side of things, the nuts and bolts, where you pass along the assets that deal with state and federal taxes and laws. With this there will be agriculture attorneys there to help you. But it’s much more than the legal side of things, it’s preparing farm families emotionally as well. Many farmers have led their farm operations for 50 or more years, built and grew their operation. There’s been a lot of blood, sweat and tears in all those years, and now we’re asking them to step back and let someone else run it? It’s just not that easy.”

Marrison said at his many workshops he often has farmers jot down all they do on their farm in a single year, physical and mechanical things included.

“There’s a tremendous amount that’s on the farmers’ plates,” Marrison said. “That emotional part of it is crucial in dealing with. That farm is a piece of that producer’s identity and when they finally step back they might say, ‘hey, I’m not the farmer, then what am I?’ This is about transfer of management, not just transfer of documents or a single event. We’re talking about a journey. The transfer of management might take seven to 10 years to train the next generation of operator.”

For decades, Marrison has watched as farmers are hit with the harsh reality of finally letting go of what they’ve done all their lives. Marrison said there’s a proper way to step back.

“We’ve seen it done well, we’ve seen it done poorly,” he said. “We advocate for people to do it well. You protect a family’s legacy by thinking, planning, communicating and sharing a vision for the future. It’s all about preparing for the next generation of farmer. And there’s oftentimes surprises along the way that could de-rail this process.”

Marrison is one of 30 panel experts over the three-day show. Robert Moore, an attorney and research specialist with the Agriculture and Resource Law Program at OSU, will be on hand to discuss using incentive trusts in a farm succession.

Barry Ward, director of OSU Extension Income Tax Schools, will discuss crop inputs, farmland values and talk tax issues in 2025 and beyond, while OSU Atmospheric Scientist Aaron Wilson will discuss weather risks and resilience in 2025.

Ohio Ag Law expert Peggy Hall returns, and this time she’ll discuss the keys to farm leases and lessons to be learned from leasing, while OSU Forest Management expert Jim Downs will guide attendees through the process of harvesting timber from one’s property.

OSU Crop Specialist Logan Minter will tell visitors how to better strengthen one’s bottom line with cover crops. Marlene Eick, director of leadership development at Ohio Farm Bureau, will show attendees to ‘network like a pro.’

OSU Professor Jeff Lewis will address Ohio’s farm labor laws, telling attendees how to stay legal, safe and productive, while Small Ruminant Management expert Brady Campbell will discuss new insights into solar grazing.

Eight other professional presenters will be on hand to discuss such things as women in agriculture, ag economics, solar grazing, grain markets and more.

For the second year, Student Spotlight Hour will take place. Many high school and college students attend FSR and a portion of the Ask the Experts program targets those who have just entered or are contemplating a career in agriculture. Three experts will be on hand to guide them along.

Trevor Corboy, OSU Agriculture and Natural Resources educator from Brown County, will lead a talk about “Getting Started in a Farm Business” while Garth Ruff, OSU Agriculture and Natural Resources educator from Henry County, will lead a discussion in “Beef-o-Nomics: Understanding Cattle Markets.” During the third session of Student Spotlight Hour, Luciana Da Costa, professor in OSU’s Department of Veterinary Preventive Medicine, will answer questions of students who are seeking education requirements and careers as a veterinarian.