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by Annie Cunningham

There’s a lot more to the Ohio Farm Bureau annual meeting than policy sessions this year. Delegates and their families can come to the convention early and take advantage of many activities.

Hospitality Corner opens at 1 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 3. This annual trade show will feature many of Ohio Farm Bureau’s member benefit providers. There also will be a health fair from 1 to 5 p.m. where members can get free blood pressure screening, "Ask the Nurse and Ask the Doctor" consultations, first aid demos, information on alternative health options, generic prescriptions and over-the-counter medicines, and free chair and/or hand massages. Flu shots and bone density scans will be available for $6 – a 67 percent savings. There also will be information available from heart, cancer, diabetes, arthritis and leukemia/lymphoma associations. Healthy eating and holiday recipes also will be available, as well as information on AAA’s Driver 55 Plus program. Participants also can pick up literature about Nationwide Health Plans Medical Case Management.

There will be two special book signings from 2 to 5 p.m. Scott Hagan, the official bicentennial barn painter, will be on hand to sign copies of "Bicentennial Barns." Kate Klimo (whose pen name is Bonnie Worth), author of "Oh Say Can You Seed?" the 2003 Ohio Farm Bureau’s Award for Children’s Literature, will be there to sign her book as well. The barn book can be purchased for $30, and the children’s book is $7. Both are great last-minute Christmas gift ideas.

Also on Wednesday, the pre-policy amendment and change session will run from 3:15 to 4:15 p.m. OFBF’s government affairs and agricultural ecology staff will be available to assist delegates with questions on policy changes and proposals. This will be the only time prior to the actual policy session that staff will be available to assist with policy changes.

The Discussion Meet finals will begin at 4:30 p.m. Members can support their favorite young farmers as they debate and discuss what ways agriculture’s newest advancements can be made more attractive to the consumer.

Wednesday’s annual meeting activities will conclude with "An Evening with Orion Samuelson" set for 8:30 p.m. Samuelson and his associate Max Armstrong are featured on WGN Radio and Tribune Radio Network, and he has a daily syndicated radio program, "National Farm Report." He also produces and hosts a weekly television show, "U.S. Farm Report," currently telecast on 160 independent stations and 7,000 cable systems serving 23 million homes in North America.

The Trustee Reception in the Hospitality Corner, hosted by the OFBF Board of Trustees will follow Samuelson’s presentation at 9:30 p.m.