Ag industry to get sneak preview of roadmap Eighty-five agriculture, government and business leaders have spent nearly 1 1/2 years researching and identifying what Ohio's agricultural climate will look like in 2030. On Sept. 20, ag industry leaders will get a sneak preview of the 40-page Ohio Agricultural Roadmap during the first day of Farm Science Review, which is expected to attract 135,000 people during the three-day event. Ohio Farm Bureau Executive Vice President Jack Fisher is scheduled to briefly talk about the results of the roadmap at the annual vice president's lunch, a gathering of hundreds of Ohio agricultural leaders. A steering committee and six subcommittees put together the document after listening to various experts and analyzing agriculture's current climate and where it is headed over the next 25 years. While working on the roadmap, industry leaders coined the phrase "agbioresource," which is used throughout the document and is described as "an essential and innovative industry comprised of food, agricultural, green environment/landscape and bio-based industrial products." "This roadmap is the result of a herculean effort by 85 stakeholders to critically evaluate the agricultural community and determine what they want it to be in 2030," said Constance Jackson, vice president of OFBF's agricultural ecology. "This vision provides the framework for moving the industry forward. Every sector of the industry has a vital role to play in working with our partners to make that happen." The committees identified seven areas that are critical for the agriculture industry and outlined what needs to be done to ensure a "vibrant and healthy future" for the industry, Jackson said. (Specifics about the roadmap will be detailed in the next edition of Buckeye Farm News.) Private industry officials, public officials and local leaders have expressed interest in the roadmap, Jackson said. Copies of the roadmap will be available at Farm Bureau's agriculture ecology display at Farm Science Review. The document also will be available online at www.ofbf.org. | |