Have you ever wanted to climb into the cockpit of a plane and glide over a field?

At this year’s Farm Science Review (FSR), scheduled for Sept. 21–23, visitors will have that chance without leaving the grassy ground under them.

After a year of remote everything, most would agree it feels good to get out, kick some tires, play with some technology, watch crops being harvested and have face-to-face conversations. But this past year of isolation wasn’t all bad; it opened up new ways of thinking and doing things.

The upcoming, annual farm trade show will offer a series of virtual-reality experiences such as operating a crop duster, high-tech planters, combines and other equipment.

Sitting in a mini IMAX-type theater, visitors to FSR can watch videos projected on a domed screen around them. They’ll get an expansive view — a bit wider than peripheral vision — so they can feel as if they’re flying a plane. Or riding a high-tech planter. Or peering into a beehive. 

To film the videos, Ohio State University Extension educators mounted cameras to various spots on planters, tractors, combines and other vehicles, so viewers can get a perspective they wouldn’t normally get.

“It’s a little bit like having a bug’s-eye view of all of these places,” says Brooke Beam, Extension educator in Highland County. OSU Extension is the outreach arm of the Ohio State University College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences, which hosts FSR.

One of the videos was taken by drones that flew over fields throughout the state to highlight the variety in Ohio agriculture: different crops, diverse soil types and an assortment of terrain.

“Young people will find the technology really enthralling,” says Nick Zachrich, FSR manager. “But also, experienced farmers or producers will get a view they don’t normally get — a view of what someone else is doing. Then, they can see if it might be something useful for their own operations.”

Having an immersive theater experience is one of the new offerings at the upcoming, three-day FSR. Last year, the show was exclusively virtual as a result of the pandemic. This year’s show will be in person, but some talks and demonstrations will be livestreamed from the Molly Caren Agricultural Center near London, Ohio. Many of the talks will also be recorded so people can watch them online, as well from their phones, tablets or laptops.

Try it out

A new marketplace pavilion will offer visitors a chance to try products that smaller businesses in food and agriculture are promoting, such as a dairy that might be starting a type of ice cream or a specialty cheese.

In its third year, FSR’s Career Exploration Fair will be both in person and online. On Sept. 22, the in-person career fair will be held from 10 a.m. to noon. During the same time frame Sept. 24, people can visit fsr.osu.edu for a virtual opportunity to learn about careers in agriculture.

“Being able to be there on-site and part of a crowd will be very inviting to people,” Zachrich says of this year’s show. “It’s a good opportunity to get away from the farm for the day.”

FSR hours are from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sept. 21–22 and from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sept. 23. Tickets for the event are $7 online and at OSU Extension county offices and participating agribusinesses, or $10 at the gate. Children ages 5 and younger are free. For tickets and more information about FSR, visit fsr.osu.edu.

Source: Ohio State Extension, which is solely responsible for the information provided and is wholly owned by the source. Informa Business Media and all its subsidiaries are not responsible for any of the content contained in this information asset.