Governor DeWine Cuts Ribbon on New Ohio Agriculture Center

Article presented by Rathkamp Financial &  Pickaway Ross Career & Technology Center-Adult Education …

(COLUMBUS, Ohio) — Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and First Lady Fran DeWine today were joined by Ohio’s agricultural leaders to cut the ribbon on the new Ohio Agriculture Center presented by Nationwide®, marking the official opening of one of several new buildings ahead of this year’s Ohio State Fair.

The 177,000-square-foot Ohio Agriculture Center replaces two aging structures — the former Ohio Building, longtime home of the Taste of Ohio Café, and the Ag & Hort Building, which for years hosted the Ohio Farm Bureau’s Land & Living Exhibit along with the fair’s horticulture and floriculture exhibits. 

“We are pleased to celebrate the opening of the brand new Ohio Agriculture Center. This building will not only be home to the agricultural activities during the Fair, but it will also be used the rest of the year as an event venue,” said Governor DeWine. “Whether spending time in the new Taste of Ohio Café, seeing the new imAGine Ag exhibit, seeing animals being born, or making a pizza with my wife Fran in the Ohio Proud Showcase, there will be so much agriculture to experience during this year’s Ohio State Fair.”

The ribbon-cutting is part of a broader, ongoing transformation of the state fairgrounds, made possible by support from the Ohio General Assembly. In addition to the Ohio Agriculture Center, new features include the Ohio Showcase Building, a Town Square area and amphitheater, renovations to the Dairy Building, Bricker Building, and North Commercial Pavilion, along with underground infrastructure, landscaping, and new Wi-Fi across the grounds.

“The Ohio Agriculture Center is the new home for one of our largest industries – food and agriculture,” said Ohio Department of Agriculture Director Brian Baldridge. “Our farmers, farm families, and rural communities have long laid the foundation for this grand opening. Now, it is up to us to help build upon that legacy and showcase the strength and contributions of our farmers and producers. This investment in our state and future generations wouldn’t be possible without the support of Gov. Mike DeWine, the Ohio General Assembly, and Ohio’s agricultural community.”

“The opening of the Ohio Agriculture Center and imAGine Ag exhibit represents a significant investment in Ohio agriculture and agricultural education,” said Adam Sharp, executive vice president of Ohio Farm Bureau. “Thanks to the leadership of Gov. DeWine, the support of the Ohio General Assembly and the collaboration of partners across our industry, we’ve created an experience where fairgoers of all ages can discover the innovation and people behind Ohio agriculture. Through immersive, hands-on learning, we hope to inspire curiosity, build trust, and help every visitor better understand the role agriculture plays in the lives of every Ohioan.”

About the Ohio Agriculture Center
The Ohio Agriculture Center presented by Nationwide® will welcome fairgoers during the 2026 Ohio State Fair with exhibits spanning the breadth of Ohio agriculture, from farm to fork and beyond:

• imAGine Ag Exhibit — An interactive, hands-on exhibit exploring the technology, practices and science behind modern farming, organized around seven anchor exhibits: Storied Seasons, an immersive look at a year in the life of Ohio farm families; Crop Invaders, a fly-and-learn drone game illustrating precision agriculture; Harvest Hero, which conveys the scale of Ohio’s crop harvest; Weather Wonder Lab, exploring weather’s impact on farms above and below ground; Creature Comforts Trail, a hands-on look at animal care leading into the Animal Life & Learning Center; Buckeye State AgQuest, an interactive county-by-county tour of Ohio food and agriculture facts; and Seasons of Innovation, tracing the history of agriculture through the eras.
• Taste of Ohio Café — Ohio’s agricultural commodity groups — dairy, poultry, beef, pork and lamb — plus Ohio beer and wine, will be served in a large, indoor air-conditioned dining space.
• Ohio Proud Showcase — Hosted by the Ohio Department of Agriculture, this exhibit is a destination for all things Ohio-grown, featuring fresh coffee, live cooking demonstrations, local flavors and interactive, hands-on learning, plus the Ohio Proud General Store for taking a taste of Ohio home. First Lady Fran DeWine will host cooking demonstrations, making pizzas with young children in the Ohio Proud Showcase on July 31 at 11 a.m. and Aug. 3 at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. She will also do a “Coat of Many Colors” craft and book reading on Aug. 4 at 2 p.m.
• OVMA Animal Life & Learning Center — Meet baby animals or milk a cow in a new home. Get an up-close look at animal care and birth, including hatching chicks, expectant pigs, and playful goats, lambs, calves, and ducks.
• Horticulture and Floriculture — The Ohio State Fair’s Horticulture and Floriculture competition, featuring prize-winning plants and floral arrangements from backyard gardeners and seasoned horticulturists alike. 

The Ohio State Fair will run from July 29 through August 9, 2026. For more information, visit ohiostatefair.com