Ohio Agricultural Experiment Station

Side A: The Ohio General Assembly established the Ohio Agricultural Experiment Station in 1882. From its inception until 1892, the Station occupied 17 acres on the Columbus campus of The Ohio State University before relocating to 470 acres in Wayne County. In 1965, the Station changed its name to the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center (OARDC) to more accurately reflect its mission and programs. In 1982, the Center formally merged with The Ohio State University. Today, the Center encompasses nearly 2,100 acres in Wayne County with 10 branches located across the state for a total of approximately 7,100 acres dedicated to agricultural research. Side B: The Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center is the research arm of The Ohio State University’s College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences. The Center’s scientists are dedicated to enhancing the well being of people throughout Ohio, the nation, and the world through research on food, agriculture, family, and the environment. Its goals are to produce safe, healthy, and affordable food and agricultural products, promote stewardship of natural resources and the environment, keep Ohio positioned favorably in a global economy. Throughout its history, OARDC scientists have restored fertility to Ohio’s soils, added beneficial supplements to livestock feed, and bred high-yielding corn, wheat, oats, soybeans, and tomatoes that are resistant to pathogens and insects.