COLUMBUS — Ohio State University College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences launched a new farm management center and tapped David Marrison, farm management field specialist with Ohio State Univeristy Extension, to be its interim director.
The Farm Financial Management and Policy Institute (FFMPI) was created with the goal of sharing resource-based knowledge and best practices to help Ohio farmers manage their businesses as the agricultural industry changes and evolves.
Housed within OSU Extension, the FFMPI will tap into departments within CFAES; schools and colleges within the university such as the Moritz College of Law and the Fisher College of Business; and other universities across the country.
As interim director, Marrison will be responsible for developing a vision and structure for FFMPI; coordinating research, education, and OSU Extension educator networks; and engaging university academic units to help farmers apply research-based knowledge and best practices that increase productivity.
“David is highly skilled at developing new programs and building partnerships,” said Jacqueline Kirby Wilkins, associate dean and director, OSU Extension, in a statement. “In his 25 years at OSU Extension, he has accumulated a wealth of knowledge that will be invaluable to this position.”
Marrison was an agricultural and natural resources Extension educator for OSU Extension from 1997-2022, serving in Ashtabula and Coshocton counties.
He is currently the co-leader of Extension’s Ohio Ag Manager team, which authors a monthly farm and agribusiness management newsletter.
“I am excited to be transitioning into this role and to help all Ohio farm families and agribusinesses to enhance their management, productivity, and profitability,” Marrison said, in a statement. “This industry is multifaceted, and I’m glad to be able to use my specialization in farm succession planning and tax management to enhance the efforts of our team across the state.”
Raised on a small Ohio dairy farm, Marrison is nationally known for his teaching in farm succession planning, and has authored numerous publications in succession and estate planning. Marrison received two of OSU Extension’s highest honors when he was presented the 2007 Excellence in Extension Award and the 2015 Steve D. Ruhl Outstanding Agriculture and Natural Resources County Extension Educator Award.
