Kern County Department of Agriculture and Measurement Standards

GENERAL INFORMATION

AGRICULTURAL PROTECTION

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

WEIGHTS AND MEASURES

County of Kern

Agriculture and Measurement Standards

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FUNCTIONAL STATEMENT

The mission of the Department of Agriculture and Measurement Standards (Department) is to promote and protect Kern County's agricultural industry, protect the environment, protect the general public, and provide consumers, buyers, businesses and sellers a fair marketplace. The Department accomplishes this mission by conducting regulatory and service activities pertaining to the agricultural industry and all retail and wholesale establishments of Kern County by the enforcement of applicable State laws and regulations established by the California Department of Food and Agriculture and Department of Pesticide Regulation.

AGRICULTURAL COMMISSIONER / SEALER

Ruben J. Arroyo

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR

Louie I. Cervantes

AGRICULTURAL PROTECTION

Deputy Director: Nancy Holland

APIARY	Perform inspection of honey bee colonies to assure their freedom from disease and certify as to the strength of honey bee colonies being used for the pollination of commercial crops.

PEST DETECTION	Systematic detection program in urban areas, commercial crops and high hazard areas to find pest infestations before they become generally distributed.

PEST EXCLUSION	Perform inspections to prevent the introduction of plant pests and plant diseases that may be detrimental to agricultural crops. The Department of Agriculture and Measurement Standards also inspects and certifies agricultural commodities to assure compliance with export requirements of foreign countries and domestic destinations.

ENVIRONMENTAL AND PUBLIC PROTECTION

Deputy Director: Glenn Fankhauser

CROP STATISTICS	Compile information and statistics to report the condition, acreage, production and value of agricultural products grown in Kern County. Crop information is published in the Department of Agriculture and Measurement Standards Annual Crop Report.

PESTICIDE USE ENFORCEMENT	Enforces pesticide laws and regulations through inspections and investigation to assure the safety of field workers, the safety of people handling and working with pesticides, the protection of the environment and the protection of the general public. The Department of Agriculture/Measurement Standards participates in the assurance of food safety through agricultural commodity sampling and through the monitoring of pesticide use reporting.

WEIGHTS AND MEASURES

Deputy Director: Manuel Villacaña

FRUIT AND VEGETABLE QC	Inspect fruit, vegetables, nuts, and honey at the point of production, packing houses, wholesale warehouses and retail markets to ensure compliance with maturity, quality and packing requirements and certify as to the quality and condition of fruits and vegetables.

NURSERY INSPECTION	Inspect retail and wholesale nurseries for compliance with nursery stock regulations. These regulations address pest cleanliness, quality and variety certification standards.

SEED LAW ENFORCEMENT	Through inspection and sampling, assures that seed purchased by the consumer or buyer is properly identified and is of the quality represented on the container tag or label.

SHELL EGG QC	Inspect shell eggs for interior and exterior quality at packing houses, distribution points and retail locations.

Last Modified
11/29/2009

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agcomm@co.kern.ca.us

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