The mission of the Inyo and Mono Counties Agricultural Commissioner’s Office is to promote and protect the agricultural industry of the Counties, protect the environment, and to ensure the health and safety of all of its citizens.  The department is also responsible for fostering confidence and equity in the marketplace.

The following are the main program areas:

HUMAN SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

We protect the health and safety of all Inyo/Mono residents, its agricultural industries and its environment with a series of comprehensive regulatory programs designed to prevent the introduction of exotic pests and to ensure the safe use of pesticides.  The five programs that exist to achieve these goals include:

· Pest Exclusion
· Pest Detection
· Pest Eradication
· Pest Management
· Pesticide Enforcement

CONSUMER PROTECTION AND PRODUCT QUALITY

Product quality programs are designed to ensure the production and sales of quality eggs, honey, fruits, vegetables, and nursery and seed products.  Quality standards that these programs ensure include maturity, grade, size, and weight. Packaging  and labeling are also examined to ensure consumer expectations are met.  The six programs include:

· Fruit and Vegetable Quality Control
· Organic Food Production
· Egg Quality Control
· Certified Farmers’  Markets
· Nursery Inspection
· Seed Inspection

SPECIAL AGRICULTURAL SERVICES

The Agriculture Department also provides other mandated services, including:

· Apiary Inspection
· Crop Statistics
· Sustainable Agriculture

"Agriculture is the very basis of civilization - the food we eat, the clothing we wear, the material of our homes and many of our traditions and values... All come from agriculture and collectively set the pace for our nation’s standard of living. As generations of Americans become more distant from their agrarian origins, fewer and fewer people understand agriculture’s importance to society. Yet increasingly, people with limited or no agricultural knowledge are determining agriculture policy."

-Author Unknown

County Seat                                              Independence
County Population                                     18,546 (2010 Census)
Land Area                                                 10,142 Square Miles
Persons per Square Mile                            1.83
Highest Elevation                                       14,492 Feet (Mt. Whitney)
Lowest Elevation                                        282 Feet below Sea Level (Bad Water, Death Valley National Park)
Land in Federal Ownership                          92.0%
Land in State Ownership                             2.4%
Land in City of Los Angeles Ownership        3.9%
Land in Private Ownership                           1.7%

County Seat                                                Bridgeport
County Population                                        14,202 (2010 Census)
Land Area                                                    3,044 Square Miles
Persons per Square Mile                               4.67
Highest Elevation                                          14,242 Feet (White Mountain)
Land in Federal Ownership                             84.7%
Land in State Ownership                                3.6%
Land in City of Los Angeles Ownership           3.2%
Land in Private Ownership                              7.8%

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