MISSION STATEMENT

The Inyo and Mono Counties’ Agricultural Commissioner’s Office is entrusted with the mission of protecting the agriculture industry of the Counties and its environment, ensuring the health and safety of the Counties’ citizens, and fostering confidence and equity in the market place through education and the fair and uniform enforcement of laws, regulations, and ordinances enacted by the people of the State of California and the Counties of Inyo and Mono.

The following are the main program areas:

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 utilized 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.  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

Other special, mandated services acted upon by our department include:

* Apiary Inspection * Crop Statistics * Sustainable Agriculture *

WEIGHTS AND MEASURES

Equity and fairness is the name of the game.  Gasoline, firewood, a loaf of bread, or fruits and vegetables...  Any item purchased is sold by weight, measure, or count.  We protect the public from purchasing goods that are short weight or measure, and we protect businesses from giving their products and profits away when they use devices that could be inaccurate.  We also verify that prices are correctly scanned at the counter, petroleum products meet quality standards, and weighmasters provide their customers accurate weighing devices.  The eight programs in this category include:

* Weight Verification * Measurement Verification * Petroleum * Transaction Verification *

* Electronic Meters * Compressed Gas Meters * Weighmaster * Device Repairmen Regulation *

EASTERN SIERRA WEED MANAGEMENT AREA

This division consists of federal, state, county, and local agencies and entities of which the Agricultural Commissioner is the administrator.  The Eastern Sierra Weed Management Area is solely dedicated to range management of the Eastern Sierras and the detection, eradication, and management of noxious, non-native weed species.

OWENS VALLEY MOSQUITO CONTROL PROGRAM

The overall purpose of this program is to provide the public with a consistent level of mosquito control that directly reduces the threat of disease transmission and the spread of large nuisance populations of mosquitoes. 

ADMINISTRATIVE AND EDUCATION OUTREACH

The Agricultural Commissioner/Sealer of Weights and Measures is responsible for the administration of these programs.  Staff also participates in a wide range of special projects intended to benefit Inyo/Mono citizens such as legislative process, public information, education outreach efforts, joint multi-agencies cooperation and inter-county agencies activities.

STAFF

George L. Milovich - Agricultural Commissioner / Director of Weights and Measures

John Schrader - Deputy Agricultural Commissioner / Deputy Director of Weights and Measures

Robin Conklin - Executive Secretary

Jennifer Sarten - Acct. Technician

Nathan Reade - Program Coordinator / Eastern Sierra Weed Management Area

Carlos Paz - Field Technician II

Jerrold Oser - Manager / Owens Valley Mosquito Abatement Program

Robert Miller - Mosquito Control Technician III 

Bruce Mack - Field Technician I

Casey Freeman - Mosquito Control Technician II

David Miller - Mosquito Helper