GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE TOMMY IRVIN,COMMISSIONER Vol.^S, No. 37 Wednesday September 11,2002 Judge Denies Pest Control Operator's Appeal Fall Farmland Edition Georgia Department of Agriculture Commissioner Tommy Irvin announced See Pages 2-5 last week that the action taken by his department against a pest control operator, who was charged with improperly treating homes, has been upheld on appeal to Superior Court. Fulton County Superior Court Judge Gail S. Tusan denied Douglas Couch's petition to challenge the State Administrative Law Judge's decision to impose a $75,000 civil penalty on Couch and revoke his certified operator's license. "After the decision by the Administrative Law Judge last November, we issued a permanent revocation of Couch's license," Commissioner Irvin said. "I regret that we have had to take such drastic enforcement action in this case, but I Department's Seed Laboratories Provide Services to Georgia Farmers, Consumers cannot and will not hesitate to take any action allowable under the law to protect Georgia's homeowners." When Georgia farmers and gardeners The main function of the seed labs is (Continued on Page 15) plant their seed, they want to be to test seed samples collected by the confident that the seed will grow Department's Plant Industry Division Trail Ride Kicks Off provided they are given the proper water, nutrients and care. Under the inspectors from retail and wholesale establishments throughout the state. Equine Observance state's seed law, agricultural seed must meet certain minimum requirements This service ensures that seed offered for sale are correctly labeled and meet Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture Tommy Irvin will kick off October as Equine Appreciation Month at the second annual Commissioner's Trail Ride. The event is sponsored by the Georgia Horse Council, a not-for-profit organization that equally represents, promotes, educates and unites Georgia's equine-interested people, state organizations and breed associations. before they can be offered for sale. Through its state seed laboratories in Atlanta and Tifton, the Georgia Department of Agriculture makes complete lab services available for testing seed at no charge to Georgia farmers and consumers. Seed dealers licensed in the state of Georgia also may utilize the laboratories' services for a fee. the minimum requirements of the state seed law. Throughout the year, Department inspectors routinely visit farm supply stores, plant nurseries, hardware stores and other outlets where seed are sold to collect samples for testing. In addition, the inspectors check seed packets to ensure they are properly labeled and that the weight stated on (Continued on Page 15) the packet is correct. Most seed sold in Georgia, with the Farm Safety Week Celebrated in U.S exception of peanuts, soybeans and small grains, are produced out of state. An estimated 90 percent of grass seed National Farm Safety and Health productivity are often taken for granted. planted in Georgia is imported, as are Week, an annual promotion by the Farmers and ranchers face significant most of the cotton and corn seed. National Safety Council, will be challenges and uncertainty, from "Inspection at the wholesale level is celebrated September 15-21, 2002, inclement weather to damaging insects. critical to ensure uniform quality for the honoring those in the U.S. agricultural They also face health and safety dangers, seed used by our farmers and consumers industry. from exposure to chemicals and the to plant their crops, lawns and gardens," The nation's agriculture industry, operation of machinery to tending said Georgia Commissioner of according to a proclamation signed by livestock. In 1999, the agriculture Agriculture Tommy Irvin. "Such President George Bush, represents 13 industry suffered more than 770 deaths inspections are beneficial to wholesale percent of the economy and remains and 150,000 disabling injuries. Of these seed dealers because they enable us to central to prosperity at home and victims, many were children and young detect problems before seed lots are competitiveness abroad. At the core of people injured or killed in preventable distributed statewide. This enables this industry are countless dedicated farm and ranch accidents. these dealers to avoid bigger problems farmers and ranchers working to Progress Is being made in developing and it helps maintain good relations with produce food stuffs at a level of technology that makes farm and ranch retailers and consumers." efficiency and quality unrivaled around work safer. Safety equipment features Seed samples are tested for purity to the globe. for tractors, such as roll-over protective determine the amount of pure seed, In many ways, agriculture ranks structures, bypass starter covers, and other crop seed, weed seed, noxious among the most crucial of the nation's industries; and yet, its reliability and (Continued on Page 15) (Continued on Page 16) Copyright 2002 ag consumer line I've found a few ants in my kitchen, but my neighbor thinks they are termites. Do ants and termite look that much alike? Termites and ants are often confused. For example, even termite workers that are white and wingless, are called "white ants." However, you don't have to be a specialist to distinguish between these two insects. The differences can be readily seen with the naked eye. Termites have a broad waist, two pairs of equally sized wings, and antennae that are not elbowed. Ants have a pinched waistline like an hour glass, hind wings that are smaller and shorter than the front wings and elbowed antennae. *** Who regulates pest control products for pets? The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) shares regulation of these products with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture(USDA). However, there are a wide array of pest control products for pets --foggers, sprays, dips, powders, dusts, collars, oral liquids and tablets, and even a liquid one-spot topical treatment. There are also new oral products that interrupt the flea's life cycle, a Lyme disease vaccine for dogs, and a pesticide product that mimics mice nesting material to reduce ticks outdoors. The agency that has regulatory control over these pesticides is determined by how (Continued on Page 16) a *-> 3 o Wc) < c