|
An Act for the Encouragement
of Agriculture
The Ohio Department of
Agriculture, the second oldest state agency, evolved from "An Act for the
Encouragement of Agriculture" passed by the General Assembly on February 27,
1846, to establish agricultural fairs and promote farming.
Branch of State Government
Today, the Department
serves as the administrative branch of state government responsible for
enforcing state laws and regulations, primarily in the areas of food safety,
food production and processing. The Department also oversees county and
independent fairs, helps assure amusement rides are safe, is the custodian of
the primary weights and measures standards in Ohio, and helps Ohio farmers and
food processors market their products.
Administration Duties
The Director of
Agriculture is the department’s chief administrator and creates and enforces
regulations concerning consumer and farmer protection, the conduct of county and
independent fairs, food safety, herd and flock health, protection of plants from
pests, and departmental procedures.
In supervising the
day-to-day operations of this regulatory agency, the Division of Administration
provides all other ODA divisions with communications, legal, legislative,
financial, technological, personnel, data processing, and maintenance support.
Communications
The
Office of Communications helps educate the public and news media
about Ohio’s agricultural industry and how ODA works to protect
Ohio consumers and farmers. The Office responds to news media
inquiries, publishes information for the media and the public,
and manages the ODA Home Page on the World Wide Web (www.ohioagriculture.gov).
Office of Business
Management
This office coordinates
ODA's budget, payroll and billing services. The Department receives revenue from
state funds, laboratory fees, license revenues, and federal grants.
Human Resources
The
Office of
Human Resources recruits quality employees, administers
labor relations policy, promotes professional development, oversees
Equal Employment Opportunity compliance, and facilitates the
Quality Services through Partnership program at ODA.
Legal
ODA’s principal mission
is regulatory. When individuals or companies won’t voluntarily comply with
Ohio’s agricultural laws and regulations, ODA’s Chief Legal Counsel and the
Assistant Attorney General assigned to the Department work with ODA
administrators to take appropriate legal action against the offenders.
Legislative Affairs
More than 750 statutes of
the Ohio Revised Code deal with agricultural laws, food safety codes, and
weights and measures regulations. To help the Ohio General Assembly keep up to
date with the state’s dynamic agriculture and food industry, the Office of
Legislative Affairs works with consumer groups, industry representatives, and
legislators to help draft needed legislation.
Ohio Rural Rehabilitation
Program
ODA administers the Ohio
Rural Rehabilitation Program under an agreement with the United States
Department of Agriculture (USDA). The Program’s advisory board — made up of
farmers, agricultural educators, and industry representatives — reviews grant
applications and makes recommendations to the USDA on which applications should
be funded. Only non-profit organizations are eligible for the grants, which must
go to projects benefiting low-income farmers. |
