Ag Dept. Regional Offices serve local needs
HARRISBURG - The Penn
sylvania Department ot
Agriculture’s seven regional of
fices bring the services ot the
agency to within an arm’s reach ot
farmers and consumers across the
state. The ottices are located in
Meadvilie, Williamsport,
Tunkhannock, Gibsonia, Altoona,
Summerdale and Lansdale.
Under a regional director, each
office allows the Agriculture
Department to keep in close
contact with the rural community,
assisting farmers and others on a
host ot agricultural and consumer
problems.
State Agriculture Secretary
Penrose Hallowell said, "Governor
Thornburgh has challenged us to
improve the services ot the
Department ot Agriculture tor the
people we represent. We hope that,
like Pennsylvania Agriculture, our
efforts will continue growing
better.”
Hallowell said each ottice is
manned by a qualitied statt in six
different bureaus: Foods and
Chemistry, Plant Industry, Dog
Law Enforcement, Animal In
dustry, Standard Weights and
Measures, and Rural Affairs.
Inspectors from the Bureau of
Foods and Chemistry are
Failure to
costs
firm license
NEW YORK, N.Y. - Csmmo
Brothers Produce Inc., Syracuse,
N.Y., has had its produce trading
license revoked for failing to pay
promptly for fruits and vegetables
it received between July, 1979 and
March, 1960.
The U.S. Department of
Agriculture, which -licenses
produce firms under the
Perishable Agricultural Com
modities Act, charged the firm
wuh failure to account truly and
correctly for seven lots of con
signed produce worth $20,800 and
failure to make full payment for
126 lots purchased at agreed prices
totaling $157,000.
Charles Brader, marketing
official with USDA’s Agricultural
Marketing Service, said the firm
was provided with a copy of the
charges against it, but failed to
answer.
USDA’s Administrative Law
Judge John A. Campbell, ruled
that the firm had committed
willful, repeated, and flagrant
violations of the act.
Under Campbell’s order, the
firm is ineligible to operate a
business subject to the act until
June, 1983, and then only if a PACA
license is obtained. The firm’s
officers, directors, and major
stockholers, Larry S. Cimmo,
Benjamin B. Cimmo, and Joseph
A. Cimmo, may not be employed
by or affiliated with any PACA
licensee until June, 1982, and then
only if a surety bond is posted and
USDA approves.
Under PACA, all interestate
traders in fresh and frozen fruits
and vegetables must be licensed by
USDA. USDA is authorized to
suspend or revoke a trader’s
license for violating the Act.
(iI^KLES
responsible tor safeguarding
public health through rigid
supervision ot the state’s food
supply. They help assure that
farmers and consumers are dealt
with fairly in the marketplace.
These inspectors travel
throughout the state checking and
sampling milk from farm to
market, and inspecting food
processors, manufacturers,
restaurants and food markets.
They also regulate food content
and labeling. Samples collected by
the inspectors are analyzed to
insure purity.
Inspectors from the Bureau of
Plant Industry are responsible tor
helping area farmers identity and
control pests and diseases. Their
work also assures consumers ot
high quality plants and plant
materials.
Plant Industry inspectors
regulate the content, labeling and
sales of teed, fertilizer and seed,
control use and sale of pesticides
and protect nurseries and
greenhouses.
Possibly the best know agency m
the Department of Agriculture is
the Bureau of Dog Law En
forcement, which deals with a
pay
N.Y.
fmmmm
HANDY CLASSIFIED AD
ORDER BLANK
IMPORTANT: Be sure to include name, address, and
mblish m
Please
startini
I enclose
MAIL TO:
LANCASTER FARMING
P.O. Box 366, Lititz. PA 17543
NOTE- Please do not use this form for Mail Box Market
Ads, see instructions on last page of classified ads.
13 -$2.08
17 -$2.72
21 -$3.36
25 -$4.00
29 -$4.64
33 -$5.28
37 -$5.92
variety of dog-related problems.
State Dog Law Enforcement
Officers in each region are
responsible tor dog control and
licensing, kennel inspections and
investigation of claims by farmers,
tor damages caused by dogs to
livestock and poultry.
Technicians and a staff
veterinarian trom the Bureau ot
Animal Industry conduct the daily
work necessary to keep a tight rein
on such animal diseases as
brucellosis and tuberculosis.
Inspecting farms and collecting
samples at both auctions and meat
packing plants, the bureau is able
to control and eradicate diseases
winch might atteet human health
or cause economic losses to far
mers.
The Bureau of Animal industry
.also maintains diagnostic
laboratories in Tunkhannock,
Wyoming County, and Sum
merdaie, Cumberland County.
Through these laboratories,
animal health can be certified and
examinations can be performed to
help farmers prevent the spread of
diseases through their herds.
A driver who feels he has been
cheated at the gas pump or a
word count
PLEASE WRITE CLEARLY
(Number of Words)
22 -$3.52
consumer who is sure the scales at
the market are inaccurate can also
turn to the regional office for help.
The Bureau of Standard Weights
and Measures runs an inspection
program in each region covering
such items as produce and meat
scales, gram moisture meters,
gasoline pumps, weights of retail
packages, bulk milk tanks and
even parking meters.
Hallowell said, “The Weights
and Measures inspection program
assures farmers, consumers and
businessmen that they are
receivmg a fair deal m the
marketplace. Businesses and
farmers could lose thousands of
dollars if the scales were off by
fractions of an ounce. And con
sumers deserve to get what they
pay tor.”
Regional coordinators from the
Bureau of Rural Affairs are
responsible for providing
assistance to agricultural and
rural organizations in community
planning and development. “They
help seek out sources of grants and
loans for community projects,
conduct field survey work and
work to improve the promotion and
marketing of Pennsylvania
issue. Classify under
14 -$2.24
18 -$2.88
26 -$4.16
30 -$4.80
34 -$5.44
38 -$6.08
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, August 15,1981—17
.word ad
(Number of Times)
DEADLINE: 9 A.M. THURSDAY OF
EACH WEEK'S PUBLICATION
RATES: 16* Per Word,
*2.00 Minimum Charge
For ads running 3 or more consecutive
times with no change deduct 20 percent
discount. (See rate chart at beginning of
classified section for an example of dis
count.)
15 -$2.40
19 -$3.04
23 -$3.68
27 -$4.32
31 -$4.96
35 -$5.60
39 -$6.24
agricultural commodities,”
Hallowed said.
The addresses, telephone
numbers and regional directors for
the seven regional offices are as
follows:
Region I - Northwest - George
Marzka, R 4, Meadville, PA 15335,
814/336-6890;
Region 2 - North Central - Marlin
McClellan, P.0.80x 1475, 675 Rose
Street, Williamsport, PA 17703,
717/327-3550;
Region 3 - Northeast - Russell
Gunton, Route 92 South,
Tunkhannock, PA 18657, 717/836-
2181;
Region 4 - Southwest - H. Francis
Kennedy, 5349 William Flynn
Highway, Gibsoma, PA 15044,
412/443-1585;
Region 5 - Southwest Central --
John Drake, Executive Plaza, 614
Howard Avenue, Altoona, PA
16601,814/946-7315;
Region 6 - Southeast Central - C.
Eugene Wmgert, P.O. Box 419,
Summerdale, PA 17093, 717/787-
3400; and
Region 7 - Southeast - Dean
Heim, P.O. Box 350, 402 Century
Plaza Building, Lansdale, PA
19446,215/368-3000.
12-$2.00
16 -$2.56
20 -$3.20 |
24 -$3.84
28 -$4.48
32 -$5.12
36 -$5.76
40 -$6.40
times