Agricultural Inspector Ii Agricultural Inspector Ii; Nursery Inspection

Introduction

The Maryland Department of Agriculture is a department under Maryland's Executive Branch. Formed in 1972 by the Maryland General Assembly to address the agriculture needs for the State of Maryland, the Department oversees and serves as a regulatory body for animal health, consumer services to include marketing and lab services, plant and pest management and resource conservation. As the number one industry in Maryland, the diversity of agriculture programs in the State continues to expand and grow.

The Plant Protection and Weed Management Program conducts regulatory, inspection, and educational programs that protect the health of plants and honeybees in Maryland. Personnel in this section serve as the State's authorities on plant pests and agricultural quarantines and provide liaison for the Department with other state and federal regulatory officials regarding these issues. The nursery industry is a strong and growing part of Maryland's agricultural economy.

It is the number two agricultural commodity in the state and the number one cash crop. The goal of this section is to facilitate the production and sale of Maryland nursery stock by inspecting all plant material intended for sale or distribution to ensure that it is disease and pest free. Maryland nursery products are sold throughout the world. Nursery inspectors look at plant material before shipment to determine whether all quarantine requirements are met.

Each state or country has specific requirements for incoming shipments of nursery stock.

To serve as a primary field representative for the Nursery Inspection Program within Maryland's Eastern Shore territory covering Cecil, Kent, Queen Anne's, Caroline, Talbot, Dorchester, Somerset, Worcester, and Wicomico. The main purpose of this position is to safeguard the state's nursery industry and natural resources by enforcing the Maryland Plant Pest Control Law and the Invasive Plant Law. This involves confirming licensure and performing inspections of nurseries and licensed plant dealers to identify, sample, and mitigate the spread of plant pests and diseases.

• Perform routine inspections of certified nurseries and licensed plant dealers, taking samples to the laboratory as needed to help ensure the health and viability of Maryland's plant industry. Visual inspections with samples taken of nursery stock are conducted to identify plant pests, diseases, and other disorders, as well as the severity level, to make recommendations to nursery managers and plant dealers.
• Determine that compliance parameters of the Maryland Plant Pest Control Law and Invasive Plant Law are met by nurseries and plant dealers. Verify that all nursery stock meets state health standards prior to sale and that prohibited plants are not offered for sale. Determine if plants sold or plant health condition warrants the issuance of a stop sale or condemnation seizure notice.
• Report on and maintain records and data of inspections completed. Maintain precise, legible records of inspection reports, lab results, and regulatory actions taken. Utilize departmental databases and written forms, as applicable, to document all findings related to those inspections conducted.
• Assist other Plant Protection and Weed Management section personnel in the conduct of their work on other projects and activities in other areas of the state. Provide support to other Maryland nursery inspectors in other territories for emergency assistance related to pest detection, management and eradication efforts.

• Education:
  
  Graduation from an accredited high school or possession of a high school equivalency certificate.
• Experience:
  
  Two years of experience in one of the following: production, processing, marketing, grading or inspection of agricultural products or chemicals; assisting veterinarians in care and management of animals; animal disease control; care or management of livestock or inspecting veterinary hospitals, riding stables or livestock dealers; installation, inspection, repair, or testing of weighting, volumetric measuring or counting…