Surprise inspection by the Dept. of Agriculture

[mark123]

I got a knock on the door today for an inspection of my fertilizer and pesticide records. The lady was really nice. If I had everything in a spreadsheet it would have taken a few minutes but instead I had to flip through all my paperwork for the past three years. I guess I made one mistake but I was able to fix it on the spot and was allowed to pass the inspection. I specifically asked if the brand name was required on the records if the EPA Reg. # was there and I was told "no" in the past but I guess that was incorrect. All I had to do was include the brand name in my records and all was well. I'm transferring all my records to a single spreadsheet now just in case I get inspected in the future. The nice lady did say I had the best records she'd seen in a while which surprised me because I thought everyone kept such records. Guess not.

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Boughter's Lawn Care Services Mowing and Fertilizing in New Castle, PA

[Steve]

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Very interesting! When they do these inspections, what happens if you aren't home and someone else is? Do they still want to do the inspection or will they come back? I wonder how important it is to keep these records handy so anyone in the household can present them.

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[mark123]

Originally Posted by Steve

Very interesting! When they do these inspections, what happens if you aren't home and someone else is? Do they still want to do the inspection or will they come back?

I wonder how important it is to keep these records handy so anyone in the household can present them.

I imagine they'd come back or just go to the next guy on the list. No one else will present my records.

[TiedemanLLC]

Originally Posted by mark123

I got a knock on the door today for an inspection of my fertilizer and pesticide records. The lady was really nice. If I had everything in a spreadsheet it would have taken a few minutes but instead I had to flip through all my paperwork for the past three years.

I guess I made one mistake but I was able to fix it on the spot and was allowed to pass the inspection. I specifically asked if the brand name was required on the records if the EPA Reg. # was there and I was told "no" in the past but I guess that was incorrect. All I had to do was include the brand name in my records and all was well.

I'm transferring all my records to a single spreadsheet now just in case I get inspected in the future.

The nice lady did say I had the best records she'd seen in a while which surprised me because I thought everyone kept such records. Guess not.

That's interesting about including the brand name. How long do you guys have to store records for there? It's one year general use, and three year restricted here in Michigan.

[mark123]

Originally Posted by TiedemanLLC

That's interesting about including the brand name. How long do you guys have to store records for there? It's one year general use, and three year restricted here in Michigan.

Three years.

[TiedemanLLC]

Originally Posted by mark123

Three years.

Were they more concerned with your records then your storage/mixing site?

[mark123]

Originally Posted by TiedemanLLC

Were they more concerned with your records then your storage/mixing site?

I think they were just getting antsy and wanted something to do that day. There were some changes to record keeping over the past few years so maybe they are just getting out there and connecting with local businesses.

[Steve]

For those that may not be keeping accurate records, what are the downsides to it? What could possibly happen if these inspectors aren't satisfied with what they find?

[TiedemanLLC]

Originally Posted by Steve

For those that may not be keeping accurate records, what are the downsides to it? What could possibly happen if these inspectors aren't satisfied with what they find?

I am curious what marks Dept of Agri fines are.

I know here in Michigan you can get up to 30 days in jail, and around $1,000 for each offense. That is of course if you knowingly did something bad.

[Steve]

I know here in Michigan you can get up to 30 days in jail, and around $1,000 for each offense. That is of course if you knowingly did something bad.

Have you ever seen that happen to anyone?

I know walmart has had some fertilizer leaking into sewer issues in the past and I have a feeling if this were to happen at a small business location, they would probably have you shut down.