The director of agriculture shall administer this chapter and may, in addition to any other powers conferred by it:

Terms Used In Ohio Code 926.02

  • agriculture: includes farming; ranching; aquaculture; algaculture meaning the farming of algae; apiculture and related apicultural activities, production of honey, beeswax, honeycomb, and other related products; horticulture; viticulture, winemaking, and related activities; animal husbandry, including, but not limited to, the care and raising of livestock, equine, and fur-bearing animals; poultry husbandry and the production of poultry and poultry products; dairy production; the production of field crops, tobacco, fruits, vegetables, nursery stock, ornamental shrubs, ornamental trees, flowers, sod, or mushrooms; timber; pasturage; any combination of the foregoing; the processing, drying, storage, and marketing of agricultural products when those activities are conducted in conjunction with, but are secondary to, such husbandry or production; and any additions or modifications to the foregoing made by the director of agriculture by rule adopted in accordance with Chapter 119 of the Revised Code. See Ohio Code 1.61
  • handler: means any person who is engaged in the business of agricultural commodity handling. See Ohio Code 926.01
  • Injunction: An order of the court prohibiting (or compelling) the performance of a specific act to prevent irreparable damage or injury.
  • Rule: includes regulation. See Ohio Code 1.59
  • Warehouse: means any building, bin, protected enclosure, or similar premises under the control of a licensed or unlicensed handler used for receiving, storing, shipping, or handling an agricultural commodity. See Ohio Code 926.01

(A) Inspect, or cause to be inspected, any warehouse, or premises suspected of being a warehouse, at any reasonable time;

(B) Require the filing of reports describing any warehouse or the operation thereof;

(C) Determine whether warehouses are suitable for the storing, shipping, and conditioning of agricultural commodities;

(D) Petition the court of common pleas of the county in which the principal place of business of a licensed or unlicensed handler is situated to enforce compliance by the handler with this chapter, or any rule adopted by the director under it, by restraining order or mandatory injunction notwithstanding the existence of an adequate remedy at law;

(E) Prescribe all forms, within the limitations set forth in this chapter, including receipts, tickets, contracts, licenses, reports, and applications for licenses used by licensed handlers;

(F) Impound receipts, tickets, or other records when a handler’s license is under suspension;

(G) Promulgate, adopt, and enforce rules under Chapter 119 of the Revised Code for carrying out this chapter.