LEXINGTON, Ky. – Tucked away in a one-story building on the University of Kentucky campus is a program that has quietly safeguarded the Commonwealth’s agriculture for over a century.

While many people might be unfamiliar with it, the University of Kentucky’s Division of Regulatory Services (DRS) is vital in protecting consumers, producers and the broader agricultural industry in the Bluegrass State, making sure agriculture in the state is safe and fair. The division enforces important state laws related to the quality and labeling of animal feed, fertilizers, seeds and raw milk by constantly testing those items. Soil testing is another major function at DRS.

“We help keep things fair for everyone, whether you’re a farmer buying fertilizer, a feed manufacturer trying to stay compliant or a consumer who just wants confidence in what they’re buying,” said Stephen McMurry, DRS executive director. “If you’ve ever bought seed, feed, fertilizer or raw milk in Kentucky, chances are our team helped make sure it was labeled honestly and meet state and federal standards.

“The label on products is a guaranteed analysis. Our laboratory is ensuring those manufacturers are meeting those guarantees and the consumer has the confidence that what they’re purchasing meets the guarantee that appears on those labels.”

With a team of about 50 people, including nine field inspectors, the division collects and tests thousands of product samples each year.

The Feed and Milk Program, led by Alan Harrison, tests around 3,000 animal feed samples and 200 raw milk shipments annually. Feed is checked for proper nutrient levels, and milk is tested for butterfat and protein so farmers and buyers get fair value.

“Through the use of label review, sampling, analytical testing, and feed mill inspections, the major goal of Kentucky’s feed regulation program is to safeguard the health of man and animals,” McMurry said. “We provide protection for the consumer as well as the regulated industry and provide a structure for orderly commerce.”

Harrison said the milk program’s mission is to ensure that raw milk produced and marketed in Kentucky is bought and sold using accurate weights and tests. It also provides a fair and equitable market place environment for all producers and processors involved in Kentucky’s dairy industry, adding that the milk program promotes this mission through regulation, education, licensing, inspection and service.

Jonathan Collett leads the seed testing lab, which checks both store-bought and farmer-submitted seeds for purity, germination and weed contamination. About 3,000 seed samples are tested every year to ensure labels are truthful.

Collett said the seed deteriorates over time so dealers are required to obtain new germination tests periodically to ensure quality. If the germination falls below certain standards, it may not be sold. His laboratory conducts tests to make sure all guarantees on the label are accurate and the seed meets minimum quality standards. If there is an issue with the seed, it may not be sold until the problem is corrected.

Under the soils laboratory program, led by Solomon Kariuki, labs in Lexington and Princeton process up to 40,000 soil samples annually. These tests help determine nutrient levels and guide proper fertilizer use. The lab also checks ag lime and hemp samples to meet state laws.

“The routine soil test is the first step in planning and maintaining healthy soil,” Kariuki said. “The user’s soil test report will show the amount of phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, zinc pH and buffer pH (are) in the soil sample.”

Other optional soil tests include checking the organic matter composition, boron in the soil, micronutrients, soluble salts, heavy metals, soil texture and potential acidity.

“Any major changes usually come from law or budgetary adjustments,” McMurry said. “Still, our guiding principle remains – consumer protection and a fair marketplace. We exist so that what people buy is what they actually get and that reputable businesses aren’t undercut by unregistered or substandard products.”

Fertilizer is yet another major component of the DRS. According to McMurry, the mission of the fertilizer regulatory program has two parts: external and internal. The external mission is to administer the Kentucky fertilizer law with integrity by developing an environment of mutual respect between the regulated industry and the regulatory office, providing empathic assistance and education to the industry, and rendering fair and equitable regulatory decisions. The internal mission is to promote teamwork among the inspectional, laboratory, and administrative staff to build and maintain an integrated regulatory program that is the best in the nation.