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Weights and Measures Week 2023
2023 Theme: Collaborating with Partners and Stakeholders for a Greater Measure of Equity.
A Message from Commissioner Strain:
Today kicks off #NationalWeightsandMeasuresWeek. It is celebrated every year from March 1 to 7 to commemorate President John Adams signing the first U.S. weights and measures legislation into law on March 2, 1799. This year’s theme is Collaborating with Partners and Stakeholders for a Greater Measure of Equity. Join us on social media this week to learn more about how the #LDAF Weights and Measures team helps to ensure a fair and equitable marketplace in Louisiana.
“Have you ever wondered why oil is measured by the barrel or land by the acre? Many units of measure have come and gone throughout history, and more continue to develop to this day as new, unique commodities are created. The ultimate direction of development today seems to be global standardization to accommodate global trade across global markets. As we’ve witnessed throughout history though, the real driver behind these changes is a mutual feeling of fairness and equity in transactions.
Humans have been buying, selling, and trading valuables throughout our entire existence. The rise of agriculture, however, allowed civilizations to literally put down roots, stay in one place, and build stores of goods like grains, wine, olive oil, and salt. Over time, technological improvements in agriculture in stationary societies increased the overall diversity of goods in existence and, along with climate, caused commodity specialization.”
Continue reading the brief history at: https://www.ldaf.state.la.us/a-brief-history-of-weights…/
ROCKS AND BUCKETS by Paul Floyd, LDAF Director of Weights and Measures
“I say all the time that we, as Weights and Measures inspectors, put rocks on scales and fill up buckets. What an easy job! In a very over-simplified way, that is what we do.
We do know exactly how much the rock (mass standard) weighs and how much liquid the bucket (field standard or prover) will deliver under very specific test procedures. When we put standards on a scale or fill a prover, are we inspecting the device?”
Visit https://www.ldaf.state.la.us/rocks-and-buckets/ , to see if you answered correctly!
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LDAF’S METROLOGY LAB AT WORK FOR LOUISIANA by Whitney Corley, LDAF Program Manager of Metrology
“Metrology is a critical part of the nation’s agroeconomy, but this niche field is facing a critical talent shortage. The LDAF Metrology Laboratory, though, is answering the call to support the entire region.
Through thoughtful succession planning, growing its customer base, training other states, and working to grow its technical capacity, the Louisiana Metrology Lab has not only managed to thrive in a time that saw so many metrology labs struggle, but it has managed to position itself as a model for the entire region.”
Read how here: https://www.ldaf.state.la.us/ldafs-metrology-lab-at-work-for-louisiana/
“Price Verification is one of our programs in the Weights and Measures Division of The Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry (LDAF). The goal of this program is to ensure equity in the marketplace as it pertains to the advertising of product pricing. In a nutshell, we ensure the price you see is correct and is the price you pay at checkout.
The verification of pricing practices was accomplished by over 8,300 inspections performed at the point of sale in Louisiana in 2022.”
Learn more about the price verification process and what those numbers looked like in 2022 at:https://www.ldaf.state.la.us/price-verification-ensures-equity-in-the-marketplace/
“How do you know that bagged lettuce at the store actually weighs 10 ounces? What about that bag of apples, box of macaroni, or candy bar? The Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry’s Division of Weights and Measures is the consumer’s line of defense when it comes to declared contents of a packaged good. We randomly and routinely sample prepackaged items for inspection to ensure you are getting what is advertised. This is accomplished by performing package and labeling inspections throughout the state at different types of business and on different types of products.”
Learn more about the Packing and Labeling Inspection process and what to do if you’d like to file a complaint on a packaged good: https://www.ldaf.state.la.us/weights-and-measures-a-consumers-line-of-defense/
“As we continue to celebrate #nationalweightsandmeasuresweek, let’s take some time to meet some of our employees. This article offers the perspective of a field official on the impact of reducing inspections to a simple “check” of device accuracy.
“Quantity Versus Quality – Taking Shortcuts,” by Rick Harshman, explores the idea that to retain value in the marketplace, Weights and Measures must serve more function than a simple test or “check” to determine if a device/package is accurate.”
Read it here: https://www.ldaf.state.la.us/quantity-versus-quality-taking-shortcuts/
“As consumers, our normal retail purchases are made while being able to compare the products offered on the shelf. There is one group of products that most people purchase but never see. These products are motor fuels. Motor fuels are rarely seen by the consumer but are one of the most purchased products.
How do you know you are getting a gallon of gas, diesel, or E85? Is the product you selected really being dispensed? That’s where the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry’s Weights and Measures program comes in to play. Our Weights and Measures inspectors are tasked with making sure that you are getting what you pay for..”
Learn more about the Fuel Inspection process: https://www.ldaf.state.la.us/out-of-sight-but-always-seen/