Owen County native Jim True is the new coordinator for the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture's Field Inspection Program. As such, he will play an important role in consumer protection in the commonwealth.

True will supervise a team of nine field inspectors from the UK Division of Regulatory Services, which monitors product quality, evaluates product label information, reviews records, reduces illegitimate claims and provides unbiased, science-based recommendations for feed, fertilizer and seed products, said Bill Thom, director of the division, which is part of the Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station. The inspectors provide stakeholders with information to maintain compliance with laws and regulations and to improve processes and product quality.

After earning a bachelor's degree in agronomy and a master's in soil science from the UK College of Agriculture, True held responsibilities in soil testing and fertilizer sales and served 17 years as a district manager in the seed business. Most recently, he served as an extension educator for Purdue University in Gibson County, Ind.

Thom said True is a good fit for the position and believes he will join in the division's combined efforts that ultimately protect consumers, producers and businesses from unscrupulous competition.