2020 CERTIFIED LIVESTOCK MANAGER TRAINING WORKSHOPS ANNOUNCED

Springfield, IL - The Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDOA) along with the University of Illinois Extension Service is hosting Certified Livestock Manager Training Workshops for 2020. There will be 10 workshops held throughout the state which will provide Illinois livestock producers the manure management training they need to meet the requirements of the state's Livestock Management Facilities Act.

The first workshops begin January 8th and conclude on February 26th and will be held in Effingham, Mt. Vernon, Breese, Pittsfield, Monmouth, Onarga, Sycamore, Freeport, and two in Springfield.

"This partnership, between the Department of Ag and the University of Illinois Extension, provides the tools, education and training for our state's certified livestock managers to become skilled in best management practices," said IDOA Director John Sullivan. "The goal is for our livestock facilities to be good neighbors and stewards of the land."

The Livestock Management Facilities Act of 1997 requires:

• Facilities with 300 or more animal units to have at least one employee certified in proper manure handling procedures. 

• Facilities with 300 to 999 animal units, the employee either must attend a training workshop, complete online CLM training, or pass the Illinois Department of Agriculture's Certified Livestock Manager exam.

• Employee of facilities with more than 1,000 or more units must complete one of the training options and pass the Certified Livestock Manager exam to achieve certification.

To register for a workshop, call the University of Illinois Extension at (815) 858-2273 or go online to https://extension.illinois.edu/jsw/certified-livestock-manager-training-workshops-2020.  The cost is $35.  If more than one employee from the same farm signs-up, each registration after the first will cost $25.
 
The workshops will use the instructional manual for the national Livestock and Poultry Environmental Stewardship (LPES) Curriculum, which are available for free online at the link below.  Materials are also available for purchase by contacting the University of Illinois, College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences, Marketing & Distribution at 1-800-345-6087.  Please note, if you have a manual or CD from 2003 or newer, you will not need to purchase a new one.

Producers also have the option of taking an online training that consists of five modules and four quizzes.  Passing them is the equivalent of having attended a training but does not substitute for passing the Certified Livestock Manager exam.  There is no charge to take the quiz online, other than the cost of the manual.  To register for the online program option, go to https://web.extension.illinois.edu/clmt/.  Any questions relating to the online program can be directed to Professor Richard Gates at (217) 244-2791. 

On the day of the workshop, registration will open at 8:30 a.m. with the training program starting promptly at 9:00 a.m., except for the February 5 workshop at the Illinois Pork Expo which will begin at 12:30 p.m.  The complete schedule of workshop dates and locations are listed below: