|
University of Illinois Extension
sponsors the workshops. There are six remaining and they have been
approved by the Illinois Department of Agriculture as meeting the
training certification requirement for the Certified Livestock
Manager designation
The remaining workshops will be in
these locations:
- Jan. 31 at Bloomington (focus on
swine)
- Feb. 23 at Nashville (focus on
swine)
- March 1 at Freeport (focus on
beef and dairy)
- March 2 at Mount Carroll (focus
on swine)
- March 3 at Sycamore
- March 9 at Springfield
The Illinois Department of
Agriculture requires producers with more than 300 animal units to
attend an approved training session or successfully complete the
department’s written examination. Producers with more than 1,000
animal units must attend an approved training session and
complete the written exam.
Randy Fonner, U of I Extension
specialist and coordinator of the workshops, knows that livestock
producers face a monumental task in their efforts to comply with all
of the regulations that different state agencies require.
"In May, the Illinois EPA passed a
new CAFO permit requirement that will require virtually all large
livestock production facilities to apply for a National Pollutant
Discharge Elimination System permit. Many medium and small-size
facilities may also need to get a permit," said Fonner. "There are
105 pages of forms and instructions for doing an NPDES permit. And
once you get a permit, you're in the program for five years."
That could be a problem, said Fonner,
especially for the smaller facilities that don't have as much help
as the larger producers. They will have to do just as much
paperwork, including inspections.
"So our message has been that
producers should actively pursue funds from the Environmental
Quality Incentives Program. Producers can use these funds to improve
manure storage and contain feedlot runoff, and that could possibly
make a permit unnecessary."
However, receiving funds from that
program, sponsored by the Natural Resources Conservation Service,
brings with it yet another requirement -- a comprehensive nutrient
management plan.
"The thrust of all these
regulations," said Fonner, "is containing manure and polluted runoff
and keeping clean water clean. So those are some of the issues that
we'll be talking about specifically in these workshops -- manure
storage and feedlot runoff."
To
register for a workshop or purchase a manual or CD, call (800)
345-6087. Prices are listed below and payment is by phone or mail:
- Manual only: $40 + $6.50 shipping
= $46.50
- Manual CD only: $16.50 + $6.50
shipping = $21.50
- Manual and CD: $53.50 + $6.50
shipping = $56
- Workshop registration: $15 per
person
- Workshop walk-ins: $75 per person
If you register two weeks before the
workshop you would like to attend, the manual or CD can be mailed to
you. If you have questions, contact Fonner at (217) 333-2611 or
e-mail him at refonner@uiuc.edu.
[to
top of second column in this article] |
Workshops
Jan. 31, Bloomington -- focus on
swine
Location: McLean County Farm
Bureau Building, 402 N. Hershey Road, Bloomington
For directions, call (309) 663-8306
Registration: 8:15 a.m.
Workshop starts: 8:50 a.m.
Participants arriving after 9:20 a.m. cannot be certified for
attending the workshop.
Written exam from Illinois Department of Agriculture: 1:30 p.m.
This workshop will primarily be aimed at swine producers but is open
to all producers.
Feb. 23, Nashville -- focus on
swine
Location: Washington County
Extension Office, 9623 Wall St., Nashville
For directions, call (618) 327-8881.
Registration: 8:15 a.m.
Workshop starts: 8:50 a.m.
Participants arriving after 9:20 a.m. cannot be certified for
attending the workshop.
Written exam from Illinois Department of Agriculture: 1:30 p.m.
This workshop will primarily be aimed at swine producers but is open
to all producers.
March 1, Freeport -- focus on
beef and dairy
Location: Highland Community
College, Student Conference Center Room 201B, 2998 W. Pearl City
Rd., Freeport
For directions, call (815) 235-4125.
Registration: 9:30 a.m.
Workshop starts: 10 a.m.
Participants arriving after 10:20 a.m. cannot be certified for
attending the workshop.
Written exam from Illinois Department of Agriculture: 2 p.m.
This workshop will primarily be aimed at beef and dairy producers
but is open to all producers.
March 2, Mount Carroll -- focus
on swine
Location: Naaman Diehl
Auditorium, Carroll County Farm Bureau Building, Route 64 and Route
78, Mount Carroll
For directions, call (815) 244-9444.
Registration: 8:15 a.m.
Workshop starts: 8:50 a.m.
Participants arriving after 9:20 a.m. cannot be certified for
attending the workshop.
Written exam from Illinois Department of Agriculture: 1:30 p.m.
This workshop will primarily be aimed at swine producers, but is
open to all producers.
March 3, Sycamore
Location: DeKalb County Farm Bureau Building. 1350 W. Prairie
Drive, Sycamore
For directions, call (815) 758-8194.
Registration: 8:15 a.m.
Workshop starts: 8:50 a.m.
Participants arriving after 9:20 a.m. cannot be certified for
attending the workshop.
Written exam from Illinois Department of Agriculture: 1:30 p.m.
March 9, Springfield
Location: Sangamon-Menard County Extension Office, Illinois
State Fairgrounds, South Gate 11, Bldg. 30, Springfield
For directions, call (217) 782-4617.
Registration: 8:15 a.m.
Workshop starts: 8:50 a.m.
Participants arriving after 9:20 a.m. cannot be certified for
attending the workshop.
Written exam from Illinois Department of Agriculture: 1:30 p.m.
[University of Illinois news release] |
