2022 Certified Livestock Manager in-person workshops and online training announced

[December 28, 2021]     The Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDOA), along with the University of Illinois Extension, is hosting Certified Livestock Manager Training and Testing Workshops.  Both online and in-person options will be offered to provide Illinois livestock producers the manure management training they need to meet the requirements of the state's Livestock Management Facilities Act.

For the first time the Certified Livestock Manager testing will be available in Spanish. This option will be offered for both our in-person and online exams.

"This partnership, between the IDOA 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 Jerry Costello II. "The goal is for our livestock facilities to be good neighbors and stewards of the land."

To attend an in-person workshop, registration is required at go.illinois.edu/CLMT. Registration will be open one month prior to the workshop date, and class size is limited in some locations. All participants are required to wear a mask in order to comply with COVID-19 safety precautions.

The 2022 workshop dates and locations are:

• January 18, Effingham County Extension Office, Effingham

• January 19, St. Paul’s United Church of Christ, Nashville

• January 20, Clinton County Extension Office, Breese

• February 1, IDOA Building auditorium, Illinois State Fairgrounds, Springfield

• February 2, U of I Extension Pike-Scott Farm Bureau Building, Pittsfield

• February 3, Warren-Henderson Farm Bureau Building, Monmouth

• February 15, Livingston County Extension Office, Pontiac

• February 16, DeKalb County Farm Bureau Building, Sycamore

• February 17, Stephenson County Farm Bureau Building, Freeport

• February 23, Bank of Springfield Center, Springfield.

These will have the same format as previous workshops starting at 9:00 am., except the February 23 session at the Illinois Pork Expo, which will start at noon. The training lasts 3 ½ hours, and after the workshop, those with over 1,000 animal units (AUs) will be required to take a paper exam. The training manual “Livestock and Poultry Environmental Stewardship Curriculum” is available for free at go.illinois.edu/manual.

Producers also have the option of taking online training that consists of nine modules of 10- to 20-minute videos that can be viewed at an individual’s own pace. Those who have more than 1,000 animal units may take the exam online. Multiple attempts on the online exam are allowed. Producers with less than 1,000 AUs will work through the lessons only. Having more than 1,000 AUs requires completing the lessons and passing the online exam.

The certification exam has been updated for the 2022 season with 50 questions on both the paper-based and online exams. An individual must answer 70% of the questions correctly to pass.

You can create an account and get access to the online training at go.illinois.edu/CLMT.

University of Illinois Extension’s in-person or online training fee is $40 and IDOA’s certification fee is $30. Any questions relating to the CLMT program can be directed to Nesli Akdeniz at [e-mail] or [phone].

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 complete online CLM training or workshop or pass the Illinois Department of Agriculture's Certified Livestock Manager online exam.

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

[Illinois Office of Communication and Information]