SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — The Illinois General Assembly passed the Livestock Management Facilities Act (LMFA) on May 21, 1996. Since that law was enacted, livestock facilities in Illinois that house over 300 animal units (for example, 750 finishing hogs, 214 dairy cows, or 300 beef cattle) are required to have at least one person certified in the environmental protection aspects of manure management.
The “Certified Livestock Manager” is expected to be familiar with the facility’s manure management system. The certificate, administered by the Illinois Department of Agriculture, is valid for three years.
Who Needs to be Certified?
In Illinois, livestock producers with more than 300 animal units* must be trained and certified in manure handling procedures. There are two levels of CLM certification, depending on facility capacity. The following table shows which training and testing requirements apply, based on facility size.
*Your animal units designation is according to the Illinois Livestock Management Facilities Act (LMFA) definitions. The numbers are different from those in the federal EPA CAFO regulation, and also are different from rules in neighboring states. “One-time design capacity” is based on industry and agency recognized per-animal space requirements.
2020 In-Person Training Dates and Locations
On the day of the workshop, registration will open at 8:30 a.m. with training program starting promptly at 9:00 a.m. except for one of Springfield workshops (Feb 5, 2020), which will promptly start at 12:30 pm.
A range of topics related to the operation, management, and utilization of livestock waste and waste facilities will be covered. Additionally, the latest regulations, best management practices, and research for manure-related issues will be discussed.
January 8, 2020 – Effingham, IL
Effingham County Extension Office
1209 North Wenthe Drive, Effingham, IL
January 9, 2020 – Mt Vernon, IL
University of Illinois Extension
4618 Broadway, Mt Vernon, IL 62864
January 10, 2020 – Breese, IL
Clinton County Extension Office
1163 North 4th Street, Breese, IL
February 5, 2020 – Springfield, IL
Bank of Springfield Center
1 Convention Center Plaza, Springfield, IL
(Starts at 12:30 on the 2nd day of IL Pork Expo)
February 6, 2020 – Pittsfield, IL
UI Extension/Pike County Farm Bureau Bldg
1301 E Washington, Pittsfield, IL
February 7, 2020 – Monmouth, IL
Warren -Henderson Farm Bureau
1000 N Main St., Monmouth, ILFebruary 18, 2020 – Onarga, IL
UI Extension/Bork Nurseries Building
916 W. Seminary Avenue, Onarga, IL
February 19, 2020 – Sycamore, IL
DeKalb County Farm Bureau Bldg
1350 W. Prairie Drive, Sycamore,
February 20, 2020 – Freeport, IL
Stephenson County Farm Bureau Bldg
210 W. Spring St, Freeport, IL
February 26, 2020 – Springfield, IL
Illinois Department of Ag Bldg. Auditorium
State Fairgrounds, Springfield, IL
To learn more or to register for a training, click here.
— Illinois Pork Producers Association
For more articles out of Illinois, click here.