CSIF Tips of the Month – January 2015

01-05-2015 in Through The Gate

Rules and Regulations Highlight

Manure Applicator Certification: What You Need To Know

State law requires all commercial manure applicators and confinement site manure applicators (specifically those with over 500 animal units in confinement) to attend annual training to handle, transport or land-apply manure.

Commercial Manure Applicators

To become certified as a commercial manure applicator, there are 3 options:

• Attend a program January 6 from 9 a.m. to noon. The program is offered at  72 Iowa locations.
• View the 3-hour training DVD at your county Extension office.
• Schedule an appointment to take (and pass) the applicator exam at your local DNR field office.

Confinement Site Applicators

Farmers who have over 500 animal units in a confinement and apply their own manure need to be certified as a Confinement Site Manure Applicator. The certification is good for 3 calendar years. There are 3 ways to become certified or renew:

• Attend a 2-hour training course between January 13 and February 27 at a county Extension office. (For dates and locations, click here.)
• View the 2-hour training video at your county Extension office.
• Take and pass the 50-question, multiple-choice, true-false exam at a DNR field office.

Dry Manure

Applicators who work with mostly dry or solid manure may want to schedule training at one of seven February workshops. These workshops are focused on application of poultry, cattle or hog manure in a dry or solid form. They are open to both confinement and commercial applicators. (For dates and locations, click here, then scroll to the bottom of the PDF.)

After the training, applicators need to submit applications and fees to the DNR prior to March 1 to avoid a late fee.

For more information, visit the IMMAG website.

Farmgate Quotable

“Ten years ago there was a tension in Iowa between communities and neighbors. And that’s just not a tension that we welcomed. The Coalition was designed to help bridge that gap and to encourage livestock production in Iowa. This has been a collaborative effort that has included a lot of united people toward the same goals – (to) promote and expand livestock production responsibly in the state.” – Craig Hill, farmer and president of the Iowa Farm Bureau

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