AMES, Iowa — Commercial manure applicators can attend annual training to meet commercial manure applicator certification requirements on Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025. Iowa State University Extension and Outreach and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources will conduct video-based Commercial Manure Applicator training from 9 a.m. to noon at 71 locations in Iowa, and additionally from 1-4 p.m. at 24 of these locations.
There is no fee to attend the video-based workshop. Pre-registration is required. No walk-ins are permitted. Applicators must register by Jan. 2, 2025, with an ISU Extension and Outreach county office. A complete list of workshop locations can be found on the Iowa Manure Management Action Group website.
Live workshops
Eight locations will also offer live workshops for Commercial Manure Applicator Certification in conjunction with Confinement Site Manure Applicator training. Attend the two-hour confinement site training, and an additional hour to fulfill the three hours of training.
If you only want to complete the confinement site certification, you will be excused after two hours. An additional hour is required to fulfill the three hours of training for the Commercial Manure Applicator Certification.
The following locations are hosting a Live Commercial Manure Applicator workshop:
- Johnson County, Jan. 16, 9:30 a.m., ISU Extension and Outreach office, Iowa City, 319-337-2145
- Kossuth County, Jan. 21, 1:30 p.m., ISU Extension and Outreach office, Algona, 515-295-2469
- Davis County, Jan. 27, 1:30 p.m., ISU Extension and Outreach office, Bloomfield, 641-664-2730
- Clay County, Jan. 28, 1:30 p.m., ISU Extension and Outreach office, Spencer, 712-262-2264
- Wayne County, Jan. 30, 1:30 p.m., ISU Extension and Outreach office, Corydon, 641-872-1755
- Osceola County, Feb. 12, 1:30 p.m., Willow Creek County Recreation, 5945 Highway. 9, Ocheyedan, 712-754-3648
- Ida County, Feb. 20, 1:30 p.m., Holstein Community Center, Holstein, 712-364-3003
- Boone County, Feb. 24, 1:30 p.m., ISU Extension and Outreach office, Boone, 515-432-3882
Commercial manure applicators needing to recertify and those wanting to certify for the first time should attend the statewide showing or one of the live workshops in their area. All certified commercial manure applicator licenses will expire on March 1, 2025. To avoid paying late fees, those wanting to renew must complete training requirements and submit forms and fees to the Department of Natural Resources before March 1. The law requires all commercial manure applicators to attend three hours of training annually to meet certification requirements. Businesses that primarily truck or haul manure of any type or from any source are also required to meet certification requirements.
Those unable to attend the program on Jan. 9 or attend one of the eight live workshop locations need to schedule time with their ISU Extension and Outreach county office to watch the training videos. Due to scheduling conflicts, extension offices will no longer accept walk-in appointments to watch these videos but do offer scheduled dates and times to provide this training.
If you can’t attend training during one of the scheduled reshow dates at your county extension office, you will be charged a $10 fee to view the training at your convenience. If attending the workshops or watching the three-hour video is not convenient, commercial applicators may contact their local Department of Natural Resources field office to schedule an appointment to take the certification exam.
Applicators also have an online certification option, in which an applicator can take the training online at the DNR MAC Workday site. Applicators will need to sign in and create a Workday account.
In addition to the commercial manure applicator training offered on Jan. 9, ISU Extension and Outreach will also offer five dry/solid manure workshops for commercial manure applicators in February 2025. Information regarding these workshops and locations can also be found on the Iowa Manure Management Action Group website. Program requirements are the same as the regular commercial training program, but this training program is geared more toward dry/solid manure issues.
For more information about the commercial manure applicator certification program, contact your ISU Extension and Outreach county office, or visit the Iowa Manure Management Group website.
–Daniel Andersen, Rachel Kennedy, Melissa McEnany, ISU Extension
