Certified Livestock Manager Training

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According to the Livestock Management Facilities Act, livestock facilities in Illinois that house 300 or more 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 manure management.  The certificate is administered by the Illinois Department of Agriculture and is valid for three years. 

The Certified Livestock Manager is expected to be a full-time employee who is familiar with the manure management system of the farm, accessible by phone, and located within a one-hour driving distance to the farm. Young family members (<18 years old) are welcome to take the training, but they cannot be the only certified manager at their facilities. 

To become a certified livestock manager:

  • 300-999 animal units: attend a workshop or complete online training
  • ≥1,000 animal units: attend a workshop and pass IDoA's paper-based test offered immediately following each workshop or complete online training and pass the online test. 

Please note that the CLM test has been updated. In the 2022 season, there will be 50 questions on both paper-based and online tests. The pass rate is 70% (35 questions). A Spanish version of the test is now available. Ahora ya está disponible una versión en español del examen para CLMT! 

Online CLMT; open all year round

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This new version of online training follows the same format as in-person workshops. There are nine modules (10-20 min videos), and you can work through these modules at your own pace. If you have more than 1,000 animal units, you can take the test online at the end of the training. You are allowed multiple attempts on the test. Each time you take the test, 50 questions will be randomly selected from our question bank.

  • The online training fee is $40 and IDoA's certification fee is $30.
  • Once you create an account, you will have access to the training videos and also enrichment videos for three months.

Attend an in-person workshop in 2022

Registrations are open for the first six workshops. This year, registrations are opening in two blocks out of caution related to the possibility of changing COVID-19 mitigation restrictions. To attend a workshop, registration is required, and at some locations, space is limited.

  • The workshop fee is $40 (each additional participant $30), and IDoA's certification fee is $30.
  • All workshops start at 9 a.m. except at the Pork Expo. 
  • We kindly ask all participants to wear a mask to comply with COVID-19 safety precautions.
  • In case we need to cancel a workshop due to COVID restrictions or other unforeseen circumstances, we will inform you via email and refund your registration fee. Please check your email or our website for updates. 

2022 Training dates

 Useful Links

University of Illinois Extension provides educational programs and research-based information to help Illinois residents improve their quality of life, develop skills and solve problems. University of Illinois Extension provides equal opportunities in programs and employment.  If you need a reasonable accommodation to participate in this program, please call Nesli Akdeniz at (217) 300-2644.

Neslihan Akdeniz
Nesli Akdeniz
Clinical Assistant Professor and Extension Faculty Specialist