Hog producers attending Certified Livestock Manager Training (CLMT) in Illinois will attend all new sessions in 2006, says Ted Funk, University of Illinois agricultural engineer and creator of the CLMT workshops. “We’re not going to rehash the same things producers heard three years ago. It’s all going to be new.”

Some new topics include:

• Ethanol by-products: Distiller’s dried grains with solubles (DDGS) are a by-product of ethanol production and are quickly becoming an economical and popular part of animal diets. CLMT workshops will include Extension specialists’ recommendations for feeding DDGS, its affect on manure contents and its impact on manure management plans.
• Soil moisture: Specialists will provide practical, easy-to-measure guides for soil moisture content, with details on how to record results in your manure management plan.
• Manure application over drainage tiles: Engineers will discuss the risks and outline easy ways to avoid pollution for liquid manure application near tile lines.
• Manure certification is required for producers with more than 300 animal units, renewable every three years. Producers must attend training or pass a written test. Producers with more than 1,000 animal units must attend training and pass a written test.

Four sessions for hog farmers include:

• Dec. 12 at Sunrise Community Center, Newton, IL (618-783-2521);
• Dec. 13 at St. Paul’s United Church of Christ, Nashville, IL (618-327-8881);
• Jan. 10, 2006 at Knox County Extension Office, Galesburg, IL (309-342-5108); and
• Jan. 19, 2006 at Carroll County Farm Bureau, Mt. Carroll, IL (815-244-9444).