Business : Confinement Site Manure Applicator Workshops Scheduled for 2026

Confinement site manure applicators and anyone interested in learning about manure issues should plan to attend a two-hour workshop offered by Iowa State University Extension and Outreach in January or February 2026. These workshops are offered in cooperation with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. Registration is required; walk-ins are not permitted. There is no fee to attend the workshops, but applicators will need to pay certification fees and send the forms to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources to complete the certification requirements.

“Iowa law requires confinement site manure applicators to attend two hours of continuing education each year of their three-year certification period or take and pass an exam once every three years,” said Dan Andersen, associate professor of agricultural and biosystems engineering, extension agriculture engineering specialist at Iowa State and coordinator of the manure applicator certification program.

A total of 57 locations will participate in the Confinement Site Manure Applicator workshops. In addition, a series of five dry/solid manure applicator certification meetings will be held in February. These meetings are tailored toward dry/solid manure for either Commercial or Confinement Site manure applicators. ISU Extension and Outreach county offices have a complete list of workshop dates and locations or a list can be viewed in the 2026 workshop brochure available online.  

The workshops serve as initial certification for those who are not currently certified, recertification for those renewing licenses, and continuing education for those in the second or third year of their license.

Due to uniform certification deadlines, applicators are encouraged to attend workshops prior to March 1 to avoid being assessed a late fee of $12.50 for those who are re-certifying. Those unable to attend one of the workshops need to schedule time with their ISU Extension county office to watch the training video. 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 applicators cannot attend training during one of the scheduled reshow dates at their county extension office, they will be charged a $10 fee to view the training at their convenience. If attending the workshops or watching the three-hour video is not convenient, commercial applicators may contact their local DNR field office to schedule an appointment to take the certification exam. In addition to scheduling an appointment to take the exam, applicators must bring a pencil and a photo ID and should plan to bring a calculator.

Another option for commercial manure applicators is to take their training online at the Iowa DNR MAC Workday site (see “Manure Applicators Certification” > “Certification” > “Online”). Applicators will need to sign in and register for a Workday account.

Contact your ISU Extension and Outreach county office for more information about the Manure Applicator Certification Program or review information for confinement site applicators.