The Cass County Extension office is again hosting continuing instructional courses (CICs) for local commercial pesticide applicators, but wants to remind anyone who has yet to attend the training that all CIC training must be completed by the end of December to keep a license current. To avoid conflicts with year-end scheduling, Cass County Extension is requiring that all re-show dates be scheduled by Thursday, December 17th.
‘Year end is a busy time for all, but we don’t want anyone to miss the opportunity to attend their annual required training, as time to meet those annual requirements is getting short,” according to Kate Olson, Cass County Extension Director. “We do offer trainings on a first-come, first-serve basis, and our hours vary slightly during to the winter holiday season, so we’d like to remind folks to call and get their classes scheduled before our year-end calendar fills up.”
There are three scheduled program dates remaining on the calendar:
- November 17: Fumigation (Category 7C)
- November 18: Ag Pest Control (Categories 1A, 1B, 1C)
- December 9: Pest Control Operators (Categories 7A, 7B, 7D, 8)
In addition, any commercial CIC training can be viewed as a “re-show” after the scheduled program date, as long as it is set up in advance with office staff. According to Olson, reshow dates can occur after December 17th, as scheduling allows, but they must be on the calendar before then to be honored. To ensure a spot on the training schedule, applicators needing to complete a CIC for the year are asked to call as soon as possible if they have a preferred training date, but no later than Thursday, December 17th at 4:30 PM. Applicators calling after this date will NOT be placed on the training schedule. Training dates can be scheduled locally by calling the Cass County Extension office at 712-243-1132 or by emailing Judy Sandbothe at judys@iastate.edu.
Online options to complete the training are also available, provided by the ISU Extension and Outreach Pesticide Safety Education Program (PSEP). Certified Crop Adviser (CCA) Continuing Education Units (CEUs) are also available for some programs. Interested participants should bring their CCA number for any programs offering this option. Additional information and registration forms for courses offered by the PSEP program can be accessed at http://www.extension.iastate.edu/PSEP. Please note that attendance at a CIC does not automatically renew an applicator’s certification with the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS).
