The Indiana State Department of Agriculture developed the Certified Livestock Producer Program as a way to recognize livestock farmers that go above and beyond in their farm practices and procedures. This voluntary program will recognize farmers that are willing to demonstrate publicly their commitment to the environment, animal well-being, food safety, emergency planning, biosecurity and being a good neighbor in their community. ISDA believes this tool will help improve understanding of modern livestock production in today’s communities. For information about the program, click here.

About the Program

The Certified Livestock Producers are livestock producers who must demonstrate their commitment to the environment, animal well-being, food safety, emergency planning, biosecurity and being a good neighbor in their community.

What do these criteria mean to you and what does this mean to the producer?

Commitment to the environment - Certified Livestock Producers share the concerns of many Hoosiers for the environment. In order to be certified, the producer conducts a self assessment where he or she must receive a minimum score for progressive environmental practices in areas such as nutrient management, manure handling and conservation practices. This section is validated by an ISDA representative.

Commitment to animal well-being and food safety - Certified Livestock Producers understand the important responsibility of their position in the food system. That is why they are committed to complete a nationally recognized certification program for his/her respective species that addresses food safety, animal health, care and housing. This is then validated by a commodity representative or technical specialist.

Commitment to emergency planning - Certified Livestock Producers know that a solid emergency plan can protect people, livestock and the environment. Each has an emergency plan for his/her operation. The producer then conducts a self-assessment to verify he/she has developed and implemented a plan for his/her farm that meets appropriate standards. A local fire department representative then reviews and validates the plan.

Commitment to biosecurity - Certified Livestock Producers recognize the importance of sanitation and the health of their livestock. The producer must conduct a self-assessment and obtain a minimum score to verify they have developed and implemented a biosecurity plan that meets these criteria. He/she must meet with a veterinarian to review and validate the plan.

Commitment to being a good neighbor - Certified Livestock Producers respect their neighbors as fellow members of their community. The producer must demonstrate actions as a good neighbor through the self assessment and this section is validated by an ISDA representative.

In addition, each producer must make a Producer Promise.

Getting Started

1. Submit the confidential application form. ISDA will then verify that your farm is in good standing with the Indiana Department of Environmental Management and the Board of Animal Health.
2. You will be invited to attend a one-day regional training session to receive the Certified Livestock Producer Program manual, instructions and aid in completing the program. Contact Tracy Roberts at TrRoberts@isda.IN.gov for more information about current training dates.
3. After you have completed the manual, contact ISDA to set an appointment for an on-farm review of the completed requirements.

Program Materials
Program materials are available for download by Certified Livestock Producer Program participants only. One of the primary benefits to participants is access to information. If you are a participant and need access to the program materials, please email Tracy Roberts at TrRoberts@isda.IN.gov.

FAQS

Quotes

“Every livestock producer should join the program to help promote the integrity of animal agriculture in Indiana. The agribusiness contacts we gain, in addition to the wealth of information on all of the various topics, are extremely valuable in making our farms safer and building relationships with others in agriculture.” - Rob Ewing, Goat/Sheep Producer, Greensburg, Indiana

“Certified Livestock Producers take pride in the product they are producing and are committed to safety for their farms, their animals, their families and emergency responders in their communities. For us, visiting with our local fire department was the most valuable part of the program and made all the difference in the world when we had a house fire.” - Pearce McKinney, Sheep Producer, Wingate, Indiana

“Programs like the Certified Livestock Program help build the foundation of a wonderfully successful story, by asking questions, giving ideas, and requiring projects be completed that make us more contentious about farm safety, being a good neighbor, bio-security…Farmers are busy, programs like this are a wonderful tool in our tool box!” - Sarah Wagler, Dairy Producer, Morgantown, Indiana

“Taking part as an Indiana Certified Livestock Producer has made us think about emergency planning and ways to help emergency personnel protect our best interest. After completing our certification, we began holding an annual training for the local volunteer fire departments, Civil Defense and Emergency Medical Service to help them better understand our farm and how to best respond should we ever have a fire or another type of emergency here.” - Dan Gregory, Turkey Producer, Loogootee, Indiana

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