Private Applicator Training/Testing Date Set

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 2, 2009

The Illinois Department of Agriculture has worked with the Mason County Extension office to schedule testing and training for those producers whose Private Applicator License is about to expire.

Producers intending to apply restricted use pesticides on their own property or property that they lease must have a Private Applicator License in order to both purchase and apply those materials. In order to be licensed, producers have to pass a Private Applicator Test administered by the Illinois Department of Agriculture. If the individual producer successfully passes that test, he or she can then pay a fee to the Illinois Department of Agriculture and a license will be mailed by IDOA to them.

While U of I Extension does not administer the test and does not administer the distribution of licenses for restricted use products, Extension does assist producers via providing a general review in preparation for the Private Applicator Test.

This year's local exam and Extension review session have been scheduled for Thursday, February 11, 2010 at 9:00 a.m. The location will be the Mason County Extension office in Havana.

Individuals attending this year's training and testing sessions should remember that they will be charged a $30 fee for training (Note: this change was made in 2006 by U of I). Mason County Extension also requests that individuals pre-register for this year's training. Contact Mason County Extension at 309-543-3308 to register or click here for convenient online registration.