MONROE — The University of Wisconsin-Extension Green County will offer an in-person training for Beef Quality Assurance certification from 1 to 3 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 3 at the Green County Justice Center. 

This certification is provided in cooperation with UW-Extension and the Wisconsin Beef Council. The fee will be collected at the door; make checks payable to WI BQA Program. RSVP by Nov. 22 with the number attending from your farm by calling 608-328-9440. The BQA Program will verify your certification with bqa.org and return your certification number back to the farm by either email or regular mail.

Obtain free, online BQA certification at bqa.org. Here you will create an account, based on your email address, and select the course that best fits your particular operation. Each interactive course takes about two hours to complete and requires an 80% score to pass the final test. 

For more information or questions, contact Jackie McCarville, Green County UW-Extension Agricultural Educator at jaclyn.mccarville@wisc.edu.

Some large packers and processors have announced that, effective this year, they will only purchase from farms that are Beef Quality Assurance or FARM Certified. Most dairy farms are FARM certified through their milk processor. Ask your dairy plant representative for help to get a copy of your completed FARM evaluation, or a letter from them indicating your farm’s completion of FARM 3.0 or beyond. 

The Jan. 1, 2019 BQA requirement impacts those selling finished beef breeds of cattle and is in effect for all markets and all private treaty transactions. Farmers need to work with their marketing partners, or buyers if selling direct, to ensure correct documentation of BQA or FARM certification.