Calf Care & Quality Assurance Instructors Sought
The new Calf Care & Quality Assurance program is rolling out its next phase of implementation by hosting its second Instructor course.
The course, intended for individuals seeking to become certified instructors for the CCQA’s Calf Caretaker classes, will be held Friday, June 24, 2022, in Charlotte, NC, from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. EST.
“Candidates for CCQA instructors would be anyone interested in providing hands-on training to the individuals caring for calves across the country,” said Beverly Hampton Phifer, Director of Animal Care for the Farmers Assuring Responsible Management (FARM) program, and FARM lead on the CCQA program. “Examples of potential instructors include employee managers at calf ranches, Extension consultants, veterinarians, allied industry representatives, and private consultants.
There is no fee for the training, and Phifer said it is up to the individual trainers as to whether they will charge their audiences after they become certified. “We don’t have expectations whether instructors would or would not charge for their services,” shared Phifer. “There likely will be cases of both, and it will depend on their role in the industry and the groups they are instructing.”
CCQA is a first-of-its-kind program for the U.S. calf-raising sector. It is designed to encourage best management practices for raising both beef and dairy calves, and is a collaborative effort between FARM; Beef Quality Assurance (BQA); the Dairy Calf and Heifer Association (DCHA); and Veal Quality Assurance (VQA).
The key areas of focus for CCQA are calf health, management, animal stockmanship, and emergency preparedness. “Given that CCQA touches so many facets of the calf industry, we intend to equip instructors with overall knowledge and guidance, then allow each instructor to tailor the training in a manner that best fits the specific sector they are addressing,” Phifer explained.
She said attendance at the l training will be capped at 20 participants, but interested parties beyond the initial 20 will be apprised of future training events and dates. Registration is open until May 31, 2022, and can be accessed here.
