The American Feed Industry Association (AFIA) has released the 2018 calendar for its online feed manufacturing course, conducted in partnership with Kansas State University (KSU).

The five-week, “AFIA 500-KSU: Fundamentals of Feed Manufacturing” distance education program provides an in-depth understanding of the manufacturing process, while allowing participants to work at their own pace and engage in online discussions with other students and instructors. “This course teaches participants ways they can improve facility safety and maintenance and become more efficient in feed processing,” said Gary Huddleston, AFIA’s director of feed manufacturing and regulatory affairs. “Additionally, the convenience of the online course allows employers the ability to keep their employees’ skills fresh without lost staff time or the additional cost of travel.” The feed technology group in KSU’s Department of Grain Science and Industry developed AFIA 500 in 2010. Topics covered by the course are: process flow from particle size reduction, to batching and mixing, conditioning and pelleting, boilers, post-pellet systems, packaging, loadout, and maintenance. KSU is the only US university to offer a B.S. degree in feed manufacturing and is home to the IGP Institute. For more than 35 years, the IGP Institute has established a worldwide reputation for international programs related to flour milling and grain processing, feed manufacturing and grain quality management, and grain marketing and risk management focused on corn, grain sorghum, soybeans and wheat. The courses are taught by a diverse blend of individuals from KSU and within the feed and allied industries and provide in-depth training on all aspects related to feed manufacturing. The course will be offered during four sessions in 2018: • Feb. 19-March 23 • April 16-May 18 • Aug. 27-Sept. 28 • Oct. 29-Nov. 30 To date, more than 450 individuals have earned a certificate for completing this course.