Organic farmer plans to run for Iowa Secretary of Agriculture (updated)

So (4.00 / 2)

he is a real organic farmer and not one of those industrial organic farmers that barely makes the certification or cheats it, right?

Vote for yourself at www.ni4d.us!

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by: rossl @ Sat Mar 21, 2009 at 23:11:19 PM UTC

he's the real thing (4.00 / 4)

http://www.foodandsocietyfello...

Radiance Dairy is the home of Francis and Susan Thicke. The farm encompasses 236 acres of rolling ground in southeast Iowa. They have been in the area since 1992 and on the present farm since 1996. Francis grew up on a dairy farm in southeastern Minnesota and holds a B.A. degree in Music and Philosophy, an M.S. in Soil Science, and a Ph.D in Agronomy. He worked in Washington D.C., for the USDA-Extension Service as the National Program Leader for Soil Science, before moving to Iowa to start their dairy.

           Radiance Dairy milks 65 Jersey cows and bottles the milk on-farm; this is the only on-farm bottling operation in the state of Iowa. They also make cheese and yogurt and market the majority of their product to their community in Fairfield. The cows are grazed and moved to a new pasture paddock twice a day, after each milking. Thicke sees the importance of an integrated system, remarking that his grazing system makes not only economic sense, but energetic and ecological sense. The cows put their nutrient rich manure out in the pasture and haul the milk "home", in contrast to a conventional system where the feed is hauled to the cows and the manure is hauled back out.

So, basically, we're eliminating a lot of steps and [use of] energy. The manure is building fertility in the soil, enhancing processes, building organic matter...That's the key thing, that the pieces are integrated. We are also using mobile chicken houses....the chickens follow the cows by about three days, by that time the flies will have laid their eggs, the chickens will scratch about and eat the fly larvae and the flies.

Within his integrated system Francis is also concerned with adding a lot more trees to the farm, his goal is to have trees in every paddock. He sees multiple advantages to this approach, the trees provide shade for the cows, but the cows can also be maneuvered, through their desire for shade, to add manure to certain areas of the farm where the soil is poor and in need of nutrients. He also likes the idea of using honey locust trees because they don't have a very dense canopy, and let light through to help promote grass growth. The honey locust trees also have pods that are high in protein and good nutritionally for the cows.

Thicke has also called out our lieutenant governor, Patty Judge, for her support of CAFOs:

http://www.bleedingheartland.c...

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by: desmoinesdem @ Sat Mar 21, 2009 at 23:53:20 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Count me in. I'm in Iowa and I'm ready (4.00 / 3)

to help.  Is there a website, yet, for this potential campaign?  Anything I can bookmark and follow?

 Thanks.

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by: Prairie Gal @ Mon Mar 23, 2009 at 16:40:56 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Sounds like he is a Salatin devotee. (4.00 / 5)

Moving the cows twice a day and following up 3 days later with chickens is what Joel Salatin does on Polyface Farm.

Well, more power to Thicke.  He sounds like the kind of guy we really need more of, in Wisconsin as well as Iowa.  Here's hoping he can pull it off.

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by: DennisP @ Sun Mar 22, 2009 at 00:07:01 AM UTC

big money will line up against him (4.00 / 4)

and it will be an uphill battle if the incumbent runs for re-election, but it will be great just to have Thicke out there raising these issues on the campaign trail.

There is a lot of pent-up anger among environmentally-minded Democrats in Iowa. They'll be happy to have someone on the ballot in 2010 whom they can wholeheartedly support.

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by: desmoinesdem @ Sun Mar 22, 2009 at 00:52:09 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

My thoughts exactly (4.00 / 4)

after reading what desmoinesdem had to say above.  And in response to what he said below (about big money), we'll just have to donate more!

Vote for yourself at www.ni4d.us!

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by: rossl @ Sun Mar 22, 2009 at 02:48:58 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Francis Thicke (4.00 / 4)

I have known Francis for many years, and he represents what is most important in a Secretary of Agriculture. He knows that there is no single type of agriculture that will feed the world, save the environment or make everyone happy.

He is an organic dairy farmer like me, but we will never, at least in the foreseeable future, be in the majority.  Organic farmers could feed the world, but never in my lifetime will we get the chance.

Francis will do what makes sense, organic farming and local production to the greatest extent possible, and environmentally sound practices as much as possible.

He will be under extreme pressure from industrial agriculture, universities etc, but he can argue a good case for sustainable agriculture in any circle.

If I lived in Iowa he would certainly have my support.

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by: jgoodman @ Sun Mar 22, 2009 at 03:53:46 AM UTC

The prospects of a state having a man (4.00 / 3)

such as this at Ag, makes my heart swell with...envy, pure envy, something I rarely experience.

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by: AmyAmy @ Sun Mar 22, 2009 at 17:20:16 PM UTC

don't get too envious yet (4.00 / 2)

because it will be an uphill battle for Thicke with all the big money lined up against him.

But even if he loses, it will be worthwhile to have someone traveling around the state talking about agriculture in these terms.

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by: desmoinesdem @ Sun Mar 22, 2009 at 18:41:21 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Exactly... (4.00 / 2)

But even if he loses, it will be worthwhile to have someone traveling around the state talking about agriculture in these terms.

Maybe he can be 'your' Howard Dean.  Just takes one to stand up and start making sense...

"The essence of the independent mind lies not in what it thinks, but in how it thinks." - Christopher Hitchens

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by: JayinPortland @ Sun Mar 22, 2009 at 21:06:40 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

I hope he can shake up the political conversation. (4.00 / 3)

If he has a good stage presence, if he has good command of the facts, if he does not come across as an extremist, then I suspect he will add something really substantial to the conversation.

He will very likely be well received across the state: the food/sustainability movement is strong and growing stronger.  Regional self-sufficiency is an agricultural message that I suspect will resonate with a lot of Iowans.  

I don't know what his realistic chances are, but I suspect he will at least put some real pressure on the standard politicians.  It should be a fun race.  I hope that you, DesMoinesDem, will give us updates on the race regularly.

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by: DennisP @ Sun Mar 22, 2009 at 22:45:08 PM UTC

will do! (4.00 / 2)

Obviously his chances will be better if the current Sec. of Ag decides to run for governor instead of running for re-election.

Raising awareness about these issues is hugely important, and many progressive Democrats are hungry for a candidate they can feel good about supporting. He will need a professional campaign manager who knows how to harness and deploy volunteer resources, because the other side will be able to massively outspend him.

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by: desmoinesdem @ Mon Mar 23, 2009 at 00:20:36 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

I hope he is running seriously. (4.00 / 3)

I hope he will employ campaign professionals and really run to take office, not just to "talk about his issues". In my view, that's the only way he will be taken seriously and have an impact. Back when, Howard Dean was not taken seriously because he wasn't running seriously. Until his speech "I represent the Democratic wing of the Democratic party" at the California Democratic convention in 2003. Then he caught fire and was almost forced to start running seriously and he became a force to be reckoned with.

Same thing with Thicke: I hope he campaigns seriously and works at raising money so he can get his message across. But from what you say, and what I've read of him, I think he will be more than just an ego candidate. I expect he will either run for real or not run. When he gets started, I'll ship him some $$.  I like him.

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by: DennisP @ Mon Mar 23, 2009 at 02:13:41 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Do you have a link for that press release? (4.00 / 2)

I google news'd it and couldn't find anything. I'd like to circulate it.

Thanks,

Becky

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by: Prairie Gal @ Mon Mar 23, 2009 at 16:43:59 PM UTC