For every contribution of $20 or more, you'll receive a copy of Francis Thicke's new book.
Peak Oil Plateau
Chapter 17 – Peak Oil Plateau
A major challenge on the doorstep of agriculture today is the escalating cost of energy, particularly oil. Iowa’s agriculture is today highly dependent on oil-based inputs. When oil prices peaked at $147 a barrel in 2008, farm input costs went through the roof, putting agriculture in a perilous position.
Can Sustainable Farming Feed the World?
Chapter 16 – Can Sustainable Farming Feed the World?
Proponents of industrial agriculture often proclaim that if sustainable or organic farming were widely adopted there would be mass starvation around the world. There are several flaws to that argument.
The first flaw is the assumption that converting to sustainable or organic farming means returning to the methods of 100 years ago. Clearly, that is not the case.
Grass-Based vs. Confinement
Chapter 15 – Grass-Based vs. Confinement
The irony of modern confinement animal production has been summed up by Allan Nation, editor of the Stockman Grass Farmer in this way (paraphrased): It is the nature of cows to move about and the nature of grass to stand in one place, but with confinement animal production, we have turned it backward and made the cows stand in one place and made the grass move to the cows.
My Energy Policy For Iowa Agriculture
This week I am touring Iowa to announce my comprehensive energy policy for agriculture that shifts new public incentives to wind and biofuel systems that:
- Produce energy to power agriculture,
- Are farmer-scale and farmer-owned, and put profits in farmers’ pockets, and
- Are truly sustainable and renewable.
Value Added, Value Retained
Chapter 14 – Value Added, Value Retained
Our dairy products have several features that add to their value to our customers: 1) our cows are Jerseys, which produce milk high in protein, butterfat and other milk solids, giving them enhanced flavor; 2) our dairy products are grass-based, giving them unique nutritional features; 3) our dairy products are organic; 4) our dairy products are not homogenized; 5) our dairy products are produced locally.
A Grass-Based Dairy Designed to Mimic Nature’s Ecology
Chapter 13 – A Grass-Based Dairy Designed to Mimic Nature’s Ecology
Read how Francis Thicke and his wife Susan run their 450 acre organic dairy farm in Southeast Iowa, using sustainable farming methods.
The Design Of Nature’s Ecology
Chapter 12 – The Design of Nature’s Ecology
Modern livestock production systems can be designed and managed to mimic the ecological processes that created the diverse prairie and its productive soils. And these systems can be much more energy-efficient than current industrial animal production methods. The key is to find ways to harness the energy, efficiency and organizing power of nature’s ecology.
The Future of CAFO Agriculture
Chapter 11 – The Future of CAFO Agriculture
CAFOs came into full development just on time to be obsolete. What will catalyze the transition from industrial livestock systems to livestock systems based on the economy of ecology?
Health Effects Of CAFOs
Chapter 10 – Health effects of CAFOs
A 2006 study by the University of Iowa found that Iowa children attending school near a CAFO had a 24.6 percent asthma rate compared to 11.7 percent for children at a control school.
When Manure Is Not Manure
Chapter 9 – When Manure is not Manure
CAFO proponents attempt to downplay the insufferable odor of CAFO waste by saying “manure is manure.” They argue that manure has been around for 10,000 years, so people who cannot tolerate being around CAFO manure should not live out in the countryside.
