MARION — Citing the need for better leadership and a broader statewide vision for farmers, a Fairfield dairy farmer announced today that he would seek the Democratic nomination for Iowa secretary of agriculture.

Francis Thicke made his first stop in Marion to announce that he is seeking the Democratic nomination for Iowa secretary of agriculture.

Francis Thicke made his first stop in Marion to announce that he is seeking the Democratic nomination for Iowa secretary of agriculture. The candidate has scheduled two other Iowa stops for his official announcement. (Photo by Lynda Waddington/Iowa Independent)

Francis Thicke, 59, said he believes the state needs to be prepared for the challenges and opportunities of agriculture in the 21st century, specifically citing renewable energy and sustainable agriculture as two of the most important areas for growth.

“In Iowa we eat about $8 billion worth of food every year and it is estimated that about 80 percent of that comes from out of state,” Thicke said. “That means that we have a great economic development opportunity to produce more of that here locally.”

According to Thicke, an economist at Iowa State University has estimated that if Iowans ate the recommended five servings of fruits and vegetables per day, and if Iowa farmers provided that produce for just three months out of the year, the production and marketing of those additional crops would add $300 million and 4,000 jobs to Iowa’s economy. Thicke recommends that Iowa pass legislation similar to what has been adopted in Illinois that sets a goal of 20 percent of all food purchased by state-owned facilities, such as universities and prisons, and 10 percent of all food purchased by state-funded facilities, such as schools and hospitals, to come directly from farms and farmers in our own state.

“Right now 65 percent of our land surface in Iowa is covered in corn and soybeans,” he said, noting that both crops are not very resilient. “I think we need to look toward more perennials on the landscape, more cover crops, and one way we can do that is to switch our biofuels industry towards more cellulosic biofuels.”

Thicke, who said he believes the ethanol industry has overbuilt in Iowa and caused itself economic hardship, would support a moratorium on state funding and tax credits for new ethanol plants. He asserts that such a move would provide a better balance of corn use between biofuels and food.

Thicke supports state incentives for farm-scale wind turbines, local control of the location of Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) and increased state regulation regarding the size of such confinements.

While he recognizes that a large percentage of Iowa’s economic prosperity rests on agricultural interests, and knows first hand how fluctuating markets have impacted sectors such as pork and dairy producers, Thicke believes the problem is grounded in lack of competition in the markets.

“I think that one of the fundamental problems that is being overlooked is that these markets are no longer competitive markets,” he said. “Economists tell us that if more than 40 percent of a market is controlled by four or fewer firms that it begins to act like a monopoly rather than a free market. And, in hog markets, about 65 percent is controlled by four firms. In beef it is about 85 percent that is controlled by four firms. In dairy, one corporation processor controls about 40 percent of all the milk processing. The interesting thing is that while dairy farmers are at record loss levels, that corporation, during the last two quarters, has had record profits.”

“Some real trust breaking — like Teddy Roosevelt style trust busting” needs to be done, according to Thicke, in order for the agricultural markets to realign.

Thicke, who grew up on a family farm and has been a full-time farmer for the past 25 years, earned holds a doctorate degree in agronomy and soil fertility. He previously served at the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Washington, D.C. as national program leader for soil science for the agency’s extension service. He has served on the Iowa Environmental Protection Commission and that Iowa Food Policy Council, being appointed to the latter by former Gov. Tom Vilsack.

Thicke and his wife, Susan, are owners and operators of a grass-based, organic dairy near Fairfield. They process their milk on the farm and market it directly to local grocery stores and restaurants.

If he wins the Democratic nomination — he is currently the only declared candidate — Thicke will likely face Republican incumbent Bill Northey in the general election next year.

Immediately following Thicke’s formal entry into the race, the Republican Party of Iowa issued a statement painting him as a radical. “Agriculture is serious business in Iowa and now is not the time to experiment with the backbone of Iowa’s economy. Francis Thicke’s radical agenda would spell disaster to the stability and sustainability of our family farmers and the jobs they represent,” said Jeff Boeyink, the party’s executive director.