Here is another great opportunity for local gardeners new and experienced to learn more about growing their own food!  As part of his internship in the Iowa Master Gardener program, MUM Sustainable Living professor Alex Kachan is offering a series of workshops on various aspects of small-scale, organic gardening to the entire community for free.  The only requirement is that you register at least one week in advance because each workshop is limited to 15 participants.  If Alex gets more than 15 requests for a workshop he will schedule a repeat for the overflow members.

I had the great pleasure of both attending one of Alex’s lectures on Vermicomposting (using composting worms to biologically break down organic matter) and working with him at the Ecovillage CSA two summers ago.  He is incredibly knowledgeable and passionate about growing food sustainably from every step in the cycle, so I am sure these workshops will be not only informative but inspiring.

Here is a brief listing of workshop times and topics.  Email Alex at the address below for complete descriptions and to reserve a spot in the ones that interest you.

Sunday, March 14th, 2010: Starting Seeds
Workshop length: 1:00– 4:00 PM (3 hours)
Location: SL Dept., room 111 & SL greenhouse

Sunday, April 18th, 2010: Making your bed – the art of Double Digging!
Workshop length: 1:00– 4:00 PM (3 hours)
Location: MUM Community Garden

Sunday, April 25th, 2010: Compost – learning to grow soil!
Workshop length: 1:00– 4:00 PM (3 hours)
Location: MUM Community Garden

Sunday, May 2nd 2010: Compost Tea – pampering your soil & vegetables!
Workshop length: 1:00– 4:00 PM (3 hours)
Location: SL Dept. room 111

Wednesday, May 5th, 2010: Garden Q&A’s
Workshop length: 2:00– 4:00 PM (2 hours)
Location: MUM Community Garden

Workshops will be filled on a first come, first served basis.  To register, choose the workshops you wish to take and send their titles, dates & your name to Alex at: akachan@mum.edu

Click here to download a flyer providing more details on the workshops.

Francis Thicke is holding a film screening fundraiser for his candidacy for Iowa’s Secretary of Agriculture.

The producers of the award-winning documentary film King Corn have released a sequel: Big River. Both Big River and an abbreviated version of King Corn will be shown Friday, February 19, starting at 7:30 p.m. on the 10-foot movie screen in Morning Star Studio’s ballroom, upstairs at 51 1/2 South Court Street on the east side of the Fairfield Town Square.

In King Corn college friends Ian and Curt plant one acre of Iowa corn and follow their harvested corn into the food system. What they find raises troubling questions about how we eat, how we farm, and the stuff we’re really made of.

In the Big River sequel, Ian and Curt track the trail of fertilizers and chemicals used to produce their acre of corn and discover how farm runoff travels through waterways to eventually reach the Gulf of Mexico, where that pollution causes an aquatic dead zone.

Friday night’s event will begin at 7:30 with a 50-minute version of King Corn, followed by the 30-minute film Big River. After the films Francis will spend a few minutes outlining his vision for a sustainable agriculture and food system in Iowa and will ask you to share your thoughts as well.

A minimum $5 donation is requested for the evening. Additional contributions are welcome.

More information on Francis Thicke’s campaign for Iowa Secretary of Agriculture can be found at www.thickeforagriculture.com.

King Corn Trailer:

Big River Trailer:

Blog for Iowa has published an informative, four part interview, conducted by Jay Mattson, on Francis Thicke’s candidacy for Iowa Secretary of Agriculture.

I’ve known Francis Thicke and his wife, Susan, for over 30 years, and I can testify that he is the real deal. Francis is running for Agriculture Secretary because he has a sincere impulse to engage in public service for the sake of improving Iowa. Interviewing Francis gave me a chance to experience his brilliant grasp of complex, pressing issues. Francis has the best mix of qualifications, knowledge and experience that I could hope for in a progressive Democrat seeking to be Iowa’s Agriculture Secretary. I’ve come away from this interview convinced that he’s a viable candidate who has the integrity, humility and wisdom this state needs. — Jay Mattson

Part One: Meet Francis Thicke – Progressive Democrat for Iowa Agriculture Secretary

Part Two: Iowa Ag Secretary Candidate Francis Thicke Talks to BFIA about CAFOs, GMOs, and Local Control

Part Three: Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Candidate Francis Thicke Exclusive BFIA Interview

Part Four: Interview With Iowa Ag Secretary Candidate Francis Thicke

From the interview:

The Iowa Secretary of Agriculture is very often invited to speak at agricultural conferences held in Iowa. I see that as a major role of the Iowa Secretary of Agriculture: to articulate a vision for the future of Iowa agriculture, and to provide leadership to help move Iowa agriculture towards that vision. — Francis Thicke

. . . a law that was recently passed in Illinois that sets goals for more of the food eaten in Illinois to be produced in Illinois. They are starting with state-owned institutions, like hospitals and universities. One goal of the new Illinois law is to have 20% of the food purchased by state-owned institutions be grown in Illinois by 2020. That is an interesting model of how to increase local food production, which translates into economic development. We could do something similar in Iowa. — Francis Thicke

I grew up on a farm in a family of nine children. The farm was mostly dairy when I was young but we also had hogs, chickens and other animals — including sheep and ducks, at times. Over time our family’s farm became more specialized in dairy production, so I learned dairy first-hand from the family. — Francis Thicke

It’s an exciting interview series about a candidate with some practical and visionary ideas for how to improve Iowa’s agriculture and economic future. I encourage my fellow Iowans to read it and comment on Thicke’s ideas or provide any other feedback for the candidates in next year’s election for Iowa Secretary of Agriculture.

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Francis and Susan Thicke, owners of local Radiance Dairy Farm, will be honored this December with the Spencer Award for Sustainable Agriculture. The award will be presented on December 5th at the 2009 Iowa Organic Conference in Ames.

The Thickes will be the sixth recipients of the Spencer Award, originally established in 2001 to recognize significant contributions to the advancement of practices that make agriculture sustainable and family farms secure for the future.

The owners of a Jefferson County organic dairy farm and on-farm processing plant are the 2009 recipients of the annual Spencer Award for Sustainable Agriculture. Francis and Susan Thicke, who own and operate Radiance Dairy near Fairfield, will receive the honor December 5 at the 2009 Iowa Organic Conference in Ames.

The Thickes manage 236 acres where 60 paddocks are used to feed their herd of 80 Jersey milk cows. The herd is rotationally grazed, moving to a new paddock twice daily. In their on-farm processing plant, they produce skim, lowfat and whole milk, as well as yogurt and cheese, all of which is sold locally.

Until they bought the farm in 1996, the land was used for corn and soybean production. They have installed a solar-powered system to supply water from a pond to each paddock. The pond also has a geothermally-heated water tank for use in the winter.

The Thickes will be the sixth recipients of the Spencer Award, established in 2002 to honor farmers, educators or researchers who have made a significant contribution toward the stability of mainstream family farms in the state. The award includes a $1,000 stipend and is one of Iowa’s largest awards in sustainable agriculture.

Elisabet Humble, local foods coordinator for Hometown Harvest of Southeast Iowa, nominated the Thickes for the award, noting that their farm has been the site of many tours. €œThe knowledge Francis brings to visitors on his farm helps them understand the importance of sustainable agriculture and how it works with ecology,€ Humble said. €œI consider him one of the greater assets to our community €¦ very passionate in his efforts to create sustainability in our food systems.€ — Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture

Francis Thicke is currently running for Iowa Secretary of Agriculture, learn more at his campaign website.

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• Keys to success for Radiance Dairy: Using nature as model and guide

According to a new study from Purdue University, future expansion of ethanol production from corn would mean higher loadings of fertilizers and pesticides to water resources. The study found that water sources near fields of continuous corn had higher levels of nitrogen, phosphorous and fungicides than corn-soybean rotations. The study did not compare perennial crops, but no doubt they would be even more protective of water resources because perennial crops better protect the soil from erosion and nitrate leaching, and require less pesticide use.

More information about the study can be found at Lab News

This study calls attention to the urgent need to accelerate development of technology to produce biofuels from perennial crops, which protect the soil and require fewer inputs of fertilizers and pesticides than corn. Technologies under development that would fill this need include cellulosic ethanol production and pyrolysis, both of which could use biomass from perennial crops.

Pyrolysis is a process of heating biomass in the absence of oxygen to produce gaseous and liquid fuels that can be converted to gasoline and diesel fuel. Another byproduct of pyrolysis is biochar, a charcoal material that can serve as a carbon-sequestering soil amendment that improves soil fertility.

The future for biofuels production from perennial crops through pyrolysis looks promising, though more research is needed to fully develop the technology. Pyrolysis produces a higher energy yield per unit of biomass and has a smaller carbon footprint than ethanol production.

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I walked over to last week’s annual meeting with JFAN, Jefferson County Farmers & Neighbors, Inc.

I came late as I usually do for events hoping to sit in the back and observe. Too late. The only seats available were in the balcony, on the side. That meant walking almost on stage for the stairs on each side. Note to self: come early for next year’s JFAN meeting.

This annual meeting served as much for a celebration as it did for a pep rally.  Rightfully so, for both reasons.  JFAN and its members have much to celebrate. I saw this at a glance when I walked into FACC’s lobby (late) and was greeted by 3 or more volunteers there to answer questions, provide handouts, direct me upstairs. These volunteers were clear on their roles, excited to contribute, friendly and engaging. I saw it at a glance with the FACC packed on a Wednesday night.  Getting volunteers out is always a challenge. But to inspire volunteers and members to come out on a weeknight, so many that the FACC is packed to overflowing,  is a sign of great leadership inspiring great participation.

Jim Rubris and JFANs Board of Directors have inspired, empowered…planted, fertilized, watered and now harvested  a successful grass roots organization. Their purpose is clear.  They have emboldened their members to speak up, speak out and take ownership of this organization and its purpose. Their tools and resources continue to grow in sophistication and reach. Check out their site. Check out their printed materials. See how they used digital media with a live broadcast during the evening meeting and lead-up interviews on KRUU.

Consider the speakers at last week’s Annual Summit.

David Murphy, Co-founder and Co-director, Food Democracy Now! Smart, energetic, organized, organizing, inspiring.

Dr. John Ikerd, Agricultural economist, author, and Professor Emeritus at the University of Missouri,

Francis Thicke, Co-owner and co-operator, Radiance Dairy, Former member, Environmental Protection Commission, Iowa Food Policy Council, Iowa Organic Standards Board; and former National Program Leader, USDA-Extension Service

All presented with passion, focus and well-documented data. That last point impressed me greatly.  Sometimes, in evangelistic grass-roots organizations, data can take a back seat to fervor and conviction.  Sure, there were anecdotal stories and the well-deserved jabs at corporate farming. But, they remained anecdotal and jabs to set up the delivery of the data.

There’s overwhelming data that shows the negative impact on farms,  our communities from corporate farming, our health. The key word is our. No one near a CAFO goes free from its impact. Near means…next door, down the roads abused by swine haulers, in the community that slowly dies as jobs whither and disappear, as the public agencies are overwhelmed with those left and their needs from lowered wages and rising healthcare needs, and the farms themselves as they face the awakening of being suckered with their land and their family into competing in a commoditized industry on a global basis.

But there’s also growing data that shows there is a viable, profitable, sustainable option.  That is the organic, sustainable, agriculture option. According to the Organic Consumers Association, Sales of U.S. manufactured organic products grew 38 percent during the past year. Meat, poultry and eggs grew 64%! (Note: that’s during a recession, not that we need reminding.)

This data could supply the content for the pep rally part of future annual meetings. This may be the future of JFAN: Highlighting this growth opportunity for those considering a CAFO. And not just highlighting it, but promoting it, coaching it, leading it. Include the positives of the business model for organic, sustainable farming, in the materials. Granted, it may be there. But, as a non-member looking in, it seemed hidden. The dangers and negatives from CAFOs, and corporate farming, are well-known. What seems less well-known are the very viable alternatives with sustainable, organic, farming, along with the business metrics for its operation.

JFAN has accomplished deep connections with its current membership. That’s helped stem the momentum of corporate farming and its impact in our communities. However, its mission may be accomplished when it builds bridges outside the current membership of  true believers to include those whose vocation depends on finding a viable solution.  That bridge could be built with information and tools and resources, education and skills, provided by JFAN,  that create a business that is sustainable and healthy for them, their families, their neighbors, their community..and together that makes it our families, our neighbors, our communities.

Fairfield Ledger also covered the event.