(Spirit Lake)– A Democrat running for Iowa Secretary of Agriculture brought his election campaign to the Iowa Great Lakes over the weekend.
Francis Thicke, an organic dairy farmer near Fairfield, Iowa, also holds a Ph.D. in agronomy and soil fertility.
Thicke tells KUOO news increasing local food production is one of several issues he’s promoting. He says it’s ironic that while Iowa calls itself the food capital of the world, that the state imports 90 percent of the food it eats. Thicke says if elected, he would re-activate the Iowa Food Policy Council.
Thicke also sounded off on CAFO’s, or confined animal operations, saying local officials should have the say over where they’re located.
Renewable energy and making it more available to farmers and landowners is another issue he’s promoting, along with breaking up corporate monopolies. Thicke says it would restore competition to ag markets and result in more profit for Iowa farmers.
