Organic Dairy Farming: 'Got Local Organic Milk?'

Part 2: Humane Treatment, Soil Health, Finest Organic Cows Milk

By Ken Roseboro, The Non-GMO Report

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Francis Thicke puts his philosophy of organic dairy farming into action, with humane treatment of organic milk cows, and organic agriculture to build soil health, for the finest organic milk.

Thicke believes milk cows are meant to eat primarily forages, not grains, such as corn, that are fed to cows at conventional dairies. Radiance milk cows eat grasses, chicory, clover, and alfalfa, along with some barley and soybeans for protein. All feeds are organic, which is required for organic certification.

Thicke previously used corn as feed, but stopped due to increasing concerns about contamination from genetically engineered corn grown in the area. He sees problems with transgenic crops. "I think they will fail because we don't have a deep enough knowledge about DNA in an ecological context," he says.

Thicke sees similar problems with GE bovine growth hormone (rBGH) that conventional cows receive to increase milk production. "rBGH pushes cows' metabolic systems outside of their normal range, aside from how it could hurt human health," he says.

Organic certification requires humane treatment of animals, and Radiance Dairy milk cows receive plenty of it. In addition to access to fresh air and sunshine and a nutritious organic diet, the cows are not given antibiotics or feeds that increase production. "We don't push for higher production," says Thicke. "The quality of milk is better if you don't push."

While conventionally bred cows produce milk for an average of two years, Radiance cows produce milk much longer, sometimes until they are 12 and even 15 years old.

The trend in "high-tech" conventional dairies is robotic milking because it is more "efficient." Thicke sees the need for the soft touch of traditional animal husbandry. "It is important to have direct contact with the animals," he says. "Cows are social animals and like contact with human beings if they are treated well."

This is evident when Thicke takes groups from local schools, who often visit Radiance Dairy, out to pasture to see the milk cows. Some cows will mingle with the students and respond warmly to petting by licking students' clothes or feet.

Organic Agriculture: Importance of Soil Health

Organic agriculture places heavy emphasis on soil health and this is just as important in organic dairy production. "Building soil is critical for good crops and animals," says Thicke, who has a doctoral degree in soil science and worked as a national program leader for soils with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Extension Service prior to owning Radiance.

Before Thicke purchased the farm in 1996, the land had been a typical, conventional Iowa soybean and corn farm. "The soil was pretty beat up," he says. Thicke planted grasses and legumes, such as clover, for grazing and producing hay. These crops also help to enrich the soil and prevent erosion.

The cows contribute to soil improvement by spreading manure on the ground. Thicke also composts manure, which is a common practice among organic farmers. Properly composted manure stabilizes nutrients and kills human pathogens.

Enriching the soil is an ongoing process. "You must have constant input of organic material into the soil to feed soil microbes," says Thicke. "You can't do it just one time and be done."

In addition to improving the soil, Thicke has taken steps to increase plant and wildlife diversity, another goal of organic agriculture. He planted honey locust trees that provide shade for cows in pasture and produce pods that cows will eat as a snack. "Other farmers thought I was crazy to grow them, but they are easy to grow and co-exist well with cows," says Thicke.

Letting trees and brush grow on fence lines of his property has increased wildlife habitats and more birds and squirrels have appeared on the land.

Little steps like this make a difference. "Properly done organic farming protects natural resources, such as soil, water quality and air," he says. Thicke's approach to dairy production is the same as that of other organic farmers who nourish the soil to grow healthy and strong crops. He gives the cows everything they need to be healthy and strong, and they in turn produce nutritious milk. It's not a complicated system.

Of 1,000 dairy farms in Iowa, Radiance Dairy is the only one that processes milk on the farm. In a small processing facility, Thicke and his employees use modern equipment to milk the cows, then store, pasteurize, and bottle the milk. Radiance does not homogenize its milk. Thicke believes homogenization reduces the milk's nutritional value.

Radiance whole organic milk looks and tastes richer than conventional milk with a thick layer of cream on top. The lowfat and skim milk also taste richer because of the higher content of protein and milk sugar.

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