Organic Dairy Farming: "Got Local Organic Milk?" Article by Ken Roseboro, The GMO Source

Savvy Vegetarian News

Vol. 1, Issue 6, October 2003

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Radiance Dairy:

At first glance, Francis Thicke's 236-acre dairy farm in rural Iowa looks similar to neighboring farms. There are rolling green hills, a big farmhouse, and even a big red barn-like building. However, a closer look reveals a completely different system of agriculture, one that offers a promising model of organic production that serves and is supported by a local economy. Thicke's farm, called Radiance Dairy, is certified organic.

Compared to large-scale conventional dairies, Radiance is tiny, with 65 cows that produce about 2,000 gallons of milk each week. Every drop is organic along with its yogurt, cheeses, and soft ice cream mix. Radiance Dairy reflects a growing national appetite for organic dairy products. During the 1990s, sales of organic dairy products increased 500 percent.

Maine leads the nation with more than 10 percent of the state's dairies, 50 of 420, now producing organic milk. The nation's two largest organic dairy producers are Organic Valley, based in La Farge, Wisconsin, and Horizon Organic Dairy, based in Boulder, Colorado. Both sell milk nationally, unlike Radiance, which refuses to sell even regionally. More about that later.

Different Philosophies And Methods:

About the only thing Radiance shares in common with conventional dairies is that both raise cows and produce milk. Beyond that the two approaches diverge in philosophy and method. In the conventional-industrial system, the emphasis is on production. Cows are raised as milking machines, given hormones to boost milk production, and confined in high-tech, large-scale dairy operations.

In contrast, smaller organic operations, such as Radiance, aim to raise healthy crops and animals that will naturally produce more nutritious foods. Cows are fed organic grasses and grains, given ample space to graze outdoors, and treated more humanely.

The differences between the two systems begin with the cows. While most conventional dairies raise the familiar black and white Holsteins, Thicke breeds the smaller, brown Jerseys. "Holsteins produce more milk, but Jersey cow milk contains higher butterfat, lactose, protein, and minerals," he says.

In conventional dairies, cows are confined in a feed lot or barn and given limited access to outdoors. In contrast, organic dairy production requires that cows have freedom of movement and access to outdoor pasture for grazing.

Thicke grazes his cows in pastures called "paddocks" twice a day after milking. His land is divided into 60 paddocks and over time he rotates the cows through all the paddocks so they receive fresh nutritious grass every time in the field. Thicke says this "controlled grazing" system enhances cows' health by giving them exercise outdoors as opposed to being confined. The grazing system is also more energy efficient than confinement.

In conventional dairy operations, forage is harvested, chopped, put in storage bins, and brought to the confined cows. The manure is then collected and hauled out to pasture. Radiance does the opposite. "All we do is open the gate and let the cows go out to pasture where they eat and spread their manure, which enriches the soil," he says. "We save labor and energy with a well-designed pasture system."

Humane Treatment:

Thicke believes cows are meant to eat primarily forages, not grains, such as corn, that are fed to cows at conventional dairies. Radiance 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 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 cows. Some cows will mingle with the students and respond warmly to petting by licking students' clothes or feet.

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.

Local Production For Local Consumption:

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.

Radiance milk is always fresh from the farm because it is only sold locally at supermarkets and restaurants in Fairfield, Iowa. Demand for Radiance organic milk is strong in this small Iowa town of 10,000, which is unique in that a significant percentage of its population buys organic foods. "We have a good market here," says Thicke, who wants to keep his production local, believing that expanding regionally would bring unwanted challenges. It's not that people don't want him to expand. "We often get calls from people in Des Moines and other areas who want our milk," he says.

Remaining local demonstrates Thicke's commitment to community supported agriculture (CSA), which aims to reestablish the connection between consumers and farmers that has been severed by modern agriculture. In the United States, food travels an average of 1,300 miles from the farm to the retail shelf. Nearly every state buys up to 90 percent of its food from somewhere else, which causes billions of dollars to leak from state economies each year. CSA helps stem the losses by developing regional food supplies that build local economies.

In a CSA program, consumers pay a membership fee to a local farmer and receive fresh organic produce throughout the growing season. CSA establishes a mutually beneficial relationship between farmers and consumers. Farmers gain a ready market and fair compensation for their crops, while consumers receive locally grown organic foods at prices below retail. Money remains in the community.

In the process consumers learn how their food is produced, gain a greater appreciation for organic farmers, and often participate in the farming work. In addition, CSA saves energy because no long distance transportation costs are involved. CSA is a growing trend in the U.S. with more than 1,000 programs nationwide.

Thicke promotes community-based food systems through a Food and Society Policy Fellowship he received from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, which is a national program that aims to improve communications about food and agriculture issues in the United States.

While structured differently than a CSA program, Radiance Dairy is essentially the same because it supports Francis Thicke's farm and gives Fairfield consumers a reliable source for fresh, organic milk. "Local production for local consumption," as Thicke likes to say.

Organic Valley's chief executive officer George Siemon says he supports milk producers like Radiance that connect directly with local markets. "We like to get beat out by local competition," he says. Organic Valley produces and sells regional sub-brands, "California Pasture" and "New England Pasture."

Thicke sees CSA as vital for the future of agriculture. "I think we will see a dramatic growth in community-based food systems in coming years," says Thicke. "These will provide fresher, safer, and more secure food supplies for local consumers, protect natural resources, and contribute to the prosperity and renewal of rural communities."

Newsletter Index:

Article:"Got Local Organic Milk?", by Ken Roseboro:

Radiance Organic Dairy, Fairfield IA, "--- a completely different system of agriculture, one that offers a promising model of organic Production that serves and is supported by a local economy."

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