Thicke hosting field day

Francis and Susan Thicke will host a Practical Farmers of Iowa Field Day from 1-4 p.m. Aug. 27 at their rural Fairfield farm.

The free event, open to the public, will feature a wagon tour of the Thicke farm?s 60-paddock grazing system and a walk through of the on-farm dairy processing facilities.

Emphasis of the field day will be on the renewable energy systems in place and planned for the farm as well as a general discussion of potential systems to make Iowa farms energy self-sufficient. Gregg Heide, an expert on wind energy, will help lead the discussion.

The practice of applying raw milk to pastures also will be discussed.

Radiance Dairy is a 450-acre, 80-cow, organic, grass-based dairy in which the milk produced is processed on the farm into bottled milk, yogurt and cheese, and marketed locally. The Thickes use a solar-thermal system for preheating hot water, a solar-powered water-pumping system, a geothermal heating-and-cooling system and a natural-convection cooling system on their farm. A 33kW wind turbine is planned for erection this year.

?Fossil Fuels will become more scarce and expensive in coming years,? Francis Thicke said.?In preparation, we are trying to make our farm more energy-efficient and self-sufficient.?

For a copy of the 2011 Field Day Guide, call the PFI office at 515-232-5661 or visit the website: practicalfarmers.org/events/field-days.html.