By Jim Duncan CVFDude@aol.com
Third Party candidate spices Ag race
The main event in Iowa’s political ring pits four-time champion Terry Branstadt against current heavyweight champ Chet Culver, but a fight on their under card could go further toward redefining Iowa in the 21st century.
At least that was the thinking that encouraged a debate last week between two main candidates for Secretary of Agriculture and Land Stewardship. On paper, that match-up looks like a clash between modern and postmodern philosophies of food production.
Democrat Francis Thicke is an organic dairy farmer from the left wing half of Fairfield. Sitting Secretary Bill Northey is a corn and bean farmer from the right wing, Northwest corner of Iowa. A glib articulator of the insanities of modern agriculture, Thicke is a champion of the “Sustainability” half of the job title he seeks. The grandson of Farm Bureau icon E. Howard Hill, Northey has the solid backing of the “Agriculture” establishment. The two appeared to be so confrontational that an odd consortium of groups agreed to co-sponsor — Pew Charitable Trusts, Farm Bureau, Sierra Club, League of Women Voters and Drake University. Promoters excluded candidates from the Tea Party and the Green Party, as well as others running in the major parties’ June primaries. That proved unfortunate.
As often happens, the game did not live up to the hype. Neither Thicke nor Northey appeared to possess the “killer instinct” of a contemporary politician.
“I don’t know what either of these guys is doing in politics. They’re both too nice,” explained Democrat Party consigliore Jerry Crawford.
On several occasions, both candidates complimented, rather than attacked, each other. Thicke showered praise on Northey’s use of cover crops to reduce soil erosion in his corn and bean fields. Northey said that Thicke’s dairy operation was a model carbon footprint for a small farm. Thicke praised Northey for keeping his pledge to visit farmers in all 99 counties and for “being there like the US Mail whenever rain, hail or other calamities” struck parts of the state. Northey thanked Thicke for elucidating the vulnerability of contract hog farmers to major packinghouses.
As civility triumphed, Thicke’s followers became restless, hoping their man would try harder to differentiate himself from the incumbent. Crawford said that Thicke’s low-key approach was a good thing.
“Northey won his office two years ago with everything stacked against him — Obama’s coat tails, Culver’s coat tails, no serious dilution of the liberal vote by third party candidates. (2008 Democrat candidate) Denise O’Brien was painted as an un-pragmatic, hippie revolutionary, and she never recovered. Thicke can‘t let that happen,” he said.
The two main candidates may have disappointed partisans and food bloggers, but self proclaimed Populist Party Candidate (and former Cityview writer) Willie Ray Santiago made their day at his post-debate press conference at Mars Coffeehouse. While cooking a homegrown meal for the media, Santiago announced his campaign’s five-point plan.
“First we drop the words “and Land Stewardship” from the job title. Anyone who thinks good stewardship and agriculture isn’t the same thing should not be involved with either. Secondly, all state supported food service outlets, from school cafeterias to the Terrace Hill kitchen, will be required to meet 20 percent quotas for using fresh, Iowa grown foods. That will encourage the planting of alternative, edible food crops. Third, Iowa will institute a ‘Missing Link, in the food chain’ tax on foods redirected to non-food sources such as ethanol plants. Fourth, the revenue from that tax will finance interest free loans for minority and first time farmers to purchase farmland in counties that are losing population. Finally, I will relentlessly pursue a crop insurance system that measures risk, and premium prices, the same way the current health insurance system does, within state lines. Iowa farmers will no longer be crucified on a cross of Gulf State hurricane flotsam,” Santiago said.
Side Dishes
The Environmental Protection Agency mandated grease trap upgrades, averaging $80,000 each, at 102 different metro area restaurants… The US Food & Drug Administration ordered crystal manufacturers (Riedel, Murano and Waterford) to add permanent warning labels “Contains lead, do not eat” on all products sold in the U.S. CV
Caption: Populist Candidate Willie Ray Santiago dishes up a home-raised meal for the media.
APRIL FOOLS!
