Happy Cow Music Video Contest

Friends of Francis Thicke are pleased to announce the HAPPY COW MUSIC VIDEO CONTEST.  Individuals aged 18 and over are invited to submit a music video for the song, “Happy Cow,” written and performed by musician Arthur Lee Land for a chance to win cash prizes and have their work viewed by a celebrity judge panel.

Arthur Lee Land was inspired to write the song after meeting Francis Thicke and visiting his dairy farm, Radiance Dairy.  Thicke, (pronounced “ticky”) a sustainable dairy farmer with a Ph.D and former USDA Soil Science Program Leader, is campaigning against a candidate backed by corporate agribusiness for the position as Iowa's next Secretary of Agriculture.

The Happy Cow Music Video Contest encourages participants from across the country to get creative and spread the word that what happens in Iowa will impact the nation, by producing a music video in support of Thicke’s campaign promoting clean and healthy food systems, sustainable energy and more profits for family farmers.

A celebrity judge panel, including filmmaker David Lynch, bestselling author Michael Pollan, actor Stephen Collins, and King Corn filmmaker Aaron Woolf, will select a best overall winner and a second place winner. The overall winner will receive $1500, second place will win $700, and the People’s Choice award will win $300. Entries will be judged on creativity, imagination and inspiration, effectiveness of communication in telling story, and visual and graphic innovation.

 “I feel like the issue of clean food and sustainable agriculture is reaching critical mass. From my perspective, this IS a national election. When I heard that the people who typically vote for this office are over 55 I knew we needed to find ways to reach younger people in Iowa who care about their food and systems that produce it.”

“The song pretty much wrote itself after I started to think about what the cows would be asking humans: What's it gonna take...? Our intention is for this video contest to be a fun, creative way to bring attention to Francis and the issues at hand. We are fortunate to have Tim Hawthorne, Founder and CEO of Hawthorne Direct sponsor the $2500 prize money as well as our celebrity judges who have volunteered their support.”

Entries are due by September 22, 2010, midnight CST. To listen and download the “Happy Cow” Song, watch contest videos and view full contest guidelines visit: www.friendsoffrancisthicke.com