There are thousands of dairy farms out there. And most treat their cows on par with industry standards: Milk them until they no longer produce at large quantities and then “retire” them…usually to a feed lot. But Radiance Dairy is different. And that’s why we chose it as our first stop on the Real Food Road Trip. This first episode of the cross country tour follows our departure from Minneapolis and our travels across Iowa to meet Francis Thicke – a Dairy Farmer, Ph.D, and all around great guy who truly cares about the lives of his cows… He even offers semi-retirement for his older cows.

He does this by selling the cows to people looking for a family cow. After all, once most cows retire, they still make enough milk to sustain a family or two. So, the farm is able to continue making money, families get a wonderful new friend, and the cows get to live to be old ladies. Thicke treats his animals with respect while still making a decent living.

After learning to cook at his mother’s bed and breakfast, Daniel Klein (The Perennial Plate) went on to work and train at many of the world’s top restaurants. His culinary education brought him to Spain, France, England, India and New York, where he has worked and trained at top Michelin starred restaurants. After graduating from NYU, Daniel also pursued a career in film.