Francis Thicke grew up on a dairy farm in Minnesota. In 1972, he completed a B.A. in Music & Philosophy at Winona State College. Francis returned to the family farm where he worked for nine years. He went back to school where he completed a M.S. in Soil Science at the University of Minnesota in 1984. Francis earned a Ph.D. in Agronomy/Soil Fertility at the University of Illinois.

After completing his Ph.D., Francis served as National Program Leader for soil science for USDA-Extension Service. In 1992, he returned to his farming roots and now owns and operates an organic grass-based dairy farm that processes milk on the farm and markets dairy products through local grocery stores, restaurants and a university.