#126 In Practice, JUL/AUG 2009

healthy land. sustainable future.

JULY / AUGUST 2009

NUMBER 126

We’ve Come a Long Way!

WWW.HOLISTICMANAGEMENT.ORG

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

COCKTAIL SEEDING

25 Years of Holistic Management

by Kirk Gadzia This article was excerpted from a presentation by Kirk Gadzia at the Society for Range Management Holistic Management Symposium in February 2009.

When asked to speak on 25 years of history of Holistic Management, Kirk decided the easiest way was to just tell his own story, which spans that entire time.

I

joined Society for Range Management (SRM) back in 1976 and attended my first SRM meeting in Portland, Oregon in February 1977. After graduating with my MS in range science in 1979 from NMSU, I eventually took a job as a range conservationist with the Bureau of Indian Affairs in Albuquerque in 1980.

In the early ‘80s the Savory Grazing Method or SGM was a big buzz with lots of controversy and even conflict—something I had never seen in the range profession to this degree. And, I was very interested in learning more to see for myself what this was all about. I eventually attended the SGM training in Albuquerque in 1983 and got very excited about all the information. We immediately began building grazing cells on Sandia Pueblo grazing areas just east of I-25.

As a young man with lots of energy and drive, I grew less excited about my agency job and more excited about the prospects of working in my chosen field within the private sector. In 1984, as my first daughter was born, my wife quit her job to stay and take care of our young family, and I quit my job—to start my own consulting business. I took out my small retirement savings from the Federal service, took stock of what savings we had, and jumped off into the deep end.

I have never regretted that decision.

A New Organization I began attending most of the SGM week-long schools and helping there during and after the

courses. My travels took me to many areas of the western and mid-western United States, Canada, and Mexico. Throughout this time I followed up with alumni and began a consulting business to help people implement the things they had learned at the courses. I still have my course notebook from that first course, and although my interest was primarily the grazing management side of the equation, the decision-making process that is today known as Holistic Management was already being formed.

A short time later, in 1985, I took a position with the newly formed Center for Holistic Resource Management (CHRM) in Albuquerque.

This new Center was the shift away from a private ranch management consulting agency, to a non-profit 501c3 which occurred in 1984.

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Using a “cocktail” mix of seeds (often more than 11 different types of seeds) can fix nitrogen, extend the growing season, improve soil fertility, drought proof your cropfields, and much more.

Learn about how Gabe Brown is using this practice effectively on his farm in North Dakota on page 8.

FEATURE STORIES Making the Case for Soil Carbon FRANK ARAGONA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

Beyond Conflict to Consensus— Addressing the Social ‘Weak Link’ JEFF GOEBEL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5

Holistic Management in the Northeast ANN ADAMS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

Practicing What You Teach— Livestock Treated Cropfields SENANELO MOYO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18

LAND and LIVESTOCK Cocktail Mixes & Integrating Livestock NO-TILL FARMER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

Daily Monitoring— Holistic Planned Grazing GRAEME HAND . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11

Voisin’s Vision— Better Grassland Sward JOHN KING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14

NEWS and NETWORK PBS Documentary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17 From the Board Chair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17 Certified Educators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19 Marketplace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20

healthy land. sustainable future.

Holistic Management International works to reverse the degradation of private and communal land used for agriculture and conservation, restore its health and productivity, and help create sustainable and viable livelihoods for the people who depend on it.

FOUNDERS Allan Savory

Jody Butterfield

STAFF Peter Holter, Chief Executive Officer Tracy Favre, Senior Director/ Contract Services Jutta von Gontard, Senior Director / Philanthropy Kelly Bee, Chief Financial Officer Ann Adams, Managing Editor, IN PRACTICE and Director of Educational Products and Outreach Maryann West, Manager of Administration and Executive Support Donna Torrez, Customer Service Manager Mary Girsch-Bock, Educational Products & Outreach Assistant Valerie Gonzales, Administrative Assistant

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Ben Bartlett, Chair Ron Chapman, Past Chair Roby Wallace, Vice-Chair Gail Hammack, Secretary Christopher Peck, Treasurer Sallie Calhoun Mark Gardner Daniela Howell Andrea Malmberg Jim McMullan Ian Mitchell Innes Jim Parker Sue Probart Dennis Wobeser Jesus Almeida Valdez

ADVISORY COUNCIL Robert Anderson, Corrales, NM Michael Bowman,Wray, CO Sam Brown, Austin, TX Lee Dueringer, Scottsdale, AZ Gretel Ehrlich, Gaviota, CA Dr. Cynthia O. Harris, Albuquerque, NM Leo O. Harris, Albuquerque, NM Edward Jackson, San Carlos, CA Clint Josey, Dallas, TX Doug McDaniel, Lostine, OR Guillermo Osuna, Coahuila, Mexico Soren Peters, Santa Fe, NM Jim Shelton, Vinita, OK York Schueller, Ventura, CA Africa Centre for Holistic Management Tel: (263) (11) 404 979 • hmatanga@mweb.co.zw Huggins Matanga, Director The David West Station for Holistic Management Tel: 325/392-2292 • Cel: 325/226-3042 westgift@hughes.net Joe & Peggy Maddox, Ranch Managers HOLISTIC MANAGEMENT IN PRACTICE (ISSN: 1098-8157) is published six times a year by Holistic Management International, 1010 Tijeras NW, Albuquerque, NM 87102, 505/842-5252, fax: 505/843-7900; email: hmi@holisticmanagement.org.; website: www.holisticmanagement.org Copyright © 2009

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We’ve Come a Long Way continued from page one It represented a fundamental shift in the development of Holistic Management from the private sector alone, to include government agencies, other non-profits, and diverse groups of like interest.

In 1985, I, along with five other trainees, would become instructors at the Center and eventually employees and regional directors in different areas of the country. Initial funding for this was provided by the Noble Foundation in Oklahoma. Our training at the Center was much broader than just grazing management or cell grazing. We focused on human resources to a great degree and working and understanding human resources, planning models, and the new wave of focus in corporate goal setting processes.

We also developed financial planning skills and a much deeper understanding of ecosystem processes and function. I read on many of these subjects voraciously and have kept up that habit still.

The following year, 1986, we had an international group from Zimbabwe and the Navajo Nation join our team for six months. Following their training I had the opportunity to join Allan and Jody Savory in Zimbabwe and see firsthand the origins of his theories and ideas on the ground.

In 1987 another international group from Tunisia, Morocco, Algeria, and Jordan came to train at the Center. I also followed up on with visits to all the projects in their countries and learned much about the Arab cultures and the history of resource management in an ancient setting.

In terms of learning, this cemented in me the fact that resource management is as much a people issue as it is anything else. Also my increasing international experience and work in such different environments as those just mentioned plus Canada in the north, Mexico in the South, California and Hawaii to the west and Florida and Virginia in the east really made me focus on indicators of ecosystem process functioning rather than species composition or other common measures of land health.

This focus on “universal” principles in regards to ecosystem functioning has been a central thesis of the Holistic Management approach from its very beginning. Understanding the basics of water and mineral cycling, community dynamics (succession), and energy flow were always given primary attention in the courses.

This focus eventually helped lead to my being selected as one of 14 members of the National Academy of Science Committee on Rangeland Classification. Our meetings in Washington D.C. and field trips around the country were fascinating exercises and very mentally

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Kirk Gadzia stimulating. In 1994 the book Rangeland Health was published by the National Research Council and represented the body of our work and thinking, and our recommendations to the profession on how to improve our methods to classify, inventory and monitor rangelands.

I must say I am very gratified today to see some of the influence that work has had in shifting the thinking and focus about rangeland health. Publications, such as Interpreting Indicators of Rangeland Health, some aspects of The National Range and Pasture Handbook and many others, represent a fundamentally broader shift in how we look at rangeland health.

The Practitioners My work at the Center was very rewarding in many ways. I had the opportunity to work with some of the most amazing ranches I could have ever imagined and amazing people I have ever met. I remember visiting the Deseret Ranch in Utah under the management of Gregg Simonds at that time. The improvement of land and resources they documented and that are still continuing there today are truly remarkable.

So, too, is Gene Goven’s story. Gene ranches and farms southwest of Bismarck, North Dakota at a place called Turtle Lake. The first time I visited him was back in the late ‘80s, and I remember well how vibrant and healthy the land looked under his management using Holistic Management principles. The Holistic Management® framework had by that time really emphasized the importance of forming a holisticgoal—one that has three interdependent elements of the quality of life they are seeking, stating the forms of production necessary to achieve it, and then describing the future resource base that will be necessary to ensure both are achieved and sustained.

Gene always emphasized that the decisions

made on the farm were always in reference and tested toward their holisticgoal. At the time he was one of the only people in the area who had given up feeding hay and had switched to later calving, bale grazing, and planned winter grazing to dramatically cut his costs of production.

With bale grazing and planned grazing Gene Goven of North Dakota has been able to produce 300 percent more pounds of beef per acre as much as 180 pounds/acre.

His stocking rate is 230 percent more than when he started 20 years ago.

The Evolution The Center for Holistic Resource Management also focused on the development of this framework that influences and directs how decisions are made. I would say that most people who have only heard about “HRM” or “HM” and not read more widely or attended a training, probably do not have a good understanding that it is this decision making process, condensed into a framework for ease of use, that is the real work of Holistic Management—not a grazing rotation or planned grazing, which it has often been simplified to represent.

Moreover, holistic planned grazing has probably been the most misunderstood and misrepresented aspect of Holistic Management.

Since my first SGM training in 1983 until today, the process has always used a very detailed planning regime that is often never mentioned and bears almost no relationship to the grazing rotations and experiments purported to represent the methodology.

In my extensive consulting work with ranchers practicing holistic planned grazing, I can say that it has been my experience universally that those who create and manage with the grazing planning process outlined in the training and Holistic Management Handbook, are successful in moving towards their goals.

I would also reiterate that the grazing planning process has changed little over that nearly 30 year timeframe, while the Holistic Management® Frameworks has changed a great deal with the all the input and development focus of so many who are working to continually improve it.

The grazing planning process is a procedure which involves a rigorous step by step method-

ology. The process helps focus the planners’ attention on meeting a variety of goals that are influenced by grazing livestock. The key as is succinctly expressed in the Holistic Management Handbook: putting animals in the right place at the right time for the right reasons.

I have been involved in this grazing planning process with many private and public land ranches over the years. It starts and ends with no preconceived rotational system boundaries as is commonly believed. The people who are making and will implement the plan are responsible to think through all the factors that will influence the plan including wildlife, people, nutrition, recreation, watershed, riparian drought, etc. that any manager will encounter.

Holistic planned grazing provides a step by step procedure to focus the users’ concentration on one factor at a time and get that on to the plan. The next factor is focused on and this process is repeated with each category of factors until all potential problems and items are catered for. It is then time to draft a plan to have animals in the Right Place at the Right Time for the Right Reasons.

When I use the word drafted, I mean the plan is done in pencil with the expectation that circumstances will likely change from the point at which the plan was made until its implementation. This means that aspects of the planned grazing will also need to change to best compromise with the needs of people, land, and animals.

Furthermore, the process has always and consistently warned of fixed rotational approaches

Gene has found that the brix reading on the grasses in the bale grazed areas are two times higher than in surrounding areas.

and ample evidence as exhibited by Briske et al— that these approaches will fail. I have also observed that the planning process with its goaloriented approach is always precisely what is left out of designs for experimental tests on grazing comparisons.

My Journey I continued my work within the Center until 1992 when I again decided to go back to independently work within my own consulting firm. From that time until now, over 16 years, I have continued my independent work with Holistic Management practitioners and been a Certified Educator with the organization. I continue to work with many organizations that focus on land health and human relations, including the Quivira Coalition.

I have created many lasting friendships and working relationships with colleagues in many agencies and on the land as managers and business owners. One of the favorite aspects of my work is to visit the land with ranchers and see the changes and improvements that have happened over time. Normally we do this in a pickup or on four-wheelers and I have never ceased to be amazed at the ingenuity of ranchers in finding new ways to latch a gate! In fact, I am often asked when I am going to write a book on my experiences. My reply is that I know the book I should write, but the one I probably will write is “Gates I Have Opened”!

Although like many people in their mid-50s, I am slowing down a bit; but, the thought of retirement is far from my mind. My world of experience keeps expanding and the excitement I get to experience when I am involved with all the groups I’ve worked with is infectious. There are so many positive things going on out there, and I am thrilled to keep being a part of the continued development and progress that is happening.

One of the things I have seen happen over the last 25 years is the expansion of the role of groups like HMI, The Quivira Coalition, and others I have worked with in creating new opportunities for improved rangeland management and practices that support it. I think we should all be pleased at the opportunities this expansion has provided.

Kirk Gadzia can be reached at: kgadzia@msn.com.

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Making the Case for Soil Carbon

by Frank Aragona

C

arbon is the hot topic that everybody is talking about these days. For the managers of our natural resources, there are many pressing issues related to carbon that require urgent attention: cost-effective carbon measurement methodologies, scientific data on managements impact to soil carbon stocks, greater access and inclusion to legislation and treaty debates, and a fair share in the emerging carbon commodity market.

Fortunately, HMI has been working with other partners to address some of these concerns.

In early December 2008, with a grant from the Blackstone Ranch Institute, HMI and the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) convened the Grasslands Carbon Working Group (GCWG), an ad-hoc group of experts in the fields of soil carbon science, farming, carbon trading, and policy development. During a threeday intensive seminar, this working group discussed many of the key issues related to climate change, grasslands, soil carbon, and carbon trading.

In that time, the GCWG articulated its purposes in the following terms: The purpose of the GCWG is to provide science- and market-based information for land managers, scientists, development practitioners, traders and policy makers in support of sustainably managed grasslands as a means to adapt to and mitigate the impact of global climate change.

The Scoop on Grassland Carbon Grasslands are one of the most important biomes on Earth; indeed, they represent 50-60 percent of the ice-free land base on our planet’s surface. Native and cultivated pastures represent 8 percent of temperate grasslands and 17 percent of tropical grasslands. According to Ratan Lal, temperate grasslands control a significant portion of the potential flux in global carbon cycles. Soil carbon in improved pastures and healthy grasslands, moreover, is significantly higher than soil carbon in forested ecosystems.

Grasslands and livestock are also critical to the well-being of people around the world. 200 million pastoralists and 240 million agropastoralists depend on grasslands for their 4

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livelihoods, and 70 percent of 880 million rural poor are dependent on livestock for food and security. In some nations, up to 80 percent of GDP comes from livestock activities.

The effect that climate change will have on grasslands, and consequently on the people who depend on them, is still poorly understood. We don’t know, for example, how soil carbon stocks will respond to warmer climates. We do know, however, that there is a clear relationship between the loss of biodiversity, desertification, and global climate change. We also know that soil organic matter can help to regulate greenhouse gas emissions. Some believe that soil carbon is so critical that is should become the de facto indicator for climate change.

We can say with great certainty that by restoring degraded lands we can sequester carbon in the soil. In particular, grasslands have significant potential to sequester large amounts of carbon. A global strategy with a key focus on soil carbon could transform our world, and the lives of the rural poor, on multiple levels. If successful, such a strategy would have the obvious benefit of a significant reduction in greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Securing access to carbon trading for rural farmers and pastoralists would also improve their economic well-being. A number of other benefits come from improved soil carbon stocks.

Often referred to as “co-benefits”, these include: • Improved water resources • Improved soil quality and agricultural production • Improved habitat for wildlife • Increased biodiversity

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• Reduced vulnerability to drought, flooding and fire • Greater food security and sustainable traditional lifestyles The good news in all of this is that, in theory at least, it is doable. Grassland pastoralists and farmers have access to many of the tools they need to make this possible: animal herds, technology, human creativity, and labor. But a number of complex and unanswerable questions lurk beneath the surface: Can our policy makers be made aware of the importance of soil carbon? And if so, will they include sufficient provisions in policy and legislation to allow for inclusion and successful management of grasslands and soil carbon stocks?

Is our current policy framework and process even capable of dealing with such a complex and interconnected web of land degradation, climate change, soil health, human decisions and resource management? And in the presence of good policy, will our institutions and communities be able to effectively implement that policy at the massive scale required and in the nick of time?

Again, these are questions that don’t have clear-cut answers. The Grasslands Carbon Working Group is now attempting to formulate a clear and authoritative message for our policymakers and institutions. In so doing, we hope to get soil carbon included in national and international debates, with the ultimate goal of influencing policy so that that the true importance and potential of grassland soil carbon is reflected in any national or international climate change agenda.

In addition, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has expressed a willingness to assume the role of facilitator to the GCWG. It is our belief that this transition to a broader and more inclusive platform will bring greater support and exposure to our activities and recommendations. In the future, look for more news on the Grasslands Carbon Working Group and its activities at http://agroinnovations. com/hmi, my HMI Research Blog.

The Grasslands Carbon Working Group in Santa Fe, New Mexico

Beyond Conflict to Consensus— Addressing the Social ‘Weak Link’

by Jeff Goebel

W

hile overseeing the Texas and Hawaii ranching operations for a large family corporation, I encountered a broad range of challenges, some more interesting and resistant to change than others. The thorniest involved three ranch managers who were unwilling to consider holistic decision-making. Their distrust infected the union employees under their supervision, so that the initial stages of the project consumed valuable months in struggle and negotiations before we could turn to doing the job I had been hired to do. Eventually, we did manage to achieve some striking results by using the Holistic Management decision-making framework, but, once I left, the management slipped back into old patterns of doing business.

This was not an isolated case. Checking with my colleagues in the field, I found them grappling with the same frustratingly long start up period, and the same shockingly frequent “recidivism” once consultants had delivered their services in complex organizational settings.

My holistic expertise had run into a snag: the “weak link” and, in particular, the human element as the weak link. We had achieved much during the three years. We had effectively stopped superficial erosion after storms, so that the ocean around the extensive Hawaiian property was no longer red with soil runoff. We made significant cuts in costs of production and actually doubled revenues. Using biological processes, we reduced pests and we increased productive, more valuable, “higher” successional species. We also improved relations among management, owners, employees, and neighbors, shifting them to a respectful footing.

Even with this impressive list of successes, however, I was convinced that much more could have been done—and that our successes could have been better anchored in the past and the future. On the one hand, in the process of transitioning from the “old” way of doing business to the new, we lost a number of key players. This, I realized, translated into a loss of historical memory, critical in “reading” and diagnosing current conditions. We also lost the valuable experience of old hands, who often had a storehouse of skills, practical wisdom, and traditional lore acquired through generations of tilling and grazing and foresting a particular segment of land. On the other hand, although our new holistic protocols delivered concrete, positive results, these did not systemically graft into existing attitudes, prejudices, and the powerful force of “human inertia.” One consequence of this was that the gains we had achieved were not secured for the long run for complex organizational settings.

Finally, because it lacked a specific protocol for anticipating the “human variable” of distrust of

innovation, fear of outsiders, and attachment to territoriality (interest in maintaining the existing power hierarchy among the players), the holistic process required a disproportionate amount of time and energy be invested in building trust, and inculcating accountability once my direct participation ended. The painful and disappointing experiences of those years set me on a search for a more effective set of tools. Could I come up with a set of tools and protocols that would reduce the start up process to a matter of days, and that would simultaneously “lock into place” the successful behaviors and outcomes for significant extents of time—decades rather than years? Could these skills be replicated by the members of the groups and communities working independently of the consultant? Could they be taught to newcomers into the system?

Integrating Holistic Decision Making I turned first to the work of Don and Betty Green. The Greens, family business consultants, had been affiliated with the Center for Holistic Management in the early days of its existence and had explored many of its conflict resolution strategies. They opened my eyes to the potential productivity of non-conventional protocols.

I embarked on an ambitious research program

to learn about both traditional and scientific methods, on the premise that what is new that is good is always, in some way, also old. My anthropological studies spanned native Hawaiian Hoo’ponopono, Native American intra- and inter-tribal protocols; traditional African approaches to reconciliation and conflict; and Aboriginal intercultural dispute resolution.

Among contemporary, Western models, I explored the work and experience of the very best theoreticians, and sought out formal training.

As my theoretical knowledge grew, I took advantage of every consulting project to apply, test, and refine my protocols. My most productive experiences included work in northern California with Frances Moore Lappe and in north central Washington State, with the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation. At the Colville Reservation, I was given the authority and scope to fully integrate holistic decision-making into the tribal government, which comprised 250 programs and a budget of $55 million. In the course of my first year with the Tribes, I trained 200 people in holistic decision-making. However, as far as Holistic Management was concerned, we were making little headway. The community was consumed with talk, with endless discussions that seemed to only augment anxiety and demoralize, demonstrating a reluctance to embrace systematic problem solving. There was positive interest in holistic solutions, but a resistance to take action.

Creating Commitment It happened that just about that time, in 1993, I traveled to a workshop in Burns, Oregon, with Bob Chadwick, an old family friend, who had made his reputation as a specialist in conflict resolution. Bob was meeting with a group of ranchers, government employees, and environmentalists, who were poised for conflict. Instead of the confrontational atmosphere I had come to expect in such multiagenda groups, Bob had created what seemed a remarkably “happy” and respectful rapport among the participants. Yet, oddly enough, nothing concrete seemed to come of the session. When Bob asked my opinion of the process, I remember suggesting he try adopting a more holistic decisionmaking model. He agreed that I might be right, and we left it at that.

Back at the Colville Reservation, however, I just could not put Bob’s Jeff Goebel has worked in a number of African countries including Mali to address issues of scarcity and power through consensus building.

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Beyond Conflict to Consensus continued from page five process aside. I decided to invite him to help me resolve an ugly conflict over clear-cutting that was building up between the elders and the foresters.

The unresolved question of whether or not to remove all the trees from the multiple sites was paralyzing timber sales, shrinking revenues, and threatening jobs. The session was marked by genuine and deep sharing of feelings, thoughts, and perceptions. The foresters expressed pride in filling up logging trucks and seeing them moving timber to the mills to create jobs that supported the community. The elders, on the other hand, decried the abuse wreaked on “Mother Earth” and compared the loggers’ projects to “raping their mother.”

The session, like the Burns workshop, concluded on a note of solid respect and the participants were deeply satisfied. But once again, no concrete actions had taken place and I again thought to myself, “What a waste of time and opportunity.”

On the other hand, I had a deep trust in Bob, so that I did not hesitate when, two months later, he had me bring together the elders, foresters, biologists, and the logger on a gravel road next to a proposed clear-cut. We walked the forest and came back to a circle of folding chairs set up on the road to talk about how we felt about the future outcome of the forest and what we could learn from the experience we had just had to help us be successful.

To my utter astonishment, after listening to the foresters and the elders, the logger said, “I would be fine with cutting the forest to meet the silvicultural prescription and leave five to seven big pumpkin pine trees for the benefit of the elders.” That’s all it took! The result was a consensus of agreement with behaviors that worked for everyone!

Immediately, the timber sales stalemate ended and a solution was put in place that met the needs of all parties. The three-day workshop, which in my view, had ended inconclusively, turned out to have been the pivot point, the dealmaker, in shifting the participants. In the interim between the harmonious, respectful listening and talking that had gone on in the workshop, and the meeting in the forest, the participants had processed the lessons they had learned. The results of this shift were dramatically manifested in the meeting in the forest. All the parties in the conflict had witnessed the powerful change: shift happens!

Moreover, from this moment on, the entire community of diverse interests and backgrounds manifested a unanimous “consensual” commitment into the process and the work. Holistic decision-making took a strong hold 6

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at the Tribes. By the end of another year, we had succeeded in doubling land treatment while voluntarily cutting the budget in the Natural Resource Department. It turned out that we actually did not need all that money to do a better job!

When the Tribal Council heard this, they asked if I could apply the same approach to the entire Tribal government. Six months later, we significantly

“This ‘experiment’ proved to me that the combination of holistic decision-making and consensus building tools allowed us to move rapidly, confidently, and respectfully toward the Tribe’s holisticgoal that had involved over 700 tribal members using the consensus process.” reduced the tribal budget without losing any jobs, passing the budget three months early with 100 percent agreement at the Department and Council levels. This vote of confidence soon took on a concrete reality in the land, the forests, the water, the natural resources, and the cultural and material wellbeing of the Tribes.

Concrete Results This “experiment” proved to me that the combination of holistic decision-making and consensus building tools allowed us to move rapidly, confidently, and respectfully toward the Tribe’s holisticgoal that had involved over 700 tribal members using the consensus process.

The Tribe continues to move toward their “living holisticgoal,” to this day. The rigor of practicing the formal holistic decision-making through the testing guidelines has long been dropped. Even though power struggles periodically surfaced within the leadership of the group and the original training team was dismantled, a practice of self-government that combined traditional values with the new protocols remained in place. The changes which the original members had implemented—including preservation of three native languages; Washington state accreditation of elders as certified teachers; acquisition of over 100,000 acres of new tribal lands; adoption of international legislation in U.S. environmental law to enforce pollution controls in Canadian factories—all these changes were part of the living reality of the Tribes and served as daily reinforcements for the validity and efficacy of the methods that had been adopted nearly two decades earlier.

Since that time, I have refined my combination of tools to accomplish enduring,

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seemingly impossible, outcomes. In a West African project, I helped villagers significantly increase food production with their own resources following a workshop that asked them to address the question, “How to increase food production 50 percent without Western technology?”

In another context, I was able to help a lagging national forest end the year attaining 126 percent of the annual objectives. The key component in my success is addressing the social and psychological weak links through an array of exercises in respectful listening; diagnostic tools for identifying, mapping, and defusing unresolved and often repressed conflict; and activities centering on expressing fears that paralyze action.

I use a Five-Module Paradigm for the Consensus Process. These modules include: an introduction to conflict resolution; managing change; overcoming scarcity; harmonizing diversity; and mediating power. With a diverse group, I often use this approach to help the participants develop a consensual holisticgoal, and to generate the motivation to take action to overcome obstacles in achieving their holisticgoal.

I have incorporated elements of the consensus building process into the introduction to Holistic Management (change issues), financial planning process (scarcity issues), and policy analysis (power issues).

I have taught the full series of five three-day workshops numerous times. My own observations of results and the feedback of participants, have confirmed that the process is best learned through experience and that it is highly transferable. A learning manual is available for each independent module. I have found this approach to be the most effective and efficient method for overcoming a variety of social “weak links”— including unresolved conflicts, lack of committed goal, scarcity issues, fear of transition, power imbalances and fear of losing control, or lack of knowledge.

Using the new beliefs and behaviors that are identified, defined, and designed to be responsive to the specific issues, the specific context, and the specific strengths, weaknesses, fears, and aspirations of the participants, the individuals, groups, and communities with whom I have worked have found their way to make conflict an opportunity for productive, harmonious, and sustained growth.

Jeff Goebel of Goebel and Associates, the trainer of the Five-Module Paradigm for the Consensus Process, is a facilitator offering training and consulting services nationally and internationally, and can be contacted at goebel@aboutlistening.com or 541/610-7084.

For more information, see his website at www.aboutlistening.com.

Holistic Management in the Northeast

by Ann Adams

I

n April, Seth Wilner won the prestigious New Hampshire Menard and Audrey Heckle Extension Educator Fellowship for his work in Holistic Management.

This award recognizes one individual each year for exemplary program accomplishments achieved through innovative and creative approaches.

Seth has co-written four grants exceeding $246,000 to fund Holistic Management programs and offset costs to participants. In addition to the farm families and communities he has worked with, he has also conducted trainings for agency staff in New Hampshire and throughout the Northeast.

• A land trust consisting of 5 farm families and a 12 member Board of Directors used this process to construct new governance procedures and as a result significantly reduced conflicts between Board members and also reduced the average meeting time by an estimated two hours per meeting. They also used this process

Farm youth reported that Holistic Management increased their self-confidence, understanding of their family decisions, and also said it would likely reduce any risky behaviors they might engage in.

To date over 220 participants have been trained and over 28 farm families in New Hampshire have developed and implemented a whole farm plan as a result of this program.

Below are some examples of impacts measured from this program: • Farms hold weekly meetings to communicate about major issues and decisions and have increased their farm efficiency, saving them valuable time as a result.

• Farmers have said that their decisionmaking has changed and is more inclusive and positive. Specifically, wives and kids have been able to share in major decision making and farm risks.

• Farmers have said that this process significantly increased the quality of their lives on their farms and/or in their families. They have documented a reduction in conflicts, less stress, improved and open communication, increased time spent as a family, and greater happiness.

• Farmers learned about farm employees’ skills they had not previously known of and changed their management to take advantage of these skills.

• Participants have developed family budgets and monitor these regularly, reducing overspending and debt levels.

• Farmers have increased their knowledge about each others’ skills and desired quality of life and used this to change their management practices.

to identify the locations and extent of logging in their woodlands, as well as how to lower environmental impacts of the logging.

• Farm families learned about members’ hopes, dreams, and fears for the first time.

• Farmers cited increased confidence to tackle on-farm problems.

• Farm youth reported that it increased their self-confidence, understanding of their family decisions, and also said it would likely reduce any risky behaviors they might engage in.

• Farmers have adopted financial record keeping systems and monitor these regularly.

• Farmers reported that the plan increased the effectives of their communication, improved the quality of their lives on the farm, and brought family members closer together.

Demonstrating how valuable this program is, Lockwood Sprague from Edgewater Farm, one of the largest and most profitable farms in Seth’s county wrote the following: “Seth came to our county pretty green in the areas of horticultural sciences. Needless to say we were initially somewhat disappointed. But in truth, he has done more for the profitability of this farm than if he had been a national fruit or vegetable specialist. When first approached by Seth to engage in Holistic Management, we were concerned about its “touchyfeely” content, a perceived impression on our part.

We resisted for a year, but then the family agreed to sit down and find out what it was all about late in

Seth Wilner 2006. Much came out of that meeting.

“For the first time we talked about what we liked about our work, what our individual long term goals were, and how to address our short term needs and approaches to our problem solving. We realized how important it is that we keep an eye toward the business end of things even though we remain at the core a family farm comprised of farmers with non-business inclinations.

“The Holistic Management process has addressed this as well as made us all think about and work towards improving the quality all our lives as well as all who work here. We truly feel that we are on the right track as we look to the future.”

Another farm couple wrote about their experience with Seth and his Holistic Management program. They wrote, “Seth has repeatedly helped us focus to include both of us in defining our goals and values, and to work toward creative ways rather than emotional ways to resolve differences. When we’ve been stuck, Seth has been able to help us refocus on what we were aiming toward and to identify options for action.

“Seth has opened our eyes to understanding that we are primarily running a business. We thought we were farmers and farming was what we did. A business was not of interest. Through a Holistic Management workshop, Seth raised our awareness of the importance of managing our farm as a business. One outcome is that we now see the farm as a set of systems that need to be identified and managed productively whether it’s creating planting schedules or hiring farm help.

“As a result of Seth’s help, our annual gross sales have increased from $5,000 to $37,000 in four years. We have learned from Seth to evaluate each new enterprise before implementing it on our farm. We write down our goals, what will be achieved, and projected costs and income.

It has all been helpful. I’m not sure that either the farm or our relationship would have survived without Seth.”

Congratulations, Seth!

Number 126

IN PRACTICE

7

& Cocktail Mixes & Integrating Livestock by the No-Till Farmer

F

or North Dakota no-till farmer Gabe Brown, failure isn’t an option— it’s a requirement. That’s because Brown believes constant change drives an ever-improving system.

“We want to fail at something on this farm every year,” says the Bismarck-area producer who crops 1,500 acres (600 ha). “If I don’t fail at something, I’m not trying enough new things.”

And try he does. Brown’s acres have a research farm feel. A trip up the driveway treats visitors to more than a dozen different crops from corn to radishes spread through only a few fields. Calling his cropping system diverse is an understatement.

Brown raises alfalfa, peas, corn, sunflowers, barley, turnips, radishes, lentils, hairy vetch, red clover, sweet clover, sugar beets, buckwheat, oats, cowpeas, millet, sorghum and sudan grass to name a few. These crops are mixed together in complex polycultures that Brown has created through trial and error for maximum benefit to soil health, production and his bottom line. But city-raised Brown didn’t come by his adventurous agronomic spirit easily; nature gave him a not-so-gentle push in the right direction.

Brown and his wife, Shelly, purchased their farm from her parents in 1991. The land was conventionally tilled and produced small grains. After Complex polycultures are used to address soil needs, including nutrient input and infiltration. Brown has planted seed cocktails that include 11 or more plant species.

This cover crop mix was planted the end of May 2006. This picture taken the end of July 2006 during which less than one inch (25 mm) of rain fell.

There was also less than three inches of rain that fell that year prior to this picture.

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reading about no-till farming, Brown decided it made sense and jumped in with both feet. In 1993 he sold all of their tillage equipment and bought a John Deere 750 15-foot no-till drill and went completely no-till. He also took his first foray into diversification, seeding field peas.

In 1995 Mother Nature dealt the Browns a nasty blow, hailing out 1,250 acres (500 ha) of spring wheat the day before harvest. The next year they had 100 percent crop loss to hail again.

“Two years of crop failure hurt,” says Brown. “We started thinking about how we could cut back on our inputs because you can’t keep putting money in without getting something back.”

That’s when Brown started to experiment with crop combinations. He planted peas and hairy vetch or barley paired with red clover in an effort to help fix nitrogen for their main commodity crops. But the weather wasn’t going to cut them any slack. In 1997 severe drought resulted in not a single acre being combined. In 1998 it was more of the same. The Browns once again lost 80 percent of their crops to hail. But for Brown that wasn’t the end, it was just the beginning.

“Four years of crop failure was the best thing to ever happen to us,” says Brown. “It made us realize that we had to focus on soil health, soil structure and improved infiltration. If we did that, the soil would provide us what we needed to produce crops efficiently. We also realized over time that we had to diversify the cropping system to make it more sustainable.”

Brown’s cropping system now mimics native prairie plant composition.

They have a diversity of warm and cool season grasses and broadleaf plants.

In the years since their dramatic crop failures, the Browns have managed to make great strides in reducing input costs.

“We’ve been able to reduce commercial fertilizer inputs by more than 90 percent and herbicide inputs by 75 percent. At the same time we have seen our yields increase,” reports Brown. Brown does rotate in a few monoculture crops, including alfalfa, corn and sunflowers, but he has started adding legumes as companion crops in the corn and sunflower fields as well.

Monocultures are the exception, however, not the rule. A peek in Brown’s seeder reveals a concoction that more closely resembles a bird seed mix than a planned crop. But looks are deceiving because a lot of planning goes into Brown’s planting scheme. Here’s a glimpse at a “typical” year on the Brown farm.

Brown starts seeding in mid April with cold-

tolerant crops such as a field pea/radish/turnip combination.

Those crops are seeded into the remains of heavy residue-type crops such as corn. They are planted without any herbicide or fertilizer inputs.

“We usually put radishes or turnips on most of the cropland to help infiltration,” says Brown. “Even after 15 years of no-till you can see the old tillage layer. The deep-rooted plants help break up the compaction.”

After planting peas, Brown starts on the small grain combinations. He’ll seed a barley/red clover mix, an oat/pea/turnip/radish combination and then will move on to the corn and sunflowers.

The peas are harvested as forage, haylage or dried hay, so there is no need to separate out the different crops. In years that the peas are combined the seed is easily separated.

“In most of our seeding combinations the companion crop stays beneath the canopy and doesn’t take off and grow rapidly until the other crop is harvested and the canopy is removed,” explains Brown. “Then that companion crop serves as a cover crop.”

Gabe is constantly trying new plant mixes in small-scale plots to hone in on the combinations that best suit his specific growing conditions.

Some of these mixes have shown surprising results, with plants forming symbiotic relationships that result in amplified crop yields and improved quality. This picture is of a mix of radishes, hairy vetch, sudan grass, sugar beets and much more.

Gabe hopes to pass the farm —along with his tradition of constant change and improvement—to his son, Paul, who is currently working toward a degree in range management at North Dakota Double Cropping State University.

He jokes that Brown heavily utilizes cover crops, or double cropping, he’ll take the farm back if he to keep his acres producing, tackle specific soil management doesn’t see evidence of change. challenges and integrate his farm.

“As soon as we get one crop off the field we’re seeding in another crop,” says Brown. Upon harvesting peas, Brown immediately seeds a nine-crop seed cocktail for cover. “In July we’ll seed warm season cover crop mixes like pearl The Four-Legged Factor millet/sorghum/sudan grass/ cowpeas/soybeans/radishes and sunflowers.”

Cover crops also allow Brown to further bring his operation together.

These crops can withstand the soaring July and August temperatures.

Brown runs 250 head of Balancer, Gelbvieh and Angus cows on 2,000 pasture “People say they can’t use cover crops because it’s too dry or the growing acres (800 ha). season isn’t long enough. But they’re doing it in Canada and that’s 300 miles “One thing we’re doing with cover crops is integrating crop and livestock north of here and they’re doing it in regions of Africa where they only get two production,” says Brown. “Instead of harvesting by mechanical means, we inches (50 mm) of rain per year,” says Brown. “If Canada and Africa can use our cow herd to harvest for us.” produce cover crops in those growing conditions, anyone in the United States The cattle graze the cover crops from September through January 1. can do it. It’s simply a mindset.”

Besides saving in might-as-well-be-made-of-gold fuel, Brown has discovered Brown says the purpose of cover crops goes beyond just covering the that getting cattle on cropland has a wide variety of benefits. The hoof traffic ground. They increase organic matter, which increases the water holding helps get crop litter in contact with the soil surface; fecal matter serves as capacity of soils and lowers soil temperatures. Deep rooted cover crops also can fertilizer; the livestock get higher nutritional value forage, which relates to bring deep nutrients to the surface to be recaptured by a more valuable crop. better rates of gain; and soil health is improved through increased organic “You might as well use the moisture to grow a cover crop and increase matter, better infiltration and moisture conservation. organic matter. It’s a good way to help alleviate water problems in an arid “Too many people look at livestock separate from cropping. On our environment,” says Brown. “Our crops are able to withstand drought much operation we look at the system as a whole. It’s about what is best for the better because we have increased the water holding capacity of our soils and livestock and the crop,” says Brown. “For example, hairy vetch is tremendous we get much higher utilization of the moisture we do have. We lose much for grazing and it fixes 100 to 150 pounds of nitrogen per acre. Plus, the less to evaporation because the soil surface is covered with residue and soil cattle provide the phosphorus needs.” temperatures are cooler.”

His livestock operation also weathers drought better thanks to this system.

Brown uses cover crops to address problems specific to each field. If “When we purchased the farm we could only run 65 cows, now we infiltration is a challenge, he uses deep-rooted, taproot-type crops, such as easily sustain 250 head and leave more forage than ever even grew before radishes or turnips, to break up hardpan soil and improve infiltration. If the because we are able to graze cover crops and rest our pastures,” says Brown. focus is on lowering inputs, he plants a legume-type crop to help fix nitrogen. “When drought hits we can easily sustain because we have a good supply of grass to fall back on.”

Gabe uses the following cover crop mix diversity applied at 70 pounds/acre (79 kg/ha) CORN FLAX PEA

RADISHES PEARL MILLET SIBERIAN MILLET GARBANZO BEANS

RED LENTIL MANTA MILLET SUNFLOWER WESTERN WHEAT

SOYBEAN MUSTARD PINTO BEANS

Water Management Following low organic matter, water infiltration was one of Brown’s biggest challenges. When he started no-tilling, an NRCS water infiltration test on his fields showed that if it were to rain one inch 25 mm), only .4 inches (10 mm) of rain would infiltrate in the first hour and only CONTINUED ON PAGE 10

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Cocktail Mixes & Integrating Livestock continued from page nine .25 inches (6 mm) per hour in the second hour.

“In 2006 we had a four-inch (100 mm) rain and it infiltrated so well that the agronomy center was able to get in the field and spray our corn the next day. Our neighbor had water sitting in his field for more than six weeks,” recalls Brown. “Our soil now can infiltrate several inches per hour.”

Improving infiltration helps with extreme water situations, including getting more production with less precipitation. In 2005 Brown had a dryland corn field that received only 12.5 inches (313 mm) of moisture that year and it averaged 177 bushels per acre (443 bushels/ha) at harvest. The county average on a good year is around 80 bushels per acre (200 bushels/ha).

Brown regularly averages 127 bushels per acre (318 bushels/ha).

Team Work Brown is the first to tell that his farming practices are not a product of his invention alone. Brown works extensively with scientists, researchers, conservationists and community groups to uncover better practices and help other area farmers put those practices to use. For example, Brown works closely with Jay Fuhrer, the Bismarck NRCS district conservationist, to bring no-till and polycultures to other producers in the county and serves as a supervisor himself on the soil conservation district board.

Brown also has teamed with Kris Nichols, a soil microbiologist at the ARS research center in Mandan. They are looking at some of the secondary benefits of the polycultures that populate Brown’s fields including how the plants interact, build better soil structure, make the soil more efficient at moving nutrients and water and more.

“One thing that we’ve found is that with the polycultures we get a lot of mycorrihzal activity and symbiotic relationships among the plants,” says Brown. They also look at the role soil organisms play.

“When we started our soil organic matter was 1.7 percent to 2 percent on most of the fields. Today we’re consistently 3.7 percent to 4.3 percent,” explains Brown. “But just because you have organic matter doesn’t mean it’s available to the plants right away.”

One year Brown soil tested and had 14 pounds of available Nitrogen.

He applied 50 pounds, planted corn and ended up with 200 pounds available nitrogen because of microorganism activity.

“When you have organic matter you need bacteria to consume the organic matter and protozoa to consume the bacteria and excrete nitrogen that is usable to plants,” explains Brown. “Focusing on organic matter, improving soil health and creating an environment conducive to bacteria and protozoa health allows you to use fewer commercial inputs.”

Accidental Proof Commercial sprayers joke that it’s good business to leave some skips in the field so producers know how good the control really was. In similar fashion, Brown was able to see the advantages of his production system.

In 2006 hairy vetch seed was hard to come by. Due to the shortage, Brown didn’t have enough seed to cover the whole field he was planting, so he seeded part to triticale/vetch and the rest to straight winter triticale.

In spring of 2007 he topdressed the straight triticale with 100 pounds (45 kg) of urea. When they harvested the field in June, Brown recorded some surprising data.

“The triticale/vetch mix yielded 11 tons per acre (27.5 tons/ha) while the straight triticale with the commercial fertilizer yielded only 8 tons (20 tons/ha). The combination tested 19.5 percent crude protein while the triticale alone tested 12.9 percent crude protein,” reports Brown.

“It cost me the same for 100 pounds of urea as it did for the hairy vetch seed, so why not just plant triticale and hairy vetch together?”

Brown can’t explain the differences in production and quality, but he’s seen it time and time again.

“We are seeing tremendous crop response from these and other combinations in many situations, and we don’t really know why,” says Brown. But he’ll use the combinations to his advantage.

Income versus Profit One thing Brown has had to do to succeed is to think about profit differently. Some crops are not as profitable as others, but are needed to help the system as a whole. Peas, for example, aren’t overly profitable, but have the benefit of lowering input costs for subsequent crops. Also important to Brown are the long-term benefits he can leave for his son, Paul.

“I’m a conservationist first and a farmer/rancher second,” says Brown.

“We need to improve the resource for future generations. Fortunately, if you do that it also will improve your bottom line.”

And that’s one thing he knows from experience.

“We were on the verge of going broke after those four years of crop failure,” recalls Brown. “But through the changes that situation brought on I’ve seen the profitability that can come from improving the soil health.

In 2007 it cost us only $1.19 to produce a bushel of corn. Farming is much more profitable for us today.”

Brown continues to work to further develop his farm and help those in his community. He is a supervisor on the Burleigh County Soil Conservation District, a North Dakota Grazing Land Coalition board member, a supervisor for the Area Four soil conservation district research farm, a member of the ag advisory board for Bismarck State College and brings in thousands to tour and learn from his farm. In the past two years he’s had visitors from 42 states and 14 countries.

“The profitability that can arise from focusing on soil health and sustainable systems is unbelievable,” says Brown. “With input costs rising like they are, producers need to focus on their soil resource and become least-cost producers.

Nitrogen is free. You just have to plant crops that produce it. Don’t complain about input costs— do something about it. Diversify.”

Gabe uses cover crops to integrate livestock and crop production, grazing cattle on cover crops from September through January 1. The system benefits his cattle, helps him continue production on his acres throughout the year, serves to improve soil quality and allows him to rest his pastures.

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This article was first printed in the No-Till Farmer (www.no-tillfarmer.com) as “No-Till Farming for the Future.”

Gabe Brown lives in Bismarck, North Dakota and can be reached at: 701/222-8602; brownranch@extendwireless.net.

Daily Monitoring—

Holistic Management® Planned Grazing

by Graeme Hand

A

s a trainer/coach for agricultural producers, my role is to evolved from this assisted realization. make them more successful using the Holistic Management® I have found that by placing a score on some monitoring point’s framework. Producers generally define success as being financially results in a greater connection to the land and animal performance stable, with their land regenerating, while at the same time which increases our success and the people we have been working with. enjoying their work. This definition of success has led me to modify This “language” also gives a quick summary of the planned grazing. the way I have been presenting planned grazing. The following is an A typical response when the management is on track will be the attempt to explain how I have modified the planned grazing training indicators are all score 4’s and 5’s. to improve success.

Acknowledgements: This material is based on material developed As we all know the key to success is to start regenerating our land. from many sources including Allan Savory, Sam Bingham, Mark Bader, The first step in regeneration is stopping erosion which I have been Jerry Brunetti, Joel Salatin, etc. As we all know, we need to be exposed to describing as stopping the bleeding. This analogy clarifies that there is no material three to four times before we absorb and process it. point worrying about other issues such as weeds, fertilizers, stocking rate, This article is an excerpt of a presentation on a simplified approach etc. while your land is bleeding to death. The first step must be to stop the to holistic planned grazing Graeme presented in Abilene, Texas in bleeding. With land management this means covering the soil with plants March 2009. The Gut Fill photos are adapted from the UK Dairy website: and litter and managing the litter to ensure it is composting— http://www.delaval-us.com/Dairy_Knowledge/EfficientCowComfort/ litter in brittle environments requires monitoring and management to Feeding.htm. continually promote active composting.

We have been trialling simplifying the planning part of Holistic Graeme Hand is a Holistic Management® Certified Educator Management planned grazing and then providing simple monitoring who lives in Branxholme, Victoria, Australia. He can be reached at: tools to help keep on track with land regeneration and animal health graemeh1@bordernet.com.au. and performance. Monitoring has shown that a greater percentage of people trained are using grazing charts CONTINUED ON PAGE 12 to plan recovery. More important though is that they are reporting that their land is improving.

The planning simplification is based on a combination of Sam Bingham’s work in Grassroots Restoration: Holistic Management for Villages through to the complexity of the holistic grazing planning in the Holistic Management Handbook. The simplification allows producers to decide if they want to use pins or pebbles to determine actual grazing time in a paddock through to the mathematical rating system used in the Handbook. Many producers favor a minimal mathematical variation that uses their knowledge of their land.

A major struggle that we all have when shifting to planned grazing is land and animal performance. There is also a tendency for initial success to decline over time. It was only when I was trying to explain to our children and some international exchange students working on our property that I realized that much of the “art of grazing” was not readily transferable. This realization was also This is a picture of the Hands’ property in a drought year. They carried 2/3rds of the assisted by my wife, Susie, exclaiming district stocking rate without feeding. Large properties nearby lost approximately that “no one knows what you are talking $30 per sheep or $300 per cow that year with purchased feed costs. about!” The daily monitoring sheet Number 126

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Daily Monitoring

continued from page eleven

Where To Look

What To Look For

PADDOCK ANIMALS ARE LEAVING

• 100% ground cover with a stable litter layer between perennial grasses.

• Composting litter • Ground Cover scored from 1-5 – See Photos

PADDOCK THE ANIMALS ARE IN

• Dung consistency scored from 1-10 – See photos • Clean tails and rumps • Gut fill—left-hand side paralumbar fossa scored from 1-5 – See photos • Water drinking—no snuffling or walking away • Electric Fence—Voltage checked

NEXT PADDOCK ANIMALS ARE GOING INTO

• Highest successional grasses recovered—bunch grasses contain fresh dead/dry leaves or litter • Multiple layers of plants—grassland community with structure and function • High mass or volume—increasing overtime—Scored from 1-5 – See photos

Ground Cover

Score 1: Bare ground between plants which shows plant recovery is too short.

Score 3: Approaching 100 percent ground cover but lack of stable composting litter layer possibly due to plant recovery too short and plants not producing sufficient litter. Lack of trampling to push litter into contact with soil may also be a related cause.

Score 5: 100 percent ground cover with stable/building composting litter layer showing recovery and trampling adequate.

Also demonstrates patience of border collies

Dung

12

Score 1: Grass plants far too

Score 3: Grass plants too young

young with excess non-protein nitrogen (NPN) which will result in animal health/ metabolic issues. Animals will be in negative energy balance and need older grass or hay/ straw/ energy supplementation.

(NPN) or mismatch between rumen flora and level of protein and fiber which if not corrected will result in animal health/ metabolic issues such as calf scours, lameness, mastitis, poor fertility etc.

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July / August 2009

Score 5: Good match between rumen flora and protein/ energy/ fibre. Animal health and performance balance optimized

Score 10: Feed low in protein/energy and high in fiber. Animal performance usually low.

Plant Recovery

Score 1: Plants have regrown some leaf but are light green in color and have square tips.

Score 3: Plants have regrown leaf, which are dark green in color but do not contain fresh litter.

Score 5: Plants have fully recovered and contain fresh litter which ensures plants recovered while building ground cover and litter stocks.

Gut Fill

Score 1

Score 2

Score 3

Score 1: The cow has eaten little or nothing, which could be due to sudden illness, insufficient feed or a mismatch between rumen flora and feed available.

Score 2: This is a sign of insufficient food intake, or a rate of passage that is too high.

Score 3: This is the bottom score for cows on well recovered grass.

Score 4: This is the correct score for a portion of the mob on well recovered grass.

Score 5: This is the correct score for cows on well recovered grass and show a good match between rumen condition and food available.

Score 4

Score 5

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Voisin’s Vision—

Better Grassland Sward

by John King

H

olistic managers celebrate Andre Voisin for discovering the significance of time when planning grazing. His masterpiece Grass Productivity lays the foundation for grazing planning from the soil up. The book explains the ecological relationships between grazing animals, plants, and soils and the resulting pastures farmers observe in the paddocks of northern Europe.

Throughout Grass Productivity Voisin mentions another book focusing on pasture ecology. That book is Better Grassland Sward. It explores pasture sward composition resulting from various grazing, fertilizer, and cultivation practices.

Grazing Influences Sward Composition Within this book is a striking graph (Fig. 1) from 1930s German research highlighting the impact of grazing frequency (recovery period) on pasture species. Sheep grazed one pasture weekly over 4 years, the other every 3 weeks for the same period. Both show a very different sward at the end of the experiment.

Which one is which? Such questions challenge farmers to reflect on outcomes of their own grazing practices. These graphs record the evolving sward composition when rigid grazing management ignores both seasonal Figure 1: Which Pasture has the Shortest Recovery Period?

growth patterns and the changing ratios of pasture species.

A similar spectacular graph in Grass Productivity demonstrates the dynamic sward changes from another 1930s German study with cattle (Fig. 2), showing preferred pasture species increasing. This research highlights how sound pasture management improves pasture diversity and quality. The research conducted four different grazing regimes and followed the sward dynamics of a range of plant species. While there is little information on the nature of the grazing regimes, the shift to intensive grazing management reveals how greater control over recovery periods and stock density produces better pastures.

The trials regenerated long abandoned grazing commons and the sites were modestly fertilized. What surprised researchers was the emergence of better quality species without sowing. The range of grazing regimes demonstrates: • Controlled passage of grazing animals through paddocks changes the diversity of pasture species.

• Weeds and undesirable grasses disappear under intensive grazing and moderate fertilizer levels.

• Seeds are often already there, they germinate and establish in the sward as volunteers.

• Partial rest in temperate climates without fertilizer reduces diversity and quality of feed.

• Productive pasture swards can become incredibly diverse.

• Animals are tools to create diverse swards through disturbance.

Figure 3 shows the flora changes over the three-year period from the rotational grazing with small paddocks (2.5 acres or 1 hectare) in Figure 2.

Voisin provides no information on the number of grazing animals and their stock density, yet the results show grasses like sweet vernal, crested dogstail, meadow grass, red fescue, and creeping soft grass succumbing to Kentucky bluegrass, perennial ryegrass, and cocksfoot proving that higher fertility and rotational grazing favored particular species. While there is no doubt about the relationship between pasture composition and grazing, the lack of grazing details muddies the connection.

The Timing of Spring Grazing is Critical Voisin coined the phrase “Comparative Phenology,” the science of timing farming operations with the development of wild plants. Examples he gave were planting beets at the spring burst of chestnut buds, or sowing oats as wild primroses flower. With grazing, he suggested starting the spring rotation when wild cherry trees blossomed.

However, if farmers want diverse pastures, they need to think carefully

Figure 2: Changes is Pasture Flora on Old Pastures after 3 Years of Grazing Treatments

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Figure 3: Changes in Flora Using Rotational Grazing with Small Paddocks

about when they execute their grazing plans. Martin Jones, a British pastoral scientist demonstrates the key to changing pasture composition is the timing of spring grazing (Fig 4). His 1930s research highlights the need for some forethought about a paddock’s productive role over the summer months when determining the nature of grazing in the spring.

Figure 4 shows how two years of changing old sward (OS) grazing timing of spring grazing with sheep influences the presence of pasture species over the summer. Want high clover? Set stock all spring (A). Want ryegrass? Then, allow the pasture to recover over the first six weeks of spring and then graze (B). Want cocksfoot? Hammer the ryegrass for the first month, then let the pasture recover when cocksfoot is at its most aggressive growth phase (C).

The timing of grazing when emerging from drought also provides similar opportunities to influence pasture swards.

The New Zealand practice of set stocking at lambing during the spring months (A) creates ideal conditions to overgraze many emerging grasses.

This practice leads to the dominance of clover, essential to maximize lamb growth rates, but reduces overall pasture production. The result is the common sight on New Zealand sheep properties of very short pastures and grasses with short root systems prone to summer drought.

The danger of grazing paddocks at the same growth stage each year is decreasing plant diversity, pasture quality, and animal health issues. In New Zealand, high clover rates lead to high blood urea levels, lower liveweight gains and milk production over the summer, higher animal health costs, and compromising the performance of breeding stock as young stock are carried longer to finish. Voisin warns that clover should only be between 15-20 percent of pasture species as excess protein reduces animal performance.

He examines the impacts of pasture nutrition on animals’ health in greater detail with his two other books, Soil, Grass, and Cancer, and Grass Tetany.

The results clarify how populations of grass species change due to the frequency and nature of grass harvesting. They demonstrate that too much disturbance can lower pasture diversity, whereas Figure 3 shows not enough does the same thing. Holistic managers understand this balance due to the phrase “a species only invades an area when the conditions are right for it to establish and thrive, and leave an area when the conditions prevent its reproduction.” It is the principles embedded within this phrase that drive holistic planned grazing by having animals at “the right place at the right time for the right reason.” Monitoring pasture species provides direction when planning the movement of grazing animals across a landscape where pasture diversity is the focus.

However, changes in grazing practice alone may not account for transforming pasture, especially in newly sown pastures. In Holistic Management, we talk about bottlenecks when managing ecological populations and with pasture plants—two important factors are soil function and fertility.

Cultivation Reduces Pasture Productivity Better Grassland Sward reveals a phenomenon that farmers are aware of but few can prove. Voisin was deeply concerned with the declining productivity of cultivated and sown pastures, a concept he called “years of depression.” After sowing, the pasture is a blaze of growth for the first two years, then its performance decreases over eight more years compared to unplowed pastures. This is why conventional practice accepts the ongoing use CONTINUED ON PAGE 16

Figure 4: Changes in Flora of a Three Year Old Sward after Two Years of Spring Grazing Treatments

Recovery Period and Harvesting

Not only is the timing of grazing important, Voisin also reviews the frequency and method of harvesting grass. More German research from the late 1930s (Fig 5) illustrates how summer cutting and grazing pastures with sheep (dung and urine was removed immediately) produces notably different swards when applying the same treatment over four years from sowing.

Grazed pastures had greater diversity and balance of species than cut pastures, especially as recovery periods lengthened. However, the trend emerging from the longest recovery periods of both methods were similar in that cocksfoot was beginning to dominate pastures.

Figure 5: Pasture Composition after Four Years of Summer Grazing or Summer Cutting Cocksfoot enjoys longer recovery times and the fact it survived so well under sheep grazing was surprising to Voisin.

Ryegrass and white clover remain relatively stable under grazing but almost disappear under cutting. Voisin states the study proves light is essential for white clover to survive, therefore it prefers short pastures. Ryegrass, too, likes shorter pastures as it declines under longer recovery times. Elsewhere in Better Grassland Sward, New Zealand trampling and excreta studies establish sheep at high stock densities invigorates perennial ryegrass.

The German study shows annual meadow grass almost disappears under longer recovery reflecting its growth habit cannot compete with year round perennials. Kentucky bluegrass grass likes intense grazing with short recovery times but meadow grass (rough bluegrass) did better on longer grazing recovery than cutting. Tall oat grass likes longer recovery times and thrives in permanent hay paddocks.

Birdsfoot trefoil likes longer recovery times and why it fades in short, intensively grazed sheep pastures. While other species emerged, none thrived under the cutting and grazing methods.

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Better Grassland Sward

continued from page fifteen

of chemical fertilizers and renewing pastures every few years.

Voisin found a rare example of research focusing on sward changes in newly sown pastures. Using the means of three different grazing regimes and mown like a lawn (Figure 6) a 1930s German study shows the decline of desirable pasture species over four years thereby hinting something other than grazing as the cause. Four years after sowing, these pastures were averaging production at 80 percent of that recorded in their first year.

Researchers noted the smothering action of newly sown species reduced plants per area. Furthermore, tillering of these plants also reduced over time (the complete opposite of what plant breeders were trying to do) leading to patches of bare soil and reducing pasture productivity in a non-brittle environment.

The Germans called the areas depression spots because soil life dies to such an extent it cannot maintain the soil structure. These patches stayed in some pastures for over 12 years and were particularly visible during drought.

White clover and lower fertility grasses such as bent grass and sheep’s fescue covered these areas. These species signify ecological succession was reverting to a pioneering stage primarily due to the decline in fertility.

Voisin believed sowing new grass cultivars did not reduce this phenomenon because plant breeders didn’t look beyond establishment and production characteristics. As he often observed, cows preferred indigenous to commercial varieties of the same species, a result of plant breeders systematically ignoring the preferences of the supreme judge of pasture management—the grazing animal. Furthermore, Voisin reports farmers saying their animals were more prone to health problems on the newly sown pastoral lays than old permanent pasture, testifying that animals avoided new commercial species for good reason.

Voisin links years of depression to soil compaction from cultivation (Fig 7) and shows how organic matter, soil aggregates, and soil moisture are notably lower after plowing compared to permanent pasture. The extent of depression is more marked with years of cropping between pastures. Farmers easily notice the difference when walking across newly sown pastures. The soil feels like concrete compared to the sponginess of permanent pasture.

Higher organic matter, soil aggregates, and soil moisture are the reasons permanent pastures hang on longer in drought primarily due to the root mass and the associated soil life living there. This is where advances in Figure 6: Evolution of Pasture Species Four Years after Sowing “Years of Depression”

16

Land & Livestock

July / August 2009

biological farming could shorten the recovery time for soils that undergo cultivation and stimulate the soil activity of worn out permanent pastures, especially if combined with soil aerating technologies like Keyline ploughing or the practice of pulse grazing.

The Plow or the Hoof?

While much of this research is 80 years old, Voisin’s books demonstrate two things: animals can heal the land and the plow is a poor substitute for grazing management. Influencing the dynamic nature of grassland ecology requires insight when managing the intensity, frequency, and timing of grazing. Pastures are not static entities. The growth phase, whether during spring or following a drought, is especially sensitive to grazing timing and influences the sward composition over the entire season. Coupled with the fertility status of the soil, particularly soil structure through good organic matter, Voisin showed these factors strongly influence pasture performance.

For modern farmers it highlights a long history challenging the mantra pasture renovation must involve plow. Voisin’s work highlighted the need for diversity and variety in grazing regimes and pasture swards to maintain pasture health. Many modern practices do the opposite because the farming industry ignores ecological principles for short term profits leading to pasture burn out and the need to resow. The evolving professional image of sustainable farming requires biological monitoring for farmers to optimize the benefits of disturbance and diversity. Observing and monitoring the landscape are strong themes throughout Voisin’s work.

For holistic managers, Voisin clarifies how the use of tools influences community dynamics in non-brittle environments. As with fire and technology, consistently repeating too much or too little of rest, grazing, and animal impact reduces pasture diversity and performance. His focus on newly sown pastures illustrates how the soil’s living organisms influence the pasture sward when cultivating and disrupting the mineral cycle. As the backbone to the holistic planned grazing procedures, Voisin’s insights provide the foundation for holistic managers to create Voisin’s vision; a better grassland sward.

Note: Figures 3, 5, 6, & 7 are adaptations from Grass Productivity and Better Grassland Sward.

Figure 7: Characteristics of Soil under Pastures of Different Ages

PBS Documentary — Debut in Wyoming

O

n May 6th and 7th, high school students from Gillette and Wright (Wyoming) were introduced to issues of land health and animal impact through clips from “The First Millimeter: Healing the Earth” and talks

by John Flocchini, long-time bison rancher, Holistic Management practitioner, and—now—a local celebrity. John was joined by Chris Schueler, the film’s director/producer, who talked to several groups of students about film making. A group of these students got to visit the Flocchini family-owned 53,000 acre (21,500 hectare) bison ranch just outside Wright, where John and Certified Educator Roland Kroos followed the previous day’s teachings with on-the ground demonstrations of animal impact on different sites on the ranch.

On the evenings of May 6th and 7th, John had arranged for screenings of the film for the whole community. The Gillette screening took place at the local Cam-Plex theatre and attracted an enthusiastic crowd of 130 people who stayed long after the screening for a lively Q & A period. The May7th screening brought together over 60 people at the Wright Town Hall and generated an equally animated response.

A big draw for both events was the fact that 18 Emmy award-winning producer Chris Schueler had taken time out of his busy schedule to be there; Chris talked about the filming, the amazing people he met , and about his unequivocal commitment to helping spread the word about the importance of healing the earth so that future generations can survive.

Those of us who know Chris know how contagious his unbridled enthusiasm can be.

John also took the opportunity to get the media involved and managed to get cover stories in both local newspapers just prior to the screening events. And, unbeknownst to him, the Colorado Wire Service picked up the story and it’s now spreading through Colorado.

Jennifer Womack, Managing Editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup, who attended the Wright screening had a particularly interesting observation to share: “I walked out the door of the Wright City Hall building glad I’d attended for yet a third reason, one that didn’t occur me until I visited with Mr. Schueler. I’ve long believed mainstream media too often portrays rural residents as naïve and simple-minded. By allowing livestock producers to tell their stories and the planning and thought processes that go into animal husbandry, Mr. Schueler shone a light of sophistication and intelligence on the people who make their living in agriculture around the world.”

And because of all the publicity and interest John has been able to generate in his communities, the Wyoming PBS station will be broadcasting the film sometime this summer.

(Please check our website www.holisticmanagement.org for broadcast schedules.)

Our heartfelt thanks go to John Flocchini and Chris Schueler for this well orchestrated series of events. Thank you, John and Chris!

What’s Next for the Documentary?

Executive Producer Tony Tiano has pitched the film to over twenty-five PBS stations in key areas of the country, including California (North & South), Texas, Arizona, Washington, Nebraska, Idaho, and Iowa. By the time you read this, you may actually already have seen it on your local PBS station. If not, call or e-mail your PBS station manager and ask that they “grab” it from the satellite feed (“bird” in TV parlance) and add it to their broadcast schedule; it won’t cost them anything! Also, keep checking our website for broadcast schedule updates at www.holisticmanagement.org. And while you’re there, check out the invitation to host a house party to introduce your family, friends, and neighbors to Holistic Management and the importance of healthy soil for the health of the planet! If you have any questions about hosting a house party, contact Mary Girsch-Bock at marygb@holisticmanagement.org.

HMI and Holistic Management

by Ben Bartlett

W

hile many of you understand the relationship between Holistic Management International (HMI) and Holistic Management (HM), it is important the relationship is kept in perspective.

Holistic Management, first developed by Allan Savory and Jody Butterfield, is the practice of managing your life, your land, and/or your communities toward your holisticgoal. Allan and Jody are the Founders of Holistic Management. HMI is the organization whose statement of purpose is to “Advance the practice and coordinate the worldwide development of Holistic Management to heal the land while improving quality of life and creating healthy economies.” Both the practice of Holistic Management (Holistic Resource Management) and the organization (Center for Holistic Management, The Savory Center) have had different names in the past, yet the relationship has remained consistently committed to the statement of purpose.

HMI is a 501c3 non-profit organization based in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The organization has a managing staff of 11 people. HMI gains oversight and policy from the current Board of Directors of 12 domestic and four international volunteer board members. USA board members serve up to two concurrent, three-year terms and receive no compensation for service and expenses; 100 percent make donations to HMI. International Board members are non-voting members. Due to travel costs, these international Directors receive financial travel support to attend, in person, one meeting per year. They participate regularly in email and conference call meetings. This organization of staff (management) and Board (policy and oversight) works to maintain, develop, and grow the practice for future generations. The third significant component of this effort is YOU, the practitioners and Certified Educators, the Holistic Management network. Holistic Management, HMI, and the people within the Holistic Management network are woven together within this whole.

Changes in 2009 The HMI organization celebrates 25 years in 2009. That accomplishment speaks volumes CONTINUED ON PAGE 18

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HMI and Holistic Management continued from page seventeen to the need and importance of the practice of Holistic Management. With six billion people in the world, we have a way to go to reach the global marketplace, but the number of people and acres managed holistically continues to grow. Currently, we have close to 30 million acres across the globe managed holistically! However, our challenge continues. Just as the names of Holistic Management and HMI have changed over time, the organization in the last two years has worked on a tighter market focus. HMI offers products and services to those clients and audiences who would be the most receptive to Holistic Management and is establishing measurable outcomes so we can more accurately monitor our efforts.

The current economic downturn is a challenge for all non-profits and businesses, but since HMI practices Holistic Management, the staff is busy replanning and revising the financial plan to maintain our economic stability. A particular goal I have as Board Chair is improved HMI communication of all things it is doing to advance and coordinate the practice of Holistic Management.

In 2008, HMI had a key change in our IRS status from a “public charity” to a “private operating foundation,” due to the changing income ratios.

We still maintain a 501c3 classification, but there are different regulations for these different types of non-profits, and we are making sure we do everything to be in compliance.

In early 2009, HMI completed another key compliance effort towards HMI’s funding of the Africa Center for Holistic Management (ACHM). ACHM is now its own international non-profit organization, able to receive funds from any entity. HMI continues to fund ACHM and is working to build ACHM capacity so they can maximize their new status and solicit funds from other entities to create sustainability for that organization.

I am very pleased with HMI’s Board and staff and their commitment to the organization and to the practice of Holistic Management. These big changes in status take a great deal of time and energy to work through all the ensuing details. Likewise, strategic focus and policy are ongoing concerns within any organization wishing to keep current with the times while keeping grounded in its culture and traditions.

The HMI Board and staff appreciate the efforts of the Holistic Management network and look forward to working with you to advance and coordinate the practice of Holistic Management worldwide.

Ben Bartlett is the HMI Board Chair. He can be reached at bartle18@msu.edu.

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Practicing What You Teach— Livestock Treated Cropfields

by Senanelo Moyo

N

icolas Ncube joined the Africa Centre for Holistic Management in 1994 as a volunteer training to be a community facilitator in Holistic Management.

Nicolas and his wife, Sithabisiwe, have three children—Privilege, Praisemore, and Petnetty. This family lives in an area governed by Chief Mvutu.

Traditionally the family grows millet, maize, round beans, groundnuts and pumpkins. They have been using an ox-drawn plow to till the land and never ever used manure. The family owns six cattle and eight goats which they bought in 2007.

The family decided to change their farming methods after Nicolas saw that the livestock treated crop fields as part of the USAID grant funded programs produce a very good yield. He saw this process used in Monde at Mpisi’s crop field last year.

So Nicolas started talking to his wife about this farming method and told her he wanted to practice what he teaches.

“At first Sithabisiwe did not understand, and thought the work was tedious and labor intensive,” says Nico. But his son Privilege helped Nicolas with this work by digging the holes together that are necessary for forming the kraals (corrals) to keep the livestock in the crop field.

In normal circumstances the family harvests six 198–lb bags (90-kg) of maize and two 198-lb bags (90-kg) of millet. But this year the family is expecting to harvest 10 198-lb bags (90-kg) of maize. This is a 67 percent increase in productivity!

Sithabisiwe is excited about the results and is already harvesting cow pea leaves, pumpkin leaves, and other traditional vegetables.

This year the family is planning to start crop field fertilization using livestock as early as June so that a large area is fertilized. Their neighbors are planning to use the same method too.

To the left is Nicolas’s fertilized field and the control side on the right.

The fertilized side has healthy crops and no bare ground.

UNITED STATES

Certified Educators

Paul Swanson 5155 West 12th St., Hastings, NE 68901 402/463-8507 swanson@inebraska.com

To our knowledge, Certified Educators are the best qualified individuals to help others learn to practice Holistic Management and to provide them with technical assistance when necessary. On a yearly basis, Certified Educators renew their agreement to be affiliated with HMI. This agreement requires their commitment to practice Holistic Management in their own lives, to seek out opportunities for staying current ◆ These educators provide with the latest developments in Holistic Management and to Holistic Management maintain a high standard of ethical conduct in their work. instruction on behalf of the For more information about or application forms for the HMI’s Certified Educator Training Programs, contact Ann Adams or visit our website at: www.holisticmanagement.org.

CALIFORNIA

COLORADO Joel Benson P.O. Box 4924, Buena Vista, CO 81211 719/395-6119 • joel@outburstllc.com Cindy Dvergsten 17702 County Rd. 23, Dolores, CO 81323 970/882-4222 hminfo@wholenewconcepts.com Daniela and Jim Howell P.O. Box 67, Cimarron, CO 81220-0067 970/249-0353 • howelljd@montrose.net Byron Shelton 33900 Surrey Lane, Buena Vista, CO 81211 719/395-8157 • landmark@my.amigo.net Tom Walther P.O. Box 1158 Longmont, CO 80502-1158 510/499-7479 • tagjag@aol.com GEORGIA Constance Neely 635 Patrick Place, Atlanta, GA 30320 706/540-2878 • cneely@uga.edu IOWA ◆ Margaret Smith

Iowa State University, CES Sustainable Agriculture 972 110th St., Hampton, IA 50441-7578 515/294-0887 • mrgsmith@iastate.edu

◆ Seth Wilner

24 Main Street, Newport, NH 03773 603/863-4497 (h) 603/863-9200 (w) seth.wilner@unh.edu

R. H. (Dick) Richardson University of Texas at Austin Section of Integrative Biology School of Biological Sciences Austin, TX 78712 • 512/471-4128 d.richardson@mail.utexas.edu

institutions they represent. associate educators * These provide educational services to their communities and peer groups.

UNITED STATES

Bill Burrows 12250 Colyear Springs Road Red Bluff, CA 96080 530/529-1535 • 530/200-2419 (c) sunflowercrmp@msn.com Richard King 1675 Adobe Rd. Petaluma, CA 94954 707/769-1490 707/794-8692(w) richard.king@ca.usda.gov * Kelly Mulville P.O Box 323, Valley Ford, CA 94972-0323 707/431-8060; 707/876-3592 jackofallterrains@hotmail.com ◆ Rob Rutherford CA Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo, CA 93407 805/756-1475 rrutherf@calpoly.edu

NEW HAMPSHIRE

TEXAS Chandler McLay P.O. Box 1796, Glen Rose, TX 76043 303/888-8799 • mclay90@gmail.com

LOUISIANA Tina Pilione P.O. 923, Eunice, LA 70535 phone: 337/580-0068 tina@tinapilione.com

NEW MEXICO ◆ Ann Adams

Holistic Management International 1010 Tijeras NW Albuquerque, NM 87102 505/842-5252 anna@holisticmanagement.org Kirk Gadzia P.O. Box 1100, Bernalillo, NM 87004 505/867-4685 (f) 505/867-9952 kgadzia@msn.com

WASHINGTON Craig Madsen P.O. Box 107, Edwall, WA 99008 509/236-2451 • Madsen2fir@gotsky.com Sandra Matheson 228 E. Smith Rd., Bellingham, WA 98226 360/398-7866 • mathesonsm@verizon.net Doug Warnock 1880 SE Larch Ave., College Place, WA 99324 509/540-5771 • 509/856-7101 (c) dwarnock@charter.net Wisconsin

MAINE

* Vivianne Holmes

239 E. Buckfield Rd. Buckfield, ME 04220-4209 207/336-2484 vholmes@umext.maine.edu MICHIGAN

* Ben Bartlett N4632 ET Road, Traunik, MI 49891 906/439-5210 (h) • 906/439-5880 (w) bartle18@msu.edu * Larry Dyer 604 West 8th Ave. Sault Sainte Marie, MI 49783 906/248-3354 x4245 (w) 906/253-1504 (h) dyerlawr@msu.edu MONTANA Wayne Burleson 322 N. Stillwater Rd., Absarokee, MT 59001 406/328-6808 rutbuster@montana.net Roland Kroos 4926 Itana Circle Bozeman, MT 59715 406/522-3862 kroosing@msn.com * Cliff Montagne P.O. Box 173120 Montana State University Department of Land Resources & Environmental Science Bozeman, MT 59717 406/994-5079 montagne@montana.edu NEBRASKA Terry Gompert P.O. Box 45 Center, NE 68724-0045 402/288-5611 (w) tgompert1@unl.edu

NEW YORK Phil Metzger 99 N. Broad St., Norwich, NY 13815 607/334-3231 x4 (w) • 607/334-2407 (h) phil.metzger@ny.usda.gov John Thurgood 15 Farone Dr., Apt. E26 Oneonta, NY 13820-1331 607/643-2804 jthurgood@stny.rr.com North Dakota Wayne Berry 1611 11th Ave. West Williston, ND 58801 701/572-9183 wberry@wil.midco.net

Andy Hager W. 3597 Pine Ave., Stetsonville, WI 54480-9559 715/678-2465 Larry Johnson W886 State Rd. 92, Brooklyn, WI 53521 608/455-1685 lpjohn@rconnect.com * Laura Paine Wisconsin DATCP N893 Kranz Rd., Columbus, WI 53925 608/224-5120 (w) • 920/623-4407 (h) laura.paine@datcp.state.wi.us

OREGON

INTERNATIONAL

Andrea & Tony Malmberg P.O. Box 167, LaGrande, OR 97850 541/805-1124 Andrea@LifeEnergy.us Tony@LifeEnergy.us PENNSYLVANIA Jim Weaver 428 Copp Hollow Rd. Wellsboro, PA 16901-8976 570/724-7788 jaweaver@epix.net TEXAS Christina Allday-Bondy 2703 Grennock Dr., Austin, TX 78745 512/441-2019 tododia@sbcglobal.net Guy Glosson 6717 Hwy. 380, Snyder, TX 79549 806/237-2554 glosson@caprock-spur.com Peggy Maddox P.O. Box 694, Ozona, TX 76943-0694 325/392-2292 westgift@hughes.net

AUSTRALIA Judi Earl 73 Harding E., Guyra, NSW 2365 61-2-6779-2286 judi@holisticmanagement.org.au Mark Gardner P.O. Box 1395, Dubbo, NSW 2830 61-2-6884-4401 mark.gardner@vbs.net.au Paul Griffiths P.O. Box 3045, North Turramura, NSW 2074, Sydney, NSW 61-2-9144-3975 • pgpres@geko.net.au George Gundry Willeroo, Tarago, NSW 2580 61-2-4844-6223 • ggundry@bigpond.net.au Graeme Hand 150 Caroona Lane, Branxholme, VIC 3302 61-3-5578-6272 (h) • 61-4-0996-4466 (c) graemeh1@bordernet.com.au Helen Lewis P.O. Box 1263, Warwick, QLD 4370 61-7-46617393 • 61-7-46670835 helen@insideoutsidemgt.com.au

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INTERNATIONAL KENYA

AUSTRALIA Brian Marshall P.O. Box 300, Guyra NSW 2365 61-2-6779-1927 • fax: 61-2-6779-1947 bkmrshl@bigpond.com Bruce Ward P.O. Box 103, Milsons Pt., NSW 1565 61-2-9929-5568 • fax: 61-2-9929-5569 blward@the-farm-business-gym.com Brian Wehlburg c/o “Sunnyholt”, Injune, QLD 4454 61-7-4626-7187 brian@insideoutsidemgt.com.au Jason Virtue Mary River Park 1588 Bruce Highway South Gympie, QLD 4570 61-7-5483-5155 Jason@spiderweb.com.au

CANADA Don Campbell Box 817 Meadow Lake, SK S9X 1Y6 306/236-6088 • doncampbell@sasktel.net Len Pigott Box 222, Dysart, SK, SOH 1HO 306/432-4583 JLPigott@sasktel.net Kelly Sidoryk P.O. Box 374, Lloydminster, AB S9V 0Y4 780/875-9806 (h) • 780/875-4418 (c) kjsidoryk@yahoo.ca

Richard Hatfield P.O. Box 10091-00100, Nairobi 254-0723-506-331 rhatfield@obufield.com Christine C. Jost International Livestock Research Institute Box 30709, Nairobi 00100 254-20-422-3000; 254-736-715-417 (c) c.jost@cgiar.org Belinda Low P.O. Box 15109, Langata, Nairobi 254-727-288-039 belinda@grevyszebratrust.org

MEXICO Arturo Mora Benitez San Juan Bosco 169 Fracc., La Misión Celaya, Guanajuato 38016 52-461-615-7632 • jams@prodigy.net.mx Elco Blanco-Madrid Hacienda de la Luz 1803 Fracc. Haciendas del Valle II Chihuahua, Chih 31238 52/614-423-4413 (h) • 52/614-415-0176 (f) elco_blanco@hotmail.com Ivan A. Aguirre Ibarra P.O. Box 304, Hermosillo, Sonora 83000 52-1-662-281-0990 (from U.S.) 51-1-662-281-0901 Rancho_inmaculada@yahoo.com.mx

NAMIBIA

SOUTH AFRICA

Usiel Kandjii P.O. Box 23319, Windhoek 264-61-205-2324 kandjiiu@nampower.com.na Wiebke Volkmann P.O. Box 9285, Windhoek 264-61-225183 or 264-81-127-0081 wiebke@mweb.com.na

Ian Mitchell-Innes P.O. Box 52, Elandslaagte 2900 27-36-421-1747 blanerne@mweb.co.za Dick Richardson P.O. Box 1853, Vryburg 8600 tel/fax: 27-082-934-6139; Dickson@wam.co.za

NEW ZEALAND John King P.O. Box 12011 Beckenham, Christchurch 8242 64-276-737-885 succession@clear.net.nz

SPAIN Aspen Edge Apartado de Correos 19, 18420 Lanjaron, Granada (0034)-958-347-053 aspen@holisticdecisions.com

SOUTH AFRICA Wayne Knight P.O. Box 537 Mokopane 0600 theknights@mweb.co.za Jozua Lambrechts P.O. Box 5070 Helderberg, Somerset West, Western Cape 7135 27-21-851-5669; 27-21-851-2430 (w) jozua@websurf.co.za

UNITED KINGDOM Philip Bubb 32 Dart Close, St. Ives Cambridge, PE27 3JB 44-1480-496-2925 (h) 44-1223-814-662 (w) philipbubb@onetel.com ZIMBABWE Sunny Moyo Africa Centre for Holistic Management P. Bag 5950, Victoria Falls; sunnyachm@africaonline.co.zw; 263-13-42199 (w)

Western Canadian Columbus, NM (20 day) – May 2009 ‘The Farm’ ,TN (20 day) – August/September 2009 Marin County, CA (26 day) – September/October 2009 Santa Barbara, CA (43 day) – 0ct/Nov/Dec 2009

Holistic Management Conference February 8-10,

Holistic Management® (Terry Gompert, Kirk Gadzia) Broadacre Permaculture (Doherty, Lancaster, Dolman) Effective AID (Howard Yana Shapiro, Warren Brush) Soil Food Web (Dr. Elaine Ingham, Paul Taylor) Pathways to Relocalisation (Joel Salatin) Natural Building (Jack Stephens, et.al.)

Fungi (Paul Stamets) ZERI, Pyrolysis, BioChar, Energy Systems & More...

20

IN PRACTICE

July / August 2009

2010 SPEAKERS AND PRESENTERS INCLUDE: John Ikerd Terry Gompert Pam Iwanchysko Don Campbell Ann Adams Blain Hjertaas Tony & Fran McQuail Kelly Sidoryk Allison Guichon Brian Luce Ralph & Linda Corcoran

RUSSELL, MANITOBA

Save the Date!

TOPICS INCLUDE: Finding Purpose in Peril, Building a New Economy, Profitable Farming, Cropping and Land Management, Financial Management,

. . . AND MORE! For more information, call 206/622-2006 or go to www.mbforagecouncil.mb.ca Online registration will begin December 1, 2009.

T H E

M A R K E T P L A C E

PRINCIPLES OF SOIL FERTILITY Understanding Soil Tests and Nutrient Relationships Program: Each day from 8:00 a.m.– 5:00 p.m.

Holiday Inn Express, St. Louis, Mo. COST: $650 per person, includes lodging (Sunday through Tuesday night and breakfast next morning), plus lunch each day.

Dinner is not included.

FOR INFORMATION, COURSE REGISTRATION AND MOTEL RESERVATIONS, call 573/683-3880, or see the Courses and Meetings page at www.kinseyag.com.

July 27-29, 2009

—OPTIONAL TOURS— (REGISTER BY JULY 17 TO ASSURE LODGING, TOUR SEAT AND LUNCH)

TOPICS INCLUDE:

• SOIL TESTS AND THEIR USE • BUILDING SOIL LIFE • N-P-K NEEDS AND MATERIALS • LIMING AND PH

THURSDAY, JULY 30 All-Day Farm Tour to farms using the program in Southeast Missouri Cost: $125/person and includes motel room for Wednesday night and transportation from the motel and return and lunch Thursday.

• SULFUR, TRACE

ELEMENTS, AND COMPACTION

For consulting or educational services contact:

WE ACCEPT CREDIT CARD ORDERS (VISA, MC)

FRIDAY, JULY 30 Soil Test Lab Tour and Lunch

Kinsey Agricultural Services, Inc. 297 County Highway 357 Charleston, Missouri 63834

Cost: $125/person and includes motel room for Thursday night and transportation from the motel to lab and return. Arrive back at motel by 2:30 pm.

Ph: 573/683-3880, Fax: 573/683-6227 Email: neal@kinseyag.com

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Number 126

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T H E

M A R K E T P L A C E

CORRAL DESIGNS

PO Box 1100 Pasture Bernalillo, NM 87004 Scene 505-263-8677 Investigation

The Business of Ranching

kgadzia@msn.com

• On-Site, Custom Courses • Holistic Business Planning • Ranchers Business Forum • Creating Change thru Grazing Planning and Land Monitoring

Roland R.H. Kroos (406) 522.3862 • Cell: 581.3038 Email: kroosing@msn.com

By World Famous Dr. Grandin Originator of Curved Ranch Corrals The wide curved Lane makes filling the crowding tub easy.

Includes detailed drawings for loading ramp, V chute, round crowd pen, dip vat, gates and hinges. Plus cell center layouts and layouts compatible with electronic sorting systems. Articles on cattle behavior. 27 corral layouts. $55.

Low Stress Cattle Handling Video $59.

Send checks/money order to:

GRANDIN LIVESTOCK SYSTEMS 2918 Silver Plume Dr., Unit C-3 Fort Collins, CO 80526

4926 Itana Circle • Bozeman, MT 59715

970/229-0703 www.grandin.com

Start Using Holistic Management Today!

Join Our Distance Learning Program Stay At Home – All You Need Is A Phone

Resource Management Services, LLC Kirk L. Gadzia, Certified Educator

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Property Assessment: Land health and productivity assessment with recommended solutions. www.resourcemanagementservices.com

H O L I ST I C M A N AG E M E N T ÂŽ

Policy Analysis and Design Course September 29 & 30, 2009 Knox County Courthouse Annex, Center, NE

INSTRUCTOR: JOEL BENSON earn how to analyze and design policies at the local and state levels using the Holistic ManagementÂŽ Framework. This workshop includes Natural Resource Structured Diagnosis as well as techniques on how to determine the root cause of a problem the policy was designed to address. This is an experiential workshop so bring a policy you want to analyze or design.

L

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She offers customized solutions to family farms & ranches, communities and organizations worldwide.

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July / August 2009

450

$ TO REGISTER, CONTACT: Knox County Extension, Center, NE 402-288-5611 • knox-county@unl.edu

PER PERSON, FARM OR UNIT

T H E

M A R K E T P L A C E

the LAND

DON’T HAVE TIME TO MONITOR LAND HEALTH? Let me get you the information you need to improve the health AND productivity of your land.

• Over 40 years of experience with ranching and rangeland • Public and private land experience • 100% satisfaction guaranteed or your money back!

KELLY BONEY 575/760-7636 kboney@ plateautel.net

CLINIC Agro Cultura Empresarial SA de CV CUR SOS EN ESP AÑO L PAR A TODA AM ÉRICA LAT INA

Elco S. Blanco Madrid, Educador Certificado

Asesoría y capacitación para el desarrollo integral de empresas agropecuarias rentables, ecológica y socialmente sanas Contamos con ranchos particulares demostrativos, donde podrá observar los resultados del Manejo Holístico en zonas áridas CALLE 16ª N° 3200 • COLONIA PACÍFICO 31030 CHIHUAHUA, CHIH. MÉXICO Teléfonos: (614) 410 4642 • (614) 410 5363 Fax. (614) 415 0176 • Celular: (614) 220 8019 elco_blanco@hotmail.com

@RED CORRAL RANCH The Land Clinic @Red Corral Ranch combines training or facilitation and sightseeing in a 3-day retreat in the Texas Hill Country on demand.

We work with you to schedule within your needs and plan in local sightseeing as work breaks.

— INITIAL OFFERINGS INCLUDE — • Fundamentals of Holistic Management • Dollars and Sense: Holistic Management Financial Planning • Biological Monitoring FOR MORE INFORMATION, please call: Christina Allday-Bondy, Certified Educator at 512/658-2051 or email, thelandclinic@redcorralranch.com

Boss Up Your Life!

WAYNE BERRY “Converted Grain Farmer to Grass Farmer” ➤ CERTIFIED

HOLISTIC MANAGEMENT EDUCATOR ➤ RANCHER WORKSHOPS ➤ GOAL SETTING ➤ TEAM BUILDING ➤ CONFERENCE / MEETING PRESENTER

To learn more about workshop opportunities or trainings: Please call 866/938-6963 OR Melissa.Meyer@wsc.nodak.edu.

POWERED BY WILLISTON STATE COLLEGE

Number 126

IN PRACTICE

23

healthy land. sustainable future.

NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION U.S. POSTAGE PAID ALBUQUERQUE, NM PERMIT NO 880

a publication of Holistic Management International 1010 Tijeras NW Albuquerque, NM 87102 USA return service requested

please send address corrections before moving so that we do not incur unnecessary postal fees

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_ Back Issues: $5 each; bulk orders (5 or more issues) $3 each. List

_ Introduction to Holistic Management August 2007, 128 pages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$25

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Books & Multimedia

August 2007, 63 pages. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$17

_ Early Warning Biological Monitoring— Croplands

Holistic Management: A New Framework for Decision-Making,

_ Second Edition, by Allan Savory with Jody Butterfield . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $39 _ Hardcover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $55 _ 15-set CD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $99 _ One month rental of CD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $35 _ Spanish Version (soft). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $25 _ Holistic Management Handbook, by Butterfield, Bingham, Savory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $27 _ At Home With Holistic Management, by Ann Adams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $20 _ Holistic Management: A New Environmental Intelligence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $10 _ Improving Whole Farm Planning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $13 _ Video: Creating a Sustainable Civilization—

April 2000, 26 pages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$14

_ Early Warning Biological Monitoring—Rangelands and Grasslands August 2007, 59 pages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$17

_ Land Planning—For The Rancher or Farmer Running Livestock August 2007, 31 pages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$17

Planning Forms (All forms are padded – 25 sheets per pad) _ Annual Income & Expense Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$17 _ Worksheet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$ 7 _ Livestock Production Worksheet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$17 _ Control Sheet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$ 5 _ Grazing Plan & Control Chart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$17

An Introduction to Holistic Decision-Making, based on a lecture given

by Allan Savory. (VHS/DVD/PAL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $30 Stockmanship, by Steve Cote . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $35

_ _ The Grassfed Gourmet Cookbook, by Shannon Hayes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $25 _ The Oglin, by Dick Richardson & Rio de la Vista . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $25 _ Gardeners of Eden, by Dan Dagget . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $25 _ Video: Healing the Land Through Multi-Species Grazing (VHS/DVD) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $30 TO ORDER

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