17 minute read
ANN ADAMS
Healthy Land. Healthy Food. Healthy Lives.
In Practice
a publication of Hollistic Management International
HMI educates people in regenerative agriculture for healthy land and thriving communities.
STAFF
Ann Adams ............Executive Director Kathy Harris ...........Program Director Mary Girsch-Bock ......Development Manager Carrie Stearns .........Communications & Outreach Manager Valerie Grubbs .........Accounting Manager Julie Fierro ............Education Manager Stephanie Von Ancken ..Program Manager Kimberly Barnett .......Administrative Assistant
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Daniel Nuckols, Chair Walter Lynn, Vice-Chair Kelly Sidoryk, Past Board Chair Gerardo Bezanilla Avery Anderson-Sponholtz Kirrily Blomfield Kevin Boyer Jonathan Cobb Guy Glosson Wayne Knight Robert Potts Jim Shelton Sarah Williford
HOLISTIC MANAGEMENT In Practice
(ISSN: 1098-8157) is published six times a year by: Holistic Management International 5941 Jefferson St. NE, Suite B Albuquerque, NM 87109 505/842-5252, fax: 505/843-7900; email: hmi@holisticmanagement.org.; website: www.holisticmanagement.org
Copyright © 2018
Holistic Management® is a registered trademark of Holistic Management International
BY ANN ADAMS
“This was the place that we considered our family home,” said Elisabeth Keller, President of Inglewood Farm. Inglewood Farm is a 3,500-acre farm (1,800 of which is in cultivation) in Alexandria, Louisiana in central Louisiana. Elisabeth’s father bought it from his father-in-law in the 1940s. “My parents had moved off the farm by the time I was born,” says Elisabeth. “We lived in Arkansas and came here every few months and spent vacations here. My father was very involved with the business of the farm. I loved coming to the farm as a child and this was where I learned to milk cows, herd cattle, and ride horses. It was a very positive childhood experience for me and my five older siblings. We all enjoyed the farm and it was definitely a place of shared family experience. I now live on Inglewood as do two older family members and their husbands. Our parents lived here in retirement and died on the farm.”
It was that sense of place and passion to bring sustainable agriculture to Louisiana that has driven Elisabeth and her family to turn a conventional farm in Louisiana to a collaborative regenerative farming effort with others in the local farming community as they develop multiple direct marketing ventures. soybeans in rotations. “But, my personal interest for many years was how to farm sustainably and organically,” says Elisabeth. “In 2012 our family made a commitment to do just that and find more support and information about how to make that transition here in Louisiana. In 2012 we began the transition to organic certification and developing a vegetable business and phasing out farm leases with the local farmers who were farming conventionally.
“Then in 2016 I was invited to the “Lead with Land Conference” put on by the Globetrotter Foundation. I didn’t know what to expect when I went to that gathering and that’s where I met Sallie Calhoun, the owner of Paicines Ranch and the philanthropist behind Globetrotter. I also met Kelly Mulville, the Paicines Ranch Manager. I had heard about Holistic Management and was vaguely familiar with Allan Savory. At “Lead with Land” we had conversation specifically and presentations about Holistic Management. I realized that the concepts clicked with me. It’s how I understand life and the world and it made sense—how to support natural processes with plants and animals.
“I believe everything we do we have to have
Transitioning to Holistic Management
Inglewood Farm was a typical conventionally-managed farm through the 1990s, growing cotton like other farmers and, more recently, corn and The next generation of the Keller family comes together to help with harvesting vegetables during a freeze as the mission for Inglewood Farm as an organic farm remains strong.
FEATURE STORIES
Inglewood Farm— Bringing Organic Vegetable Production to Louisiana
ANN ADAMS ................................................................................ 2 Ferme Brylee— Transitioning a Small Diversified Farm in Quebec
HEATHER SMITH THOMAS ........................................................ 6 LAND & LIVESTOCK
Cow Chip Ranch— Growing Healthy Food
HEATHER SMITH THOMAS ......................................................11 Designing Regenerative Vegetable Production
GRAEME HAND ........................................................................14 East Brook Farm— No-Till Vegetable Farming to Improve Ecosystem Processes
ELIZABETH MARKS ..................................................................16 NEWS & NETWORK
Program Round Up................................................. 18 Board Chair ............................................................ 19 Grapevine............................................................... 19 Certified Educators................................................. 20 Market Place........................................................... 21 Development Corner .............................................. 24
integrity whether in our families or our farms. I don’t believe we should compartmentalize. Holistic Management brings it all together. I found this understanding just made sense to me, and it would really help us with our family business. I was really drawn to the financial planning piece as we had already put some planning in place as we were transitioning our farm business. Holistic Financial Planning took us to the next level for planning for profit and looking at the larger whole and setting a holistic goal.
“When I got back from “Lead with Land” I got the book, Holistic Management, and read it cover to cover. I spoke to my two fellow managers Lee Weeks and Jonathan Gilliland and shared my observations about Holistic Management at Paicines and why we should also try it at Inglewood and they were open to the idea. Then we had a conference call with HMI to see how they might help us, and after that we decided to move ahead.”
The consulting lead for HMI was Program Director Kathy Harris. She spent several days Inglewood runs Red Angus cows which they grass-finish working with the management and farm team for through planned grazing and planting forage crops. Inglewood as they developed their holistic goal and learned the key principles and practices of Holistic Management including the process of testing decisions toward the farm’s new holistic goal. Inglewood’s Operating Manager Lee Weeks noted, “That first meeting provided a really strong beginning as it brought our team together and helped us discuss key issues. Previously, when we sat around the table as a board we didn’t include the key players because we didn’t feel that was right at the time.
“The first time everybody was there at the HMI meeting, key players, including 10–12 family members, talking about everything, we had the opportunity to talk about how we are growing and our strengths and weaknesses. Kathy led us through those conversations and we got information from people who don’t normally speak up and that was really positive. It helped us with the setting of the holistic goal and all the brainstorming we did that day. Kathy also helped us address some of the challenges that emerged as some team members had trouble dealing with changes in farming practices.” Elisabeth also felt the goalsetting was creative and everyone at the meeting was involved. “When we got to the second day and began discussing enterprises and what we were doing, it was overwhelming because we had so many enterprise and we started to get off on tangents. One of the take aways from Holistic Management is you can see you are trying to manage too much. Then you can look at what you can do well and what enterprises can succeed and what you need to trim.” Enterprise Analysis & Partnerships In that meeting, the Inglewood management team didn’t make any decisions, but they began to look at their enterprises and financial investments in a new light. As Lee Weeks noted, “It made us look hard into economics and how relevant each enterprise was to our mission. We looked at whether we had the right labor on hand. We continued these conversations through 2017, which we had identified as a pivotal year for the farm. “Grains were the biggest part of the farm and we had to decide what we were going to do with that enterprise. We finally decided that we were no longer going to actively manage the grain business on the 1,000 acres we had been using for that purpose. That’s definitely been the biggest decision. We decided to lease the grain acreage to two local farmers who are farming organic corn and soybeans already. They are good experienced farmers, interested in good soil management practices and they are taking on the risk of growing organic grain, not us. “We’ve changed other enterprises by working with other farms to help us produce and process products. For example, we were farrowing all our hogs and we decided to partner by buying feeder pigs from one farmer we know well. We have identified certain protocols for them to follow and they got the breeding animals from us so we have the Berkshire genetics we want.” Inglewood also got out of the direct production of eggs and have turned that enterprise around so it is now profitable. “We found a farmer who raises layers and is more productive and has the right scale,” say Elisabeth. “We are better at marketing and we can buy from him in a way that supports his operation but allows us to make a little profit. In 2015 our egg operation was running at an $8,000 loss and we were having trouble with predators. Now we have a reasonable profit from that enterprise to help us cover our overhead.” These types of partnerships with other farmers are creating a win-win for everyone involved. These farmers need a certain level of scale to be profitable and Inglewood Farms has resources (land, marketing staff, etc.) that allows them to pay premiums for quality farm products at different points in the value chain of numerous enterprises. “We made the investment to organic certification for our grain Using the Holistic Financial Planning process, Inglewood cropland,” says Elisabeth. “Our investment Farm management decided that transitioning the organic in that transition made it possible for our new grain operation to other local organic farmers best served lessees to farm grains organically and profitably. them and their community. We had thought we would farm it ourselves but it wasn’t working. Through the discipline of Holistic Management we realized we had overcapitalized with grain equipment and with the amount of acreage we had we couldn’t scale to make a profit. So we are selling off the grain equipment and winding down debt that we took on and leasing our organic land to farmers who have other acreage and are at the right scale. “The lease we have with them requires that they incorporate cover crops and that they maintain organic matter. We have tested the soil and they have to maintain organic matter and continue the organic certification and provide
soil tests and plans to us. They are becoming interested with parts of Holistic Management and how they can increase soil fertility. When Kathy came to work with us, she had pushed the envelope regarding our tillage practices and how that fit into our holistic goal. We were pushing back and our farm manager questioned whether reducing tillage would work in Louisiana. Our new farmers also have those same questions, but they are educating themselves about soil health and they want to learn more about how no-till can work on this land.
“What we are finding with these farmers is that more than the wording of the lease, it is the relationship we develop with them. We have conversations weekly with them sharing information and really talking about what this type of management means for the long term benefits for them and the health of the land. You can’t do this kind of collaboration with any tenant.
“We are very grateful that they approached us. They live in the area and their father had been manager of Inglewood in 1990s so they had worked on the farm as kids. They had been watching what we were doing and they needed more land. As they observed us, they realized they were coming up against a wall regarding scale. They put a pencil to the economics and the numbers worked out if they farmed our land organically. They also understand soil health. You can’t just make someone care about that. They also offered us a lease rate that was competitive so we are very excited to partner with them.
“Grains had been modeled to be the cash engine for Inglewood. But, after three years it wasn’t working out. The Holistic Financial Planning put even more of a magnifying glass on the grains and showed us we weren’t going to get there. It was tough to recognize it, but as we came to terms with that reality the farmers came to us and the partnership fell into place.”
Pecans are another enterprise for Inglewood which has not been doing well with poor pecan yields. “We’ve been discussing the issue with a local guy who has a background in pecans and has already done harvesting for us,” says Elisabeth. “According to Holistic Financial Planning, we should be cutting our losses with pecans because we can’t justify the cost of inputs we are using. We need to explore how can we increase soil health and make this enterprise more profitable. We are also looking at leasing the orchard but so far our partner is not willing to pay a cash lease so we looking at taking part of the crop as trade for lease. Again Holistic Management comes into play with this decision. If we do that kind of a lease it works for us on the books and we are only collecting some revenue or value. This arrangement is totally eliminating our costs.”
Staying Focused
One enterprise that Inglewood has kept within their management control amongst all these changes is their Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) vegetable program. “We’ve stayed on track with our vegetable model just as we had decided to do in 2015,” says Lee. “Holistic Management helped us to do a better job of allocating dollars where they needed to be for the different enterprises. Previously we had a big pot and used equipment across different enterprises. We got clearer who was using what equipment and the labor involved. Our CSA business model remains the same and how we
Soil scientists from Louisiana State University partner with Inglewood Farm to measure soil health. market it. One change we haven’t done but still want to make for that enterprise is to have less tillage practices and look at incorporating more perennials. We do incorporate crop rotations and cover crops.” “The take away from Holistic Management was we were so focused on grain and investment in the grains so we weren’t doing well with our other enterprises,” says Elisabeth. “Our vegetable part of business had a lot of potential. As a standalone enterprise it is profitable. Now we can give more attention to the success of that operation, especially since it requires the most labor and management. It would have been nice if the grains would have worked because they were easier (less labor and marketing). The CSA is the most work, but if we can get it right it is our sweet spot and we are the only organic vegetable producer of any The vegetable CSA and Inglewood Barn Market remain as a key connection between Inglewood Farm’s mission and their community as they provide local organic vegetables to this rural part of Louisiana as well as Baton Rouge and New Orleans.
significant size in our area. We are providing a product no one else is, and people love it. There is untapped potential for this enterprise if we can get the product to market efficiently and build our customer base.” The greatest challenge for them is their key markets are New Orleans which is 190 miles and Baton Rouge at 120 miles.
The CSA program includes a 12-week share that costs $308. There is an additional option to tailor your box as well. The boxes are available for pick up in Lafayette, Alexandria, Lake Charles, or New Orleans.
When Inglewood first began working with HMI in 2016 they were running at a significant loss. By 2017 they had cut that loss by 21%. The goal in 2018 is to break even by increasing profitability by 100% since their change in financial planning in 2016. Because of the refinancing they’ve done, Inglewood has significantly reduced their debt, but the winter was challenging with a tremendous amount of rain and freezing weather. Their leases have sustained them as they work to break even by the end of the year.
Because they have worked hard to restructure their operation, Inglewood is in better shape than they would have been had they not refinanced and decreased their debt by 50% in the last two years. They have faced major weather challenges with freezes and a tremendous amount of rain which has affected vegetable production and farmer’s market attendance. Luckily, they have reduced their risk with the changes they’ve made and the leases have helped them through this tough time.
There is no doubt that Inglewood Farm has changed dramatically over the last two years. The organization is leaner, focusing on what they do best and creating partnerships with other farmers in the area who see the opportunity for such arrangements. In turn, the leases help Inglewood to be more stable as they work through this radical transition.
“The family’s morale is very high and positive,” says Elisabeth. “They are aware of the long-term trajectory for the farm and they know this transition to a profitable, more focused farm is not easy. But, the mandate from the family is to make the farm work and we all know that will mean difficult decisions. I give the family a reality check every time we meet. I live here and talk with Lee daily and two of my nephews are involved. We did institute Holistic Management as a pathway to getting us there, and they want us to stick to that. We are including the decision making and monitoring throughout the business.”
“Part of our holistic goal is to inspire other farmers to farm with sustainable practice. That was the long-term aspirational part of the goal, but we reached that part much sooner than we ever expected. We now are working with three farmers in the area because we looked at what was best of us to focus on and began looking at options.
“In addition, we have the NRCS and Louisiana State University (LSU) measuring organic matter and monitoring the various farmers’ management practices on our farm so that brings another element of collaboration to the farm. The technical assistance they provide is also a step forward as we didn’t have that before. We are glad we caught the attention of LSU because education is part of our holistic goal but we’ve been very focused on that part.”
Inglewood Farms mission focuses on providing their community with high-quality, sustainably raised products. As their business continues to evolve, they will have more opportunity to influence the type of agriculture happening in Louisiana as well as provide the quality food they want for their families and their community—one decision at a time.
Lead with the Land
Lead with the Land is a convening designed to expand the network of people of considerable means working to preserve and effectively steward farmland and ranchland, and to regenerate the soil to optimal health. They recognize healthy soil as a way toward healthy food, families, communities, economies, and a healthy planet. The focus of this gathering is to enable breakthroughs in how this network of landowners works with and reimagines the regenerative power of their land. The convening is designed for people who have several of these characteristics: • Own ranchland/farmland/timberland or intend to own land. • Have interest in affecting the whole ecosystem whether they have 100 acres or 100,000 acres. • Have a worldview that recognizes that how you tend the land can act as a leverage point for significant social and environmental change. • Have enough discretionary capital that they are not dependent on the land’s activities for livelihood and can innovate without risk of “losing the farm”. • Are interested in the regeneration of soil. • Have or want to have a vision for supporting their local food system. • Interested in equity, access and longevity for farmers working on their land. Some working assumptions for this collaborative project are: • There is a need to create a culture that allows us to foster and operate out of a different land paradigm, from exploitive and strictly marketbased to restorative and stewardship-based. • We need a range of strategies and models to create change, including land management practices, legal structures, contracts, policy, public support, and investment behavior. • The best way to accomplish our vision and missions of change is in community, and in active relationship with actual landscapes. • We need to cultivate a different investment mentality and practice with regard to land and food. • We need to activate what is not being used, what is lying fallow as unseen potential. • We want to pay attention to both protecting land from development pressures and tending to availability/access for new farmers. • We think that we have something to offer that others are not offering, given the combination of convening expertise, comprehensive view of the food/ farming/soil health landscape and accompanying resource base of innovative practitioners.
To learn more about “Lead with Land,” visit http://globetrotterfoundation.org/leadwithland/.
