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RACTICE P a publication of the savory center
March/April 2005 * Number 100
www.holisticmanagement.org
Holistic Management Rendezvous
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
by Ann Adams
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n January 12-13, 2005, The Savory Center held its 2005 Holistic Management Rendezvous in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Approximately 100 people attended the conference including practitioners and Certified Educators from Australia, South Africa, Mexico, Canada, and the U.S. All the participants expressed their enthusiasm for the opportunity to share ideas and information Bill Burrows, rancher with each other and Certified Educator through informal from northern gatherings as well as California, entertained the presentations at workshop participants both the Rendezvous with his confession of a and the supplemental deep love for yellow metal workshops. (heavy equipment). One enthusiastic response that sums up the experience for many participants was from Seth Wilner, a New Hampshire Cooperative Extension educator who has just completed the Savory Center’s Certified Educator Training Program. He noted, “I recently attended the Savory Center’s Holistic Management Rendezvous and had a great time. It was really the first time I met other Holistic Management folk from outside the northeast U.S. I truly enjoyed hearing all the different perspectives and learned a great deal about what other people are doing and about the resources and materials and skills that exist within our network. Many cool people are doing some great stuff. “As I had never attended any other Holistic Management type of gathering, I was surprised
at how much I learned and how inspirational it was for me. In some ways, I found my knowledge of Holistic Management affirmed; in other ways I learned things and saw them quite differently than before. I also learned about different applications for Holistic Management and different ways to effectively teach it, especially to diverse audiences.” The other conference evaluation forms offered similar feedback regarding the need for these gatherings.
Vivianne Holmes has discovered, like many Holistic Management practitioners, the power of testing her decisions toward her holistic goal. Read about her experience of testing a decision about a working vacation on page 8.
FEATURE STORIES Management Clubs-Supporting & Sustaining Change Dick Richardson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
The Power in a Holistic Goal Len Pigott . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
A Working Vacation— Testing the Decision Don and Jane Schrieber presented The Savory Center with a check for almost $2,000 in appreciation for the help they received on a cooperative project with the Bureau of Land Management and Burlington Resources on the reclamation of gas well pads in the Farmington, New Mexico area.
Vivianne Holmes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
LAND & LIVESTOCK Microorganisms in the Rumen— Indicators for Veld or Range Management Decisions Willem Schultheiss . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Blue Skies for the Gray Family
Community Projects
John King . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
The first session of the Rendezvous began with a presentation by Jody Butterfield, cofounder of The Savory Center. She started by showing the new Africa Centre video that describes The Africa Centre of Holistic Management’s projects, and then she discussed how the Africa Centre is currently addressing the issues of high inflation within their village continued on page 2
A Collaborative Solution— Profile of G R Farm Fred Hays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
NEWS & NETWORK Savory Center Grapevine . . . . . . . . . . .14 Certified Educators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17 Marketplace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19
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CENTER
Ongoing Support
AD DEFINITUM FINEM
In several sessions, the need for effective support mechanisms to help people in their practice of Holistic Management was also a key discussion point. In Brian Marshall’s presentation about the Holistic Management movement in Australia, he discussed how the Certified Educators there
THE SAVORY CENTER is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization. The Savory Center works to restore the vitality of communities and the natural resources on which they depend by advancing the practice of Holistic Management and coordinating its development worldwide. FOUNDERS Allan Savory
* Jody Butterfield STAFF
Shannon Horst, Interim Executive Director Kelly Pasztor, Director of Educational Services; Constance Neely, International Training Programs Director Ann Adams, Managing Editor, IN PRACTICE and Director of Publications and Outreach Terri Telles, Finance Coordinator Donna Torrez, Administrative Assistant
BOARD OF DIRECTORS Ron Chapman, Chair Terry Word, Vice-Chair Jody Butterfield, Secretary Richard Smith, Treasurer Ben Bartlett Clint Josey Jim Parker Sue Probart Judy Richardson Bruce Ward Jose Ramon Villar
ADVISORY COUNCIL Jim Shelton, Chair, Vinita, OK Robert Anderson, Corrales, NM Michael Bowman,Wray, CO Sam Brown, Austin, TX Lee Dueringer, Scottsdale, AZ Gretel Ehrlich, Gaviota, CA Cynthia & Leo Harris, Albuquerque, NM Clint Josey, Dallas, TX Krystyna Jurzykowski, Glen Rose, TX Guillermo Osuna, Coahuila, Mexico Jim Parker, Montrose, CO York Schueller, El Segundo, CA Africa Centre for Holistic Management Private Bag 5950, Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe Tel: (263) (11) 404 979; email: hmatanga@mweb.co.zw Huggins Matanga, Director HOLISTIC MANAGEMENT IN PRACTICE (ISSN: 1098-8157) is published six times a year by The Savory Center, 1010 Tijeras NW, Albuquerque, NM 87102, 505/842-5252, fax: 505/843-7900; email: savorycenter@holisticmanagement.org.; website: www.holisticmanagement.org Copyright © 2005.
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Everyone enjoyed the delicious and tender grassfed beef donated by the Weaver Ranch in Causey, New Mexico. banking system. In the discussion following the video, the idea of using livestock as a currency to address this issue was of great interest to a number of the participants. Likewise, another point of discussion was the issue of empowering women within a patriarchal culture as part of the efforts for revitalizing the villages’ economies. Seth Wilner’s presentation followed next, Savory Center founder Allan Savory received a and he shared his experience in the recent standing ovation after his speech, “Being the efforts to build a strong Holistic Management Change You Expect.” presence in the northeastern U.S. One of his key points, which was reiterated by a number of the presenters throughout the day, was the move people from a training relationship, need to meet people at their point of interest in in which they are dependent on a trainer discussing Holistic Management. for motivation and learning, to that of Seth noted that the biological components of support groups or management clubs in the Holistic Management® framework were not as communities where club members can much a draw for many of the people he worked provide ongoing support. with in the Northeast. He noted that it was the This focus on the importance of decision-making component as part of a whole management clubs was reiterated by Judy farm planning approach that was of interest to Richardson in her presentation (see the his clients. Likewise, the possibilities for using the article on page 4 for further information on holistic decision-making framework to address management clubs). Her key point was that such issues as obesity and teenage pregnancies is an area that he felt needed to be explored. In the meantime, one of the key foci for the educator group in the Northeast is the development of Holistic Management decision cases (case studies framed within the context of specific decisions in which people use the Holistic Management® Decision-Making framework) as a teaching tool to Banquet conversations were an integral part of the help people better understand Rendezvous experience. holistic decision-making.
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these meetings had to be perceived as valuable to all club members or there wouldn’t be the commitment necessary to keep the club vibrant and ongoing. She was able to provide concrete examples of club activities, challenges and learning from her experience with a variety of management clubs throughout southern Africa.
Leadership Challenges Likewise, Bill Burrows, a Certified Educator and rancher from northern California, talked about how having fun was a key piece of any effective ongoing community project. Bill’s enthusiasm for the Sunflower CRMP (Coordinated Resource Management Plan) project in which he was involved was evident to the audience. His presentation suggested that community projects, like the management clubs, need someone taking a leadership position to drive the project and work with the various parties to achieve tangible results, or people will not remain committed to the project. One of the keys to making sure that there are enough leaders within communities that have some grounding in a holistic approach to resource management is to develop that capacity in the natural leaders within a community. Don Nelson, a Certified Educator and professor of Animal Science at Washington State University, discussed how he had developed several capacity building projects to integrate and teach a variety of capacity building processes to project participants. He noted that they were able to continue to build momentum because these projects built off of each other and many participants participated in more than one project because they functioned as ongoing learning and support for what they had learned in previous projects. Likewise, a number of offshoots or smaller collaborative projects emerged from the initial projects as that capacity developed, thus spreading the circle of influence to others who had not attended the projects. Another presenter, Ben Bartlett, an educator from Michigan State University, also stressed this issue of capacity building in his presentation as he reflected on the learning that educators and practitioners had gained as part of their experience in the North Central SARE-funded program he has overseen.
Engaging Your Community The last key issue that was discussed as part of this session was the need for practitioners to engage their communities in a non-threatening manner in the effort to build trust among
Shannon Horst, the new Interim Director of The Savory Center, welcomed participants to the Rendezvous and shared her enthusiasm for the work of The Savory Center and the role that founder Allan Savory has played in those efforts.
sometimes make). She also brought all the monitoring data for The West Ranch so people could see what had been accomplished and what we are learning from this learning site as The West Ranch engages outside help to monitor changes in the land that are a result of Holistic Management. The last session of the Rendezvous included Peggy Sechrist and Andrea Malmberg discussing creative and effective marketing. Both of these women are educators as well as Peggy Sechrist, rancher and Certified producers and had a Educator from Texas, shared her variety of experience in experiences of wholesale and retail marketing not only the marketing as part of her efforts to meat from their ranches, sell organic beef and but also retreats and pastured poultry. catering. They, too, mentioned the need to engage with your local community, but their key message was that you really have to be clear about what you are selling, and what is unique and valuable about it, in order to price and market your products and services effectively. They both admitted to mistakes they had made that reinforced the importance of that perspective.
After the Rendezvous Ron Chapman, a nationally known motivational speaker and the new chair of The Savory Center Board of Directors, shared many entertaining stories as part of his speech “Mythperceptions.”
neighbors and to gain their support in the development of new resource management practices within the community. Peggy Maddox, co-manager and Director of Public Relations for the West Ranch in Ozona, Texas, shared what she and her husband, Joe Maddox, had learned in managing the West Ranch for The Savory Center for the last two years. Peggy noted the importance of engaging the community at every level and encouraging collaborative projects with government agencies as well as neighboring ranchers from a position of asking them for help rather than telling them the “right way” of managing (a mistake that new practitioners
Following the Rendezvous many of the participants attended the Quivira Coalition Conference across the street from the hotel where The Savory Center conference was located. It was exciting to see the number of people at the Quivira conference, who had received Holistic Management training as part of their efforts to improve their land stewardship, share the importance of Holistic Management in their efforts. We will be developing some of the presentations from both conferences to share in IN PRACTICE throughout the year. Everyone agreed that these types of gatherings, particularly when connected with other events such as the Quivira Coalition, are critical for bringing new people into the Holistic Management network and provide ongoing learning and support for those already involved. Please contact us at savorycenter@holisticmanagement.org with ideas for conference topics, locations, or collaborations.
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Management Clubs—Supporting & Sustaining Change by Dick Richardson
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he management club is the most effective tool I have experienced for supporting and sustaining change and for supporting and sustaining the practice of Holistic Management. The theme of this conference (the March 2004 Southern Africa Holistic Management Conference) is “Handling Change” and all the talks and discussions have focused on aspects of this issue. So it is imperative that the concept of management clubs also be considered as an option to supporting and sustaining the changes that take place with a shift to a holistic approach.
More Than A Study Group For those that have not been exposed to management clubs yet, and for those who have forgotten, a short description is necessary. A management club is a small group of businesses that opt to work in tandem with each other. They have planned meetings where all members of the club get involved in the management of each individual or business situation. This is not a study group. A study group looks primarily at figures impersonally, not the broader situation, and studies the figures anonymously and generally. In study groups, the individuals must extract information which is pertinent to their situations on their own. In management clubs, on the other hand, personal input and personal scenarios are studied. In other words, the club works as a type of Board of Directors for each business. Each business does their own planning, but it is then assessed as a group and recommendations and suggestions made. This way, individuals feel more secure and included, and are motivated and gain support.
The Role of the Management Club Besides the initial change that occurs when people begin to practice Holistic Management, Holistic Management itself remains an everevolving science. Likewise, with a holistic approach we come to understand that nothing ever remains static or absolutely predictable. In other words, people will always be in a state of flux or change in daily management just by definition, even before they have to come to terms with a world that changes daily due to new developments. Likewise, people will always be in a state of discovery and testing. (Every action has a reaction, and you must always assume you may be wrong when dealing with the land!) So in the end, people
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will need some sort of support mechanism for this flux or they tend to fear what is different and go back to what they know. This is often disastrous— like taking your sword to a gunfight because you are unsure of the value of the gun!
Steps of Change Robert Fritz in his book, The Path of Least Resistance, identified three stages in the creative process from inspiration to the desired result. 1. Germination—one thrives on the energy of discovery 2. Assimilation—solidify one’s understanding • Here people make mistakes • People must incorporate the skills/learning until they become natural • This is the weak link stage—feelings of discomfort, frustration and disappointment can force one to lower one’s expectations. Thus, the creative tension is reduced, as people no longer aspire to what they truly want. 3. Completion—practical application becomes full of confidence. Mistakes will still be made, but it will not shatter confidence.
Handling the Assimilation Stage Look again at the difficulties that one will face during the assimilation stage, and you realize that a huge amount of support is required if you wish to handle it. Not just “Yes, you’re doing the right thing,” but deeper discussion, understanding, compassion, reassurance, knowledge of the situation, experience and even advice. The role of the management club is to help people successfully negotiate Fritz’s assimilation stage, without losing heart, reducing their targets, or giving up. Thus, the management club becomes the sounding board, support group, shoulder to cry on, and Board of Directors for each other’s situations. The members of the club obviously then become close, reliant on each other, and very much part of the direction for each member. For this to happen, the dirtiest word in relationship building then has to come to the top: TRUST. Yes, it is all built around trust. There seems to be no real recipe for the success of management clubs. But the following ideas and recommendations come from the experiences of eight people interviewed from six different management clubs throughout South Africa. The results of these interviews follow.
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At the 2005 Holistic Management Rendezvous Judy Richardson talked about how much the management club she and Dick belong to has helped them.
1. What positives do/did people get out of your management club? • Motivation. It is especially a boost to anyone who is battling. • Enthusiasm • Every meeting a high • Knowledge • Interaction • Keeps you going and doing what needs to be done (Holistic Management® plan-monitorcontrol, etc) • Support with problems and questions. Analysis of problems with the group as a whole. • People who know your situation and can see your business from a different perspective. • One may feel on the day the management club meets that is the very last thing on earth you need that day. Yet, when it’s over, and you reflect on it, you realize how much poorer you would have been without it. 2. How many members should clubs have? Most clubs are now at three or four businesses. We originally suggested three as the ideal number. Although having said this, three of the clubs interviewed indicated that they were still running with seven businesses. One that has increased over time to seven reckons that the dynamics are just perfect; things were a little flat with less! • Many started much bigger and came down in numbers over time. • Another started with six families, two dropped out and another came in. Now it is down to
two families. • It seems that for a club to truly fulfill its role, the number of businesses involved must be low and few enough for people to build trust and have enough personal input to feel truly part of it. • One club includes one person who is not related to Holistic Management or farming in any way, and they feel they gain hugely out of this person’s fresh and objective viewpoint. 3. How far apart can people be based, or how close should they be? There seems to be no consistency with area. In other words, coming from a wider or closer area has no specific bearing on success. What is clear, though, is that the level of commitment is what makes it a success or failure, not distance. • Our Management Club ranges from Ghanzi to Kimberley, which is a distance of 1100 km (660 miles). • Others include distances of 140km (84 miles), 228km (137 miles) and 350km (210 miles) without problems. 4. How often do you meet? Our own management club meets ten times a year still. • One club meets every six weeks nowadays, but originally started as only four meetings per year, and the club is getting stronger and more valuable. • One used to meet every second month, then every third and slowly meetings have become less frequent. In fact, this management club is really at a low, in terms of value, for the participants at the moment. • One management club comes together four times per year only. It would be more often; they all need it, but do not have the time. This management club is battling with commitment and people issues. • Another club, which meets only four times per year, meet for a day and a half each time and has been running very well for over 12 years now. • One management club that is now simply a two-family occasional visit, as the need arises type of club, started with frequent meetings (probably every two months) that were well-structured. 5. What do management clubs do? • Those that meet infrequently seem to only come together to address specific problems or to share something new. • Those that have a more structured approach
with few meetings definitely have a financial session and then address pertinent issues. • Those that are structured and meet more frequently or regularly have specific agendas for certain times of year and keep a few open for other situations. The list of agendas used follows my original list to a greater or lesser degree: financial planning, financial actuals and analysis, growing season grazing planning and non-grow actuals, non-grow grazing planning and growing season actuals, biological monitoring analysis, social issues (holistic goal, labor, club objectives and planning, etc.), and a totally social get together. • Almost all the management clubs keep to a scheduled tour to someone or somewhere, conference, training program or anything that takes them away to a learning and team building experience. • A management club can quite happily start as almost a social club, visiting each other’s places, but it has to move beyond that or there will be no perceived value, and it will fold up. • Some management clubs pass through a phase of always having an outside speaker to having one only occasionally. This seems to be something that happens while the management club is still trying to really find its role for the group. Once the club becomes committed and the planning is well structured, then the group moves to a later phase of more work and less listening to outsiders. • All the clubs seem to rotate the meeting place from one business to another, and most clubs seem to have a situation where each host is chairperson for the meeting. • Some extend the above point so that the previous chair has to play the role of secretary at the following meeting. • The club that meets for one and a half days each time has visitors sleep over at the host house, and they hold a bit of a party. This is an essential part of their success. • One club starts with a feedback session and ends with a commitment session to cover what individuals will do! They then also hold a grounding session in terms of what they felt went well and what could have gone better. 6. What makes management clubs work? • The crux is ownership in one’s own holistic goal and, therefore, desire to practice Holistic Management. This desire to practice then builds a need for the management club and, thus, the motivation to participate and work to achieve the objectives of the club as a whole. • An individual who has leadership skills, desire,
and enthusiasm that rubs off and drives the group is essential. This person must never do everything, or even organize it, just drive the process. This seems to work in the situation of someone who really has different opinions and pushes and shoves to get people thinking, or a live wire who is always stretching paradigms. This role of the main instigator or instigators seems to be crucial—first, during the shift from social club to work group and then to keep momentum. • One club in particular, now eight years old, would no longer be around if it wasn’t for the fact that they hold a weekend social trip together. This trip really helped them all to find the common ground and common need that once again gave the group the reason to push on. • Matching up skills and experience to compliment and fulfill each other is another essential component; weaknesses are matched by another group members strengths. • Everybody puts in and takes out. No one is a rug ryer (a back seat rider). • When there is confusion, conflict, or inertia, it helps to stop what you are doing and go back to the Holistic Management basics. This action leads to success for some clubs. • The 12-year-old club works because of its history! All of them are very interested and motivated about veld (range) improvement and management. They all got a similar level of training, besides the one non-Holistic Management trained person. All of them are seriously committed, and only once did one member miss half a meeting, in the 12 years. 7. Any peculiar thing that your management club does? • One group has a specific weekend social outing, previously held at a beach house, and more recently camping at the coast, with the realization that the place must change regularly to develop shifts and get people out of their comfort zone. This builds the trust and develops the bonds in the group. • I’ve suggested bringing your own food, and this ritual seems to be an integral part of involving the whole family. • A bring and braai (potluck cookout) afterwards is used extensively. Some clubs do this infrequently, but may actually be suffering because of it. The overnight group also has a good social session the night before. The ladies all bring the food, but the host arranges it and there is limited disruption from this. continued on page 6
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Management Clubs continued from page 5
• One club runs a travel fund. This is paid on a monthly basis to organize a learning trip somewhere. In fact that particular group took a trip to the U.S. and really learned a lot. 8. Are the spouses involved? • In one group, the ladies have not always been involved, but the club has always been aware of this and is working on it. Currently there are always wives present, but seldom all of them. All the members’ businesses are run by the couples together and include lots of spousal input. • The one group forced the women to become involved with very negative effects. Later, however, they held a weekend away during which each partner had to write up what they thought the other wanted. This lead to huge discoveries and involvement. Now there is a hostess time slot on the agenda, and she brings up issues specific to her. • The spouses have been fully involved from the beginning in some of the other management clubs, while some have never had or hardly ever have spouses participate. Some of each type have been successful, and some of each have failed. • Generally there has been a huge effort to include spouses. Where efforts have been less successful, participants mention that they perceive it to be a weakness for their club. • In every case, the feedback has been that having women participate has made a huge difference to the value of the management club. One interviewee even went on to point out that most women underestimate the positive effect that they have on management clubs. 9. What hints do you have for a management club that is starting up? • Start off with a group of people with similar values. Don’t battle with people who have divergent basic values. People underestimate the power of values! • Be sure everyone is committed to Holistic Management and the management club. • Try to include some long-term practitioners of Holistic Management in the club right from the beginning to help reduce the head bumping or school fees to be paid. • Try to start off with an honest and straightforward discussion as to where people are and what their needs are. This will help to
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establish commitment. Then, work only with the committed and leave the rest behind or they will hold you back. • Try a fixed program, like every second Tuesday of every month, to help with the commitment issue. • First work on each individual’s holistic goal, then on the group’s vision and plans to clearly develop commitment. • Try to get every one to actively become involved from the beginning and each take some form of leadership role to help develop leadership skills and equality in the group. • Watch out for really high points; plan up front for activities to occur beyond them, or the club seems to collapse after reaching a high point. • Select your management club partners to fill in each other’s strengths and weaknesses and create a complimentary team. • Don’t try to stick to everyone having identical businesses from the same area with all the same problems. Diversity will pay more than you think! • Work on actual issues as well as structured meeting plans. Doing only one or the other will lead to failure. • Only go to the veld (range) in the afternoon so that there is definitely time for the mental work to get done. • Or, do not go to the veld at all until the club is actually going. Two new clubs we know failed as they looked only at the veld and wasted everyone’s time. • Hold only short meetings to start with, and stick only to the principles of Holistic Management. • Definitely try to use a mentor or mentors from an existing and successful club to help you get going. • Dick emphasized the importance of management clubs, but we had no idea just how valuable it would be until we got going. 10. Are there any drawbacks to management clubs? • One “prick” (as in dysfunctional person) will pop the balloon, so avoid dysfunctional people or the whole club will battle forever. A negative person in a group really pulls it down and weighs down everyone’s creativity. • Like all relationships, the life span depends on the effort made by the participants. So just remember you have to keep working at it and developing it. If this does not occur, it will fall apart when the novelty wears off. • A perspective, which some people can have, is that comparison within the group can be a
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competition. This is highly destructive to efforts of the club and work must be done to avoid this happening. • A group that gets to know each other too well can stagnate. Keep looking to invigorate the club somehow if this is happening. • Be very wary of a club project, as it can distract the club to the point that the project becomes more important than the individuals’ needs. • People who talk the talk, but do not walk the walk, will be a drain on the others.
Management Club’s Basics • A management club must concentrate on being personal, individually relevant, inclusive to the whole management team, participatory, and relevant. • A management club must be structured in terms of what, when, who, how, where, why, and what to do next. • The club must be reliable as a group and as individuals to build and sustain trust. • All members of the club, therefore, need to be committed, personally, to the goal of their own whole, and this commitment needs to then extend itself to the need for participation (give and take) in the club. • The club as a whole then needs to nurture trust, experiment, and keep adapting their processes to ever address the changing needs of the members. The management club is the most effective tool I have experienced for supporting and sustaining change and for supporting and sustaining the practice of Holistic Management. Every individual I have spoken to about clubs is either hugely motivated, supported or sustained by their club or would dearly love to be part of one. So it seems that although each club needs and will develop its unique formula for success; the basic principle remains. It is the strongest and most cost-effective vehicle for supporting change. It is imperative, therefore, that every individual or group practicing Holistic Management needs to make a serious effort to create and sustain a management club to support and sustain them through the changes that take place when shifting to a holistic approach to life. Dick Richardson is a Certified Educator from Vryburg, South Africa. This material was presented at the 2004 South Africa Holistic Management Gathering and is part of Whole Concepts training materials. Dick can be reached at: judyrich@cybertrade.co.za.
The Power in a Holistic Goal by Len Pigott
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n 1988 I attended an Organizational Development Course facilitated by Don Green for The Savory Center. This eyeopening experience helped me to discover the power of my holistic goal. First, I wanted to share Holistic Management with everyone in my world which led me to become a Holistic Management® Certified Educator. Another decision that influenced my quality of life was to go back to my roots, the land. In the year 2002 my dream came true. My family and I purchased 11 quarters of land (707 ha) in the rolling hills of Dysart, Saskatchewan.
leaving them in health and organic food outlets. Our children play a very important part in strengthening our marketing conversion weak link and each day brings us closer as we learn to work as a team. I love being back on the land. The sense of peace and accomplishment I feel as I watch the water and mineral cycle improve, see the wildlife return, and, most of all, see my grandchildren playing in a safe and loving environment, is a balm to my soul and enriches
do, how long does it take. If it does fill in, I think the tame forages would have to die back allowing the native species to take over. We knew that by allowing succession to proceed, it might take longer to reach the production we needed or expected from our land, but it would be worth it. It is one of the nice things Holistic Management has given us— the knowledge and faith that eventually our land will be covered through the process of succession with proper management. I don’t think many conventional managers know this very important fact. It is a freeing thing to know—it gives us options. I was fortunate that I learned much of this working with friends back in Kindersley. Ritz and Bev Reynolds from Kerrobert, Saskatchewan allowed succession to proceed on most of their land. Succession was proceeding slowly, but it appeared it was going to completely cover the soil—I liked the look of that.
Family Ties The Big Picture The location of our land was of I also learned from various people that prime importance and, of course, had to managing holistically requires dedication pass “the tests.” The mother of my two and discipline. It is often easier to focus on girls and I separated when my girls were the “production” part of one’s holistic goal. very young. They moved to Ontario and For example, in Ritz and Bev's case, they seeing them on special holidays and for could have seeded tame forages, but they summers just wasn’t enough for me. I stuck to the force of their holistic goal. In wanted to see more of them and my another example, Bob and Charlene grandchildren. Fortunately for me, both Siemens from Fiske were grazing their of my girls returned to Saskatchewan forage once a year, unheard of in these and married, giving me a total of seven A trio of Len’s grandchildren enjoying life in the country. parts. Grazing more often would have grandchildren to date. In 1998 I married given them more animal production, but my lovely wife, Janet, with whom I my quality of life! in my opinion it would not have been conducive wanted to share my dream of getting back on Sowing Succession to encouraging native species to re-establish. the land. At this time we lived in Kindersley They stuck to it because the bigger picture was a which was four hours from my eldest daughter, The power of a holistic goal was a driving “healthier” water and mineral cycle which was Lorran, and six hours from force in our being here today, but it has also written in their holistic goal. my youngest, Melonie. guided our decisions concerning the land. The While energy or resource conversion is our The testing questions confirmed for me that majority of the thirteen quarters was cultivated weak link, and we are devoting energy and moving to the rolling hills of Dysart was the and required the big decision: Do we seed grass money resources to this, our next weakest link right decision, including bringing me closer to or do we let “succession” proceed naturally? will be marketing conversion. We are attempting my family. In fact, Lorran and her husband, Mike, We decided to let succession to proceed because to market our grass finished product directly to purchased adjoining land and cattle; and though I have seen a lot of tame seeded lands that the consumer. We are finding this takes a lot of they still reside in the city, they now spend a according to my holistic goal does not have a energy, time and new knowledge. Like managing large amount of their summer and weekends healthy water and mineral cycle—there is too holistically, this strategy also takes determination out on the ranch. Melonie and her husband, Bob, much bare soil. Perhaps it didn’t fill in because and discipline. But with our holistic goal being have invested in some cattle and have taken of the way it was being managed, but I am the driving force, it seems easier. We know quite an interest in the marketing end of our skeptical of the effectiveness of seeding. Perhaps managing holistically is the right thing to do. business. They have just set up a web site for us if managed according to the “principles” of at www.wholebeefranch.ca to market our grassHolistic Management it would eventually fill in. Len Pigott is a Certified Educator from finished beef. Lorran and Mike have also I have just not seen it. I don’t think anyone has Dysart, Saskatchewan, Canada. He can be established direct contacts with people in the been in Holistic Management long enough to reached at: JLPigott@sasktel.net or 306/432-4583. city handing out flyers to consumers as well as know if “tame” forages ever fill in, and if they N u m b e r 10 0
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A Working Vacation— Testing the Decision by Vivianne Holmes
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n the past, I made decisions by creating a list of pros and cons for the decision I was making. In essence, decision testing was just a brainstorming of what I could think of in the moment for or against the decision I was making. It was only as good as my creative thought was in the moment. It was not always thorough enough and sometimes decisions proved faulty because I didn’t think of everything. Also, I didn’t have a monitoring system to identify when things were going wrong. Now that I’m using the Holistic Management® testing questions, I feel I’m making solid, informed and better decisions. The questions probe all areas of possible concerns around a decision. It is a more structured process, and I’m not depending solely on my trying to think up every possible contingency on my own.
Office with a View I assessed my holistic goal the other day and decided that work wasn’t nurturing like I had written I wanted it to be in my quality of life statement. So I began to think about taking a one-week mini-sabbatical. I had planned a vacation on an island 10 miles off the coast, and now I considered bringing all the things that I needed to finish, start or think about with me. I could then hike to the “office”—a cliff 50 feet above the crashing surf. After testing this decision, that’s what I did, and I was able to finish projects, start new ones, write two grants and do all kinds of Holistic Management stuff! I accomplished in five days what would have taken four weeks at the office, or I would have just given up on doing it at all. It was a wonderful feeling of accomplishment! And it brought the joy back to my off-farm work. And, the only interruptions were seals cavorting for hours in front of me or an occasional whale surfacing on its way south. It is amazing how being attentive to logjams that get in the way of our holistic goal is so important. I had been getting more and more angry and frustrated about work and feeling like the next three years to retirement were going to be hell. But I identified one of the logjams in my work life and addressed it. The result, as far as I’m concerned, was spectacular and very productive.
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Defining the Action Normally the week on the island is a traditional vacation week for me. But . . . the atmosphere at work and the constant interruptions at the office were just about pushing me over the edge. It was causing my work to back up along with making me angry and frustrated. To get the work done would have normally meant giving up my vacation week. I skipped straight to the “Society and Culture” testing question and decided that giving up my vacation was totally unacceptable. So the question I posed was “Do I go to the island and take the work with me?”
Cause & Effect Does this action address the root cause of the problem? Problem=Not being able to complete work. The atmosphere and interruptions at work have proven to be non-fixable in the past, and I’m not willing to put energy/time into them again to help fix the situations. Therefore, taking the work with me would give me the chance to enjoy the island when I wasn’t doing work stuff, and, even when I was working. And, I got to be in a place that rejuvenated me. The action passed the test.
Weak Link Social—For some, this action should not pass because organizational attitudes and beliefs would not see this as work time or the location as a “proper” office. It goes against the grain of “what work is” for most people. But, this action passed for me because I knew I’d get the work done. The results would address any social concerns. Biological—Really this test isn’t applicable to this situation. But in playing around with the concept, I felt that this biological organism (me) would have crashed and burned if I didn’t get my time on the island and get my work done so the action passed. Financial—Again, this test isn’t really applicable. But, as I looked at the financial reality of the situation, I thought work got more than their money’s worth. I had already planned the cost of vacation into my finances over a year ago, so the action passed.
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Marginal Reaction (Comparing two or more actions) Which action provides the greatest return, in terms of my/our holistic goal, for the time and money spent? • Not going to island—unacceptable • Going on vacation only—mostly unacceptable. Not getting work done would have destroyed the enjoyment of being there. • Going to the island to work—passed— because it was an attractive alternative and doable, the best of both worlds.
Gross Profit Analysis Not applicable.
Energy/Money Source Is the energy or money to be used in this action derived from the most appropriate source in terms of my/our holistic goal? Will the way in which the energy or money is to be used lead toward my/our holistic goal? • Work energy—excellent. I was refreshed, left all distractions at office, and had quality time to think creatively and do good work. • Personal energy—excellent. I was able to do the things on the island I enjoy when work was done for the day, and I made my own schedule. I thought it would be a great use of money (already budgeted), both personal and work, so the action passed.
Sustainability If I/we take this action, will it lead toward or away from the future resource base described in my/our holistic goal? Here, I realized I needed to adjust my forms of production and future resource base to include: “Work environments that are flexible, healthy and productive and not defined by a physical space.” With that in mind, the action passed.
Society and Culture Considering all the questions and my/our holistic goal, how do I/we feel about this action now? What a neat process! I felt great about my decision. My decision to go to the island supported my quality of life, and it did not adversely affect the lives of others so the action passed. In the past, I would have given up the vacation and would have lost on both counts. Vivianne Holmes is a Certified Educator who lives in Buckfield, Maine. She can be reached at: 207/336-2484 or vholmes@umext.maine.edu.
LIVESTOCK
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Microorganisms in the Rumen—
Indicators for Veld or Range Management Decisions by Willem Schultheiss
T
he most important and accurate parameter by which beef cow-calf herd efficiency is measured is the profit per hectare (acre) allocated to the beef enterprise. This measure takes into account all the factors that influence the profitability of a beef farming enterprise, notably: Grass, beef and income yield per hectare (acre) through pro-active pasture management decisions Rumen health is central to the desired outcomes for each of the three above named parameters—primarily because microbial protein produced in the rumen has a near ideal amino acid composition that meets the requirement for bovine physiological functions that lead to an income. Some of these functions are disease resistance, growth, lactation and reproduction.
Rumen pH The rumen is a large fermentation vessel in which about 600 liters (156 gallons) of gas (mainly methane and carbon dioxide) is produced daily by the 3 to 6 kg (6.6-13.2 lbs) bacteria it contains. Apart from an approximate water intake of 50-80 liters (13-21 gallons) per day, 100-190 liters (26-49 gallons) of saliva, containing bicarbonate and phosphorous, contributes to the fluid influx in the rumen. This is important to buffer the volatile fatty acids produced from bacterial fermentation. Rumen pH is one of the critical factors affecting rumen microbial growth. The physical characteristics of feeds and how they affect stimulation of chewing, rumination, and increased rumen motility, contribute to rumen pH. The key to remember is that a relatively small change in rumen pH—for various reasons—constitutes an enormous change in hydrogen ion concentration in the rumen fluid. Unlike cattle fed on diets high in concentrates, the ones on natural extensive pasture do not experience the same degree of fluctuation in rumen pH between meals. The average “normal” rumen pH of a grazing bovine is slightly acid, about 6.5-6.8, with fluctuations depending on the amount and type of supplement eaten. Fluctuations in rumen pH are usually the result of: • The level of DMI (dry matter intake)—a lower DMI usually leading to an increase in rumen pH. • The interval between feed intake determines the magnitude of pH fluctuation between feed intake.
• The rate of fermentation, which is determined by the starch or sugar concentration of the diet. • The water intake, which dilutes the rumen content and decreases the osmolarity (osmosis/transfer).
The Importance of Rumen Health Rumen microbial health determines the efficiency by which grass cell wall material is broken down in the rumen. This has an effect on passage rate of ingesta (food and water)—which also impairs daily DMI from pasture. This reduction in intake will lead to a lower gain per hectare/acre and erode the potential to maximize profit per hectare/acre. Rumen microbial health is determined by the balance between rumen degradable protein (RDP) and non-fiber carbohydrates (NFC—starches and sugars) of the diet ingested by the cow. Excess RDP, or unutilized RDP through a lack of NFC, leads to a higher ammonia delivery to the liver, which has to be removed through formation of urea. This happens most often in winter, when cheap chicken manure is fed on dry, poor quality standing hay. The additional metabolic function by the liver to “clean up” the unutilized ammonia, is counterproductive and leads to a less efficient metabolism. Also, a more alkalotic (higher pH) rumen environment negatively affects DMI from pasture and the absorption of essential nutrients like magnesium, which is necessary for energy and calcium metabolism. Excess NFC leads to a fall in rumen pH, which is a less favorable environment for cellulolytic bacteria to function in. This may happen when cattle consume abundant amounts of carbohydrate-rich supplements or, for example, soon after being turned out onto maize/corn lands where they pick up many cobs. This will lower neutral detergent fiber (NDF) degradation (which is closely and inversely correlated with DMI), passage rate of ingesta, and DMI. If less dry matter is consumed per day, less beef will be grown – leading to a lower income.
Dormant Season Management Nitrogen, more specifically rumen degradable protein, is the most limiting nutrient to the rumen microbes in winter— especially on sourveld (acid range). continued on page 10
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Microorganisms in the Rumen continued from page 9 Apart from RDP, rumen bacteria need an adequate source of fermentable carbohydrate to incorporate non-protein nitrogen into microbial protein. Microbial protein is essential for the dry, mid-pregnant cow to efficiently regain body fat reserves that were lost during the previous lactation. This gain in body fat reserves should take place well in advance of the last two months before calving. Winter supplement intake must always be closely monitored. Knowing the average N concentration of winter pasture and the DMI within, one can calculate the percentage of total crude protein (TCP) as well as the RDP intake from the total diet dry matter. Rumen bacteria will be compromised in their function should the TCP of the final diet DM be below 70g/ kg or 2.45 oz/2.2 lbs (7 percent). If winter supplement intake is excessive, it may be a result of insufficient pasture DM availability—i.e. the cattle are hungry. This may lead to rumen alkalosis should RDP intake be too high. Fecal consistency is a handy indicator of rumen function, and fiber degradation with dry, hard feces is an indicator of poor microbial degradation of fiber—leading to a slow passage rate of ingesta.
Growing Season Management To be able to efficiently utilize pasture, one should take into account the factors that affect the non-structural carbohydrate (NSC) concentration in grasses. The balance between photosynthesis (during periods of sunlight) and respiration (during dark and overcast periods) determines accumulation of NSC by plants. Absolute NSC concentrations are dependent on plant growth rates and developmental stage, and on prevailing environmental conditions. On average, over 40-60 percent of NSC produced by photosynthesis is consumed by respiration. Most of the NSC is found in the bottom 5 cm (2 inches) of the grass plant. This, however, does not mean that one should allow the plant to be grazed at this length. Above optimum temperatures for grass growth, provided there is sufficient moisture and nutrients to sustain growth, will lead to an increased rate of respiration resulting in lower NSC concentrations. But, if grass growth is retarded during hot weather, less NSC will be consumed by respiration. During cold weather when there is below optimum temperatures for grass growth, this weather generally increases NSC concentrations, as growth and respiration are both reduced. Following 6 days of cloud, NSC concentrations in perennial rye grass were almost down to 50 percent of the original concentration. The rate of NSC accumulation during daylight is about a one half percent increase per hour. Following extended periods of overcast weather with much rain and grass re-growth, observant stockmen have noticed that the rate of intake was slower—as if the grass was not as palatable as usual. This may well be due to the lower NSC concentration of the pasture. Studies have found, in both northern and southern hemispheres, taking all climatic factors into account, NSC levels are highest in winter—provided there is sunshine. NSC concentration is also higher in more mature plant tissue (tiller and leaf bases) compared to younger plant tissue (tiller and leaf tips). A fourfold increase in NSC concentrations has been noted from the one-leaf stage to the three-leaf stage in perennial rye grass within a growth cycle. High pressure grazing during the preceding dormant season, by promoting plant growth, initially lowers plant NSC, but this is reversed as the larger leaves produced by the added N (through feces and urine) are capable of producing more NSC through photosynthesis during daylight. Given the factors that affect NSC in grass, one may conclude that maximizing the intake of NSC from pasture and using an energy supplement in a strategic way early in the growth
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season, will optimize production from pastures. The ultimate objective is to achieve a synchronicity between energy (NFC) and non-protein nitrogen (NPN) intake—resulting in the maximum rumen microbial protein delivery to the small intestine for efficient beef production. Movement to new pasture should, in my opinion, preferably take place in the afternoon, not in the morning; with a second grazing cycle on the same pasture the following morning.
When To Move Cattle Several criteria may play a role in making the decision to move cattle to new pasture. • For an indication of rumen fill, observe the left paralumbar fossa (the groove behind the last rib on the left side of the bovine), during the early morning, before cattle lie down to rest and ruminate. As soon as this appears to become hollow in the majority of cattle in the herd, it is an indication that DMI is not sufficient on the particular pasture anymore. The herd should then be moved to the next planned camp or paddock. • Cattle waiting at the gate is a sure sign that the decision to move them should have been taken much earlier. The degree of trampling and number of pioneer species—relative to the rest of the camp—around gates gives one an indication of the stockmanship on a particular farm. • Take the urine pH—in the morning—of several cows after cattle have been on a particular pasture for at least 12 hours. This may be considered the “normal” for that type of pasture. Use these values as the baseline to compare further pH measurements (preferably from the same sentinel cows) later on in the grazing period on that camp. A rise in the pH values will be an indication that more urea is being excreted through the urine, which shows that ammonia is no longer efficiently incorporated into microbial protein. This phenomenon may also be as a result of over-intake of N-supplements (winter licks) due to a shortage of grazing.
Changing To A New Supplement You should change to a new supplement when:
• The first frost leads to accelerated lignification of grass and sudden fall in digestibility.
• There is an increase in the fecal consistency (fecal condition score), which is a diagnostic for a lowered passage rate of ingesta and a lower herbage digestibility, both caused by insufficient rumen degradable protein availability to the rumen microbes. This is perhaps the most accurate indicator. • When the body condition falls. However, using this indicator is not the correct approach, as lost fat reserves need to be replenished after weaning of calves at a cost during the dormant season. The challenge is how do we maximize herbiage, non-fiber carbohydrates concentration through proper pasture management? From my thinking, the answer in order of importance is that healthy soils, healthy grass roots, and a healthy grass foliage will lead to the most efficient rate of photosynthesis and NFC synthesis. It is here that timely movement of cattle to new paddocks—especially during the growth season—becomes the most important decision on a beef ranch. Move the large herd to a new camp in the afternoon when starch concentration in the plant is highest and pasture intake rate (bites per minute) is expected to be high. The ultimate challenge is to maximize rumen microbial protein yield from pasture. Willem A. Schultheiss, Schering Plough Animal Health, can be reached at: (tel) 011-922-3434; (cell) 082 323 7019; (fax) 011-922-3439; or willem.schultheiss@spcorp.com. This article is an excerpt from a paper delivered at the Holistic Management Conference, Vryburg, South Africa.
Blue Skies for Gray Family—
Tripling Farm Profit by John King
A
fter four years of practicing Holistic Management, Phil and Viv Gray have seen the health of their stock, land, bank account, and relationship improve. The North Canterbury couple overwinter around 2,600 mixed-age ewes and hoggets and 50 rising, two-year-old bulls on 300 ha (750 acres) of rolling hill country near Waiau, New Zealand. I trained this couple in 2000. Although initially sceptical, their experiences using the decision-making framework have taken them from strength to strength.
Soil Solutions Under intensive farming, the Grays focused too much on lamb production. “Getting the lambs up to weight was our sole focus,” says Phil. “As a result, the ewes’ health packed up and their performance dropped. We went from a lambing percentage of 146 percent to 110 percent in two years.” Despite two difficult seasons, both scanning and lambing percentages have risen along with ewe weights and overall health. Ryegrass staggers are also now less of an issue, a situation Phil and Viv put down to pastures that are more Phil and Viv Gray than just ryegrass and white clover. With the focus on planned grazing and the emphasis on pasture recovery, pastures are regenerating. “We tried spending our way out of debt with an extensive pasture renovation program, but just dug ourselves in deeper,” says Phil. “With the planned grazing, we are seeing red clover and timothy establish themselves in the paddocks.” Because their pastures were regenerating, Phil and Viv decided to leave the local machinery syndicate (cooperative). This was a difficult decision as Phil’s father, Hugh, had helped set it up 25 years earlier. Although no longer cultivating, the soil is becoming of increasing interest to Phil. “A couple of winters ago we lost 60 ewes over night. I then read Percy Weston’s book about superphosphate poisoning pasture and that got me thinking. Since then I’ve found out a great deal more about the minerals in the soil, and we are now applying more lime because of the multiple benefits it brings.” The Grays are experimenting with a range of biological fertilizers, but Phil feels the chemical make-up of their soil is the limiting factor.
(US$70.56/acre), and they achieved $289/ha (US$80.92/acre) for the 2004 season, despite a rising New Zealand dollar and the weather extremes they experienced in the 2003 and 2004 seasons. They expect this profit to level out in 2005 at $267/ha (US$ 74.76/acre). Total expenses, including interest, have dropped from 71 percent of income in 2001 to 48 percent in 2003 to 40 percent in the 2004 season. Their growth in net worth has also climbed from 1.3 percent in 2001 to an estimated 5 percent in 2004 season. Phil and Viv are the first to say their returns are not overly spectacular, however they are happy with the trend. The predicted 2004 profit is almost double the prediction for the Canterbury/Marlborough area by the Meat and Wool Innovation Economic Service. One realization that has influenced Phil and Viv’s management is that stock policy has a greater influence on profitability than pasture renovation. A readiness to drop store lambs midspring and pick up stock early in the autumn to overwinter has given them the flexibility to utilize pasture better and be in sync with their climate and landscape. As a result they have become more entrepreneurial. Key to their success is the ability to take advantage of the stock price cycle rather than worrying about which species to plant.
One Step At A Time
Improving Profit
Phil and Viv have taken their time to incorporate Holistic Management practices. Yet as certain pieces have fallen in place, their enthusiasm has grown stronger. The decision testing was the first thing they began mastering followed by the planned grazing. They have since worked on their wealth/financial planning. They find the decision testing down to earth as it simplifies their lives and business in a very practical manner. They are making a greater conscious effort with their spending and feel they are no longer tipping money into a pit trying to spend their way out of debt. They have gained better financial scrutiny and control with their personal and farm spending. Like many farming families, they dabbled with one partner holding down an off-farm job. Viv returned to nursing after a three-year break in 1999. “We had this extra income, but we weren’t saving anything,” she stresses. “It was like the money simply disappeared.” Viv felt she lost touch with the daily happenings on the farm and wasn’t as involved in the farm business as she is now. With the birth of their third son, Hamish, in 2001, Viv remained on the farm. With the two older boys at school, Viv is now looking to have a greater role in the farm business. Last spring, they tried a nurse cow enterprise, and Viv will continue developing it this spring. As their communication improved so has their relationship. As Phil says, “I used to keep the financial situation to myself, and Viv would get upset because there wasn’t any money for the house. Now we work through things together.” Viv added, “I know that when we go into a drought, Phil will keep me informed about the situation. He doesn’t crawl into his cave and stop talking if we haven’t had rain for three weeks.” As a couple they now experience less stress communicating to one another. They value open authentic communication as they juggle their business with raising three boys: Keagan (8), Liam (6), and Hamish (3). Despite their initial scepticism, Holistic Management has helped Phil and Viv Gray bring order to their situation. They feel they are now focusing with greater clarity on what they need for the longer term rather than swinging from one short term crisis to another. As a result, their stock, pasture, financial, and relationship improvements are a testimony to their practice of Holistic Management despite the current challenging climate.
What has really pleased Phil and Viv is how their financial situation has turned around. Their net profit has tripled in four years. In 2001 their net profit/ha was $108/ha (US$30.24/acre). In 2003 that had grown to $252/ha
John King is a Certified Educator in Nelson, New Zealand. He can be reached at: succession@clear.net.nz.
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A Collaborative Solution—Profile of G R Farm by Fred Hays
Editor’s Note: This article was first printed in Improving Whole Farm Planning Through Better Decision Making (which is available for free download on The Savory Center’s website). In this particular case study, Fred used the Holistic Management® structured diagnosis of one of the natural resource issues to determine the best way to collaborate with “G,” a West Virginia farmer with whom he was working as part of his learning community for the Holistic Management® Certified Educator training program within which he was enrolled.
lives on a 50-acre (20-ha) tract of land with his wife, Mary, and teenage daughter, Stephanie. G, like me, was used to less rolling land and steep hills, ridges, rivers, and woodlands. He found himself on this 50 acres of land, which is still quite hilly by other standards, but, nonetheless, has about 40 acres (16 ha) of relatively flat land along a creek bottom. G works full time at a chemical plant that makes agricultural chemicals. He expresses concerns about his health and the dangers of working in such an industry, but likes the income and believes in what these chemicals represent for agriculture. His wife and his daughter like horses, so they have two horses.
G
A Creek Runs Through It G wants to do something with this land to earn some income. He has explored a number of options. He was interested in raising fish in partnership with me at one point, but obstacles to this included ground water that is heavily polluted with arsenic from years of tobacco and pig farming. These lands have been in agricultural production with wide scale problems resulting from 100 years of general abuse from overgrazing, over tilling etc. such that sedimentation in streams and the soils’ inability to control water cycling has also resulted in rendering his farm under flood waters an average of six times per year. Some of his land is forested, but this too has little value as trees tend to be degraded, malformed, and specie-limited to mostly weeds. G eventually settled on the idea of raising a few cattle for market sales and sought public assistance through the NRCS (Natural Resources Conservation Service). He first wanted to establish some ponds for surface water and was told he would have to have livestock in order to get assistance, so he obtained the two horses. He has since constructed several ponds with NRCS assistance, and he now has a water source away from the stream most of the time that he can use without polluting the stream. The NRCS also paid for fencing on his property, and it would seem he was ready.
Exploring Options G wants to get rid of the horses because of their expense and the fact that they produce no income. His wife and daughter want to keep the horses. The horses are also pastured in one area where they are never moved and are creating another environmental disaster on his property. While we are very close as friends, G is reluctant to consider
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any alternative suggestions since the NRCS pays some bills and is considered correct on many issues. Where the horses are not, G is considering creating hay fields along the river bottom. He purchased an old tractor and a number of implements for making hay. G considered that he would pay off this investment by selling hay his first year. He spent a lot of time cutting hay last summer, but did not get any that was not moldy because of continual rainfall. On one occasion he got it baled and floodwaters carried it away. What he did get stacked in the barn was also eventually ruined as the water came four feet up on the barn walls. G also found that his hay had as many weeds as grasses in it and set out to herbicide these areas, also under the recommendations of the NRCS. The plan was to use the herbicides and then seed followed by applications of urea. G invested yet more money: both his and the government’s. While G had no animals on this bottomland, around fifty deer were grazing it nightly as the hay would grow. We have had numerous conversations about markets, production, conservation and other general subjects in which he has confined himself to certain standards. He has viewed a video about Holistic Management and has listened to explanations of how ecosystems operate as one whole. My burden with getting him to try something different continues to be the fact that NRCS will pay him to do it their way.
Collaborative Solution I have taken him through the structured diagnosis process on his hay field problems several times. I believe he understands that he could improve this situation at this time, and that he understands where many of the critical problems are. However, following a government-subsidized formula is much easier and perhaps more cost effective since he has no on-the-ground examples to look at that demonstrate how a holistically managed operation like his can be successful. Given the circumstances, I decided I would create an example for him. I have proposed that I would buy a half-dozen feeder calves and run them on the open areas of my land and demonstrate Holistic Management® Planned Grazing. My first order of business has been to include this in my land planning. I am currently working on fencing so I can move animals easily and can come up with seventeen small paddocks, which would allow for reserves during a dry period of summer and would get me up into December at least before running out of food. G would simply need to make his hay operation work well enough to feed these animals after the forage is gone during the winter since we would need two seasons to get these animals to a size to earn reasonable profits. If he fails to raise sufficient hay, I may have to sell the cattle early. On my plan, I will not use any NRCS assistance because I believe our profits will be greater if we are free to operate the way we want. As you can see from the structured diagnosis that follows, he will be growing the hay while he works to address his natural resource problem of weeds in his hayfield and flooding through allocating his
land differently to maximize productivity and using animal impact to increase soil fertility and breaking sediment cap and generally improve the water cycle efficiency on his land. Our partnership is an incentive for him to do things differently. The idea is to eventually get him to move from haying to a forage-based operation as he will have wetter areas that can carry him through the summer and drier areas that he can use when the floods come. But until he sees it’s possible, he won’t try it. While G presently has a job, which pays a good salary, he finds
himself in a situation where his plant could be closed at any given time. G is also deeply in debt with his farm and equipment and may need to find other income whether his job is lost or not. It is my hope that if we can make a small cattle operation work during the next couple of years that G may be more open to looking at Holistic Management in a more serious way at least in areas of his life where benefits may exist. To demonstrate sustainable practices is something I have been doing for years, but never with large domestic herbivores on limited resources so it will be a learning process for me as well.
Holistic ManagementÂŽ Natural Resource Diagnosis Worksheet Issue/Problem Being Diagnosed: _Weeds in hay________________________________ 1. Two Alternatives (circle one): Human to consider as probable Root cause 3. Which Ecosystem Process (circle one): To focus on
Natural
2. Brittleness (circle level):
1
2
3 4
5
6
7
Water Cycle
Mineral Cycle
Community Dynamics
8
9
10
Desert
Rainforest Energy Flow
4. Discuss the widespread use of tools over recent years and the tendency to affect ecosystem processes and problem at hand: Tools Fire Rest Technology
Application Style (circle one used most) None None
Early Burn Partial Rest
Chemical fertilizers, insecticides, herbicides, tillage on a regular bases. High Impact/
Animal Impact
High Impact/ Short Time
Low Impact/ Long Time
Grazing
Regenerative Grazing
Over Grazing
Living Organisms As a Tool
Not applied
Late Burn Total Rest
Tendency to Affect Ecosystem Process At This Level of Brittleness
Tendency to Affect Problem At Hand
Partial rest has always been a normal practice in this area and tends to maintain diversity
It could encourage weeds.
This has been the most used tool. Decreases biodiversity
The tendency for these applications to affect the problem is strong considering the chemicals not only kill unwanted organisms but life in the soil, and plants above ground. This leaves room for opportunistic species, tolerant of poor conditions, to dominate. The water cycle and the mineral cycle would tend to be impaired in this situation.
Tends to promote diversity
Would exacerbate weeds coming in.
When grazing has been used it has always been overgrazing with the same plants continuing to be grazed repeatedly by both deer and horses without a proper chance for root recovery.
The tendency for this to further promote the problem since this practice can lead to bare spots or less vigorous grass plants, which leave openings for tap-rooted plants to move in.
5. What is the probable root cause of problem? The probable root cause is human management. The impaired community dynamics are directly linked to the described practices above which leads to bare ground with weeds coming in to fill the spaces. 6. Assuming that your diagnosis is wrong, how could you field-test your diagnosis quickly (i.e. test plot)? What are the earliest indicators for monitoring? The hillside land where the horses are located could be rested on a small portion by fencing the horses and the deer away from the area. This will allow for monitoring to demonstrate the regeneration of plants and soils. Once it is rested for a year, then he could try planned grazing to build up organic matter in the soil which is currently poor. The area would have to be monitored to gain knowledge about the timeframe needed for these areas to repair themselves. If this works as a field test then the rest of the land could be treated in the same way. The earliest indicators will be greater plant coverage with reduction in bare spots, increased plant health, and increased organic matter. A separate diagnosis of the flooding that also affects his hayfield would reveal that flooding is a regional problem that he cannot control, and so he can only change management practices to mitigate the effect the flooding has on his production. The flooding has a tendency to displace or cover plants with sediment while permitting new plants of various origins to develop, a cycle repeated over and over. The area is perhaps useless as a hayfield except in the higher portions where the flooding is less frequent. It is these areas where animal impact for short duration might be tested to perhaps break up the sediment layer and get some air into the soil. His forty-acre hay field may become a twenty-acre hay field without addressing greater policy issues for the entire watershed. A small portion of one of these higher areas might be fenced off to use the horses to bust up the sediment cap. It is also likely that seeding will be required on this site to get desired species developing. Two sites could be set up one without seed and the other with seed to compare results. The lower more frequently flooded sites could be used for some planned grazing during dry periods when hillside sites become less productive. In this way he may begin to maximize his land use. Again, earliest indicators would be healthy plant coverage in those areas.
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GRAPEVINE n ews f ro m t h e s a vo r y c e n t e r * p e o p l e , p ro g ra m s & p ro j e c t s
Meet our New Board Members From the Executive Director
F
Dear Friends and Colleagues,
I
n December, the Center’s Executive Director, Tim La Salle, opted not to renew his contract to continue his work with the Savory Center. Shortly thereafter, the Board of Directors inquired whether I would be willing to return to fill that roll until a new search could be made for someone who wished to take it on permanently. I am pleased to let you know that I have agreed to return— temporarily—and am enjoying, already, contact with many of you Shannon Horst again. This last year brought clarity about the Savory Center’s direction, core values, and mission, and we are looking for leadership that will help move us toward our holistic goal. As you can see from the announcement in this issue, we have already begun our search for a new Executive Director. Please review that announcement and send us recommendations. Through all of us working together, we can more effectively take the next step in getting the word out about Holistic Management and the results people are achieving. In the coming months, the Savory Center staff and Board will build on the good work done in 2004 in implementing our strategic plan through expanding our training program options, developing support mechanisms in our collaboration with Certified Educators and strengthening our certification requirements, developing expanded curriculum opportunities, engaging more deeply with Holistic Management practitioners, and continuing our outreach, informational, and referral services. In regards to our learning sites, we will be establishing intern and other educational programs at the West Ranch and creating a long-term facility upgrade and renovation plan. Likewise, at the Africa Centre, we will continue to strengthen our programs with the Wange villagers, and help them improve their land and their quality of life despite the struggles they face with food shortages and hyper-inflation. In our training programs, we will also be celebrating the graduation of 18 Certified Educators from the North Central training program who will strengthen the Holistic Management presence in Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, Minnesota, Massachusetts, Texas, Maine, and Australia. In the meantime, we will continue to complete our Certified Educator training programs in Mexico and Africa, as well as our Ranch & Range Manager Training Program here in the U.S. As always, we encourage all our readers to contact us with ideas, concerns, and questions. Your input makes us a stronger, more effective organization to achieve our mission of advancing the practice of Holistic Management and coordinating its development worldwide.
Shannon Horst Interim Executive Director
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ive new members were elected to The Savory Center’s Board of Directors last December, and we introduce them to you below. New board officers were also elected: Ron Chapman, Chair; Terry Word, Vice Chair; Richard Smith, Treasurer; and Jody Butterfield, Secretary. We’d like to thank outgoing members, Manuel Casas, Leslie Christian and Rio de la Vista, all of whom gave generously of their time and expertise in moving the Center and its programs forward. Ron Chapman is founder and principal of Magnetic North LLC, an Albuquerquebased consulting firm specializing in organizational development and personal and professional growth. Ron Chapman He has come to know the Center well over the past five years through a series of consulting engagements and as a mentor to several staff members. Upon reading the textbook, he became convinced that Holistic Management would serve him well in his consulting relationships with other organizations, which include the World Health Organization, Habitat for Humanity, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the HealthSouth Corporation. “They’ve been getting regular doses of Holistic Management,” says Ron. “They just don’t know it.” Ron is also a motivational speaker, author, and an award-winning public radio commentator, whose accolades include the Best Radio Feature award of 2003 from the New Mexico Broadcasters Association for an interview he did with Allan Savory. He holds a Masters Degree in Social Welfare from the University at Albany (New York), a Bachelors Degree in Business from Valparaiso University, and Toastmasters International’s highest recognition of Distinguished Toastmaster.
Ben Bartlett served as Principal Investigator for the 2002 North Central SARE grant that funded The Savory Center’s Holistic Management Certified Educator Training program in that region. Ben Bartlett He will be completing the program himself in April and become a Certified Educator. He received a doctorate in Veterinary Medicine and bachelor’s degree in Animal Husbandry from Michigan State University, and since 1983 has served as a dairy and livestock extension agent with the university. He also owns and manages a farm near Traunik, Michigan where he grazes sheep and cattle. Ben lectures frequently on animal handling and grazing management at conferences across the U.S. and Canada, and was an Eisenhower Exchange fellow to Argentina. He holds the 2001 Michigan State University Distinguished Extension Academic Staff Award among numerous other awards. Clint Josey is a petroleum engineer based in Dallas, who also has a cattle ranch at Leo, Texas. Clint took a Holistic Management course in the early 1980s and quickly saw the value of The Savory Clint Josey Center’s work. In 1984 he was among the original group of ranchers, farmers, academics and others who formed the Center and served on the original Board of Directors. He has served on the Center’s Advisory Council since its formation five years ago. Clint currently serves as a director for the Native Prairies Association of Texas and of the Dixon Foundation, which funds watershed conservation efforts, and which Clint will soon lead as Board Chair and CEO. Clint also serves on the advisory boards of the North Texas University’s environmental science department and HRM of Texas.
programs. Sue is also a founder and past board member of the National Alliance for Community Trees, and a founder and current chair of the New Mexico Urban Forest Council. She worked with Savory Sue Probart Center staff in planning programs for our La Semilla learning site, and remains actively involved with the La Semilla Institute. She brings to the board close to three decades of experience in developing partnerships with diverse groups including Native American tribes, and urban and rural communities in the American Southwest, and in local, state and national advocacy campaigns on urban forestry issues. Jim Parker is a rancher/investor, who served a prior term on The Savory Center’s Board in the late 1980s and has served on the Center’s Advisory Council for the past three years. Originally Jim Parker from Parkersburg, West Virginia, he and his wife, Carol, have made their home in Colorado since the late 1970s. “Sixteen years ago,” says Jim, “two important events occurred. My second child was born, and I attended my first Holistic Management course. Life on our Colorado ranch was never again the same, and that was a good thing. Holistic Management also began to change the way I interacted within other diverse business interests and my participation on several non profit boards.” Jim served two terms on the Colorado Agriculture Commission, bringing a perspective shaped by Holistic Management, served as president of the Colorado River Watershed, and has been active and held leadership positions in various livestock and conservation organizations.
Creating Successful Projects Sue Probart, is a Holistic Management® Certified Educator who also serves as Executive Director of Tree New Mexico, a nationallyrecognized, community-based nonprofit engaged in tree-planting and environmental outreach
N
onprofit organizations strive to create projects in line with their missions that serve their stakeholders and achieve the project aims. But in many instances, the projects fall short of expectations, either because the
Executive Director Search
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n late January The Savory Center’s Board of Directors established an Executive Director Search Committee to identify the ideal candidate to lead us into our next phase of growth and development. The Committee is looking for a person who not only practices Holistic Management, but is passionate about it and committed to its extension and development. Non profit management experience is essential, as are teambuilding, communication, financial management and leadership skills. If you or anyone you know is interested in learning more about the position and would like to receive a detailed position description, please contact Committee Chair Jody Butterfield at jodyb@holisticmanagement.org, 505/8425252, 1010 Tijeras Ave NW, Albuquerque, NM 87102. Applications will be accepted through March 15.
problem the project was striving to prevent or overcome was misdiagnosed, or the project itself led to problems they couldn’t foresee. As some of you know, the Holistic Management® decision-making framework can be used as a tool to develop policies that have a reasonable chance of succeeding. So it isn’t a big stretch to see that it can also be used in developing sound projects, since a project, just like a policy, will always be addressing or preventing one kind of problem or another. In December last year, Allan Savory facilitated the Savory Center’s first workshop on project development for nonprofit and foundation leaders in California’s Bay Area: “Ensuring Your Projects are Socially, Environmentally and Economically Sound.” It wouldn’t have been possible without the support of the Arntz Family Foundation, whose members were captivated by the possibilities for themselves in determining which new projects to fund, and the value it might have for the organizations they have funded over the years. Arntz Foundation Program Director Nancy Rosa put together a group of participants whom she knew would be eager to learn, ask penetrating continued on page 16
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GRAPEVINE questions, and help us make this workshop even better the second time around. And that they did. They represented organizations working locally, nationally and internationally through programs involving coral reef protection, microlending, rural development, greenbelt creation, and alternative education, among others. The diversity in their projects only added to the richness of the learning for all. From the feedback we’ve received since, it does appear that most if not all of the participants will use what they learned in creating new projects and in evaluating current ones. “I don’t think any of us can look at projects and decisions and not realize they lead back to the land,” says Nancy Rosa. “That in itself should have a large impact.”
Vermont Graziers Conference
F
rigid temperatures didn’t stop close to 300 members of the Vermont Grass Farmers Association from gathering on January 22 for an annual conference entitled “Thinking Globally— Grazing Locally.” It started off with a keynote address by Allan Savory who put grazing in the context of global issues, such as the restoration of biodiversity and the slowing of global climate change. A series of workshops followed, including a standing-room-only session led by Vermont Grass Farmers President (and soon to be Certified Educator) Abe Collins on Holistic Planned Grazing. Dairy farmer Teddy Yandow gave the afternoon keynote outlining a number of innovative practices he’d put into place and giving a heart-rending account of how Holistic Management® Financial Planning had enabled him to turn a heavily debt-ridden operation into a profitable one. The next day, Abe facilitated an introductory Holistic Management seminar for about 30 New England grass farmers, assisted by two of his cohorts in our Northeast Certified Educator program, Phil Metzger, of New York, and Seth Wilner, of New Hampshire. Allan Savory was also on hand, but the show was theirs, and judging by the participants’ responses, they succeeded in creating an awareness, in an area of the country rapidly losing its family farms, that a turnaround is possible.
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Kirk Gadzia Wins Award
A
t the Annual Quivira Coalition Conference held on January 14-15, 2005 in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Certified Educator Kirk Gadzia from Kirk Gadzia Bernalillo, New Mexico, was one of the winners of the Quivira Coalition’s Clarence Burch Award. He was presented the award by the Quivira Coalition, a Santa Fe-based non-profit, along with Jim and Joy Williams, John Pierson, and other U.S. Forest Service (USFS) personnel for their collaborative efforts restoring Largo Creek, and the watershed surrounding it, in Catron County, located in southwest New Mexico. Catron County is known as being a contentious area when it comes to resource management issues. Through the help of the Kirk Gadzia, working for the Quivira Coalition, ranchers Jim and Joy Williams and John Pierson, the district USFS range conservationist were able to use a planned grazing approach to increase the health of the land about which they were all concerned. Congratulations, Kirk, for all your hard work!
Australians Win Awards
Andrew and Megan Mosley
Andrew and Megan Mosely, Holistic Management practitioners in New South Wales, Australia, have been recognized at the highest levels for their work with and involvement in Holistic
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Management. Megan was runner up in the 2003 Rural Women’s Award from a field of 150 highly motivated women, and Andrew was a runner up in the 2004 inaugural New South Wales Young Farmers Award for excellence in farming. The Moselys run a White Dorper and Boer goat operation on 70,000 acres near Cobar, in the semi-arid western division of New South Wales. Congratulations, Andrew and Megan!
Prather Ranch Wins Award Jim and Mary Rickert of the Prather Ranch in northern California, recently was among the winners for the Governor’s Environmental and Economic Leadership Award (GEELA). The Prather Ranch is a vertically integrated, agribusiness on 15,560 acres. The cattle and hay ranch is a self-sustaining operation that promotes strong environmental philosophies, Holistic Management practices, and the humane treatment of livestock. Several hundred acres are operated as a wildlife preserve. The ranch also supports one of the largest certified organic beef herds in the country and is a producer of high-quality organic and conventional hay. The ranch is also actively involved in the endangered species recovery of the Willow Flycatcher and the Shasta Crayfish. Congratulations, Jim and Mary!
Richards Ranch Wins SRM Award
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he 15,000-acre Richards Ranch in Texas received the “Outstanding Rangeland Management Award” from the Texas Section of the Society for Range Management in October 2004. The ranch received the award for their exceptional land management and conservation. The individuals who contributed to that management were Henry Richards, Brent Hackley, and long time Savory Center and HRM of Texas member, John Hackley. John noted that “sustainability of our grazing land is crucial to the continued success of our family business… We are striving to maximize the use of the land, including diversification in hunting and tourism, as well as maximize amounts of forage per acres, thus creating real wealth. In order to achieve our quality of life and production goals, we are working for prairies with a variety of high quality forage, dependable and ample water supplies, and a proper balance of timber and wildlife populations.” Congratulations, John, Brent, and Henry!
Certified
Educators
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 the Center. This agreement requires their commitment to practice Holistic Management in their own lives, to seek out opportunities for staying current with the latest developments in Holistic Management and to maintain a high standard of ethical conduct in their work. For more information about or application forms for the U.S., Africa, or International Certified Educator Training Programs, contact Kelly Pasztor at the Savory Center or visit our website at www.holisticmanagement.org/wwo_certed.cfm?
* These educators provide Holistic Management instruction on behalf of the institutions they represent. UNITED STATES ARIZONA Kelly Mulville HC1, Box 1125, Sonoita, AZ 85637 520/455-5696 jackofallterrains@hotmail.com CALIFORNIA Monte Bell 325 Meadowood Dr., Orland, CA 95963 530/865-3246 • mbell95963@yahoo.com
Byron Shelton 33900 Surrey Lane, Buena Vista, CO 81211 719/395-8157 • landmark@my.amigo.net
Montana State University Department of Land Resources & Environmental Science Bozeman, MT 59717 406/994-5079 • montagne@montana.edu NEW MEXICO * Ann Adams The Savory Center 1010 Tijeras NW, Albuquerque, NM 87102 505/842-5252 anna@holisticmanagement.org Amy Driggs 1131 Los Tomases NW Albuquerque, NM 87102 505/242-2787 adriggs@orbusinternational.com Mark Duran 58 Arroyo Salado #B, Santa Fe, NM 87508 505/422-2280; markjodu@aol.com
GEORGIA Constance Neely 1160 Twelve Oaks Circle Watkinsville, GA 30677 • 706/310-0678 cneely@holisticmanagement.org IOWA
Julie Bohannon 652 Milo Terrace, Los Angeles, CA 90042 323/257-1915 • JoeBoCom@pacbell.net
Bill Casey 1800 Grand Ave., Keokuk, IA 52632-2944 319/524-5098 • wpccasey@interl.net
Bill Burrows 12250 Colyear Springs Rd. Red Bluff, CA 96080 530/529-1535 • sunflowercrmp@msn.com
LOUISIANA
Richard King 1675 Adobe Rd., Petaluma, CA 94954 707/769-1490 • 707/794-8692 (w) richard.king@ca.usda.gov
MAINE Vivianne Holmes 239 E. Buckfield Rd. Buckfield, ME 04220-4209 207/336-2484 • vholmes@umext.maine.edu
Tim McGaffic 13592 Bora Bora Way #327 Marina Del Rey, CA 90292 310/741-0167 • tim@timmcgaffic.com
* Cliff Montagne
Tina Pilione P.O. 923, Eunice, LA 70535 phone: 337/580-0068 • tinamp@charter.net
MASSACHUSETTS
* Christine Jost
Kirk Gadzia P.O. Box 1100, Bernalillo, NM 87004 505/867-4685 • fax: 505/867-0262 kgadzia@earthlink.net Ken Jacobson 12101 Menaul Blvd. NE, Ste A Albuquerque, NM 87112; 505/293-7570 kbjacobson@orbusinternational.com
* Kelly Pasztor The Savory Center 1010 Tijeras NW, Albuquerque, NM 87102 505/842-5252 kellyp@holisticmanagement.org Sue Probart P.O. Box 81827, Albuquerque, NM 87198 505/265-4554 • tnm@treenm.com David Trew 369 Montezuma Ave. #243 Santa Fe, NM 87501 505/751-0471; trewearth@aol.com
Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine 200 Westboro Rd. North Grafton, MA 01536 508/887-4763 • christine.jost@tufts.edu
Vicki Turpen 03 El Nido Amado SW Albuquerque, NM 87121 505/873-0473 • kaytelnido@aol.com
COLORADO
MINNESOTA
Joel Benson P.O. Box 2036, Buena Vista, CO 81211 719/395-2468 • joel@joelnlaurie.com
Terri Goodfellow-Heyer 4660 Cottonwood Lane North Plymouth, MN 55442 763/559-0099 • tgheyer@comcast.net
NEW YORK Karl North 3501 Hoxie Gorge Rd., Marathon, NY 13803 607/849-3328 • northsheep@juno.com
Christopher Peck P.O. Box 2286, Sebastopol, CA 95472 707/758-0171 ctopherp@holistic-solutions.net
Cindy Dvergsten 17702 County Rd. 23, Dolores, CO 81323 970/882-4222 info@wholenewconcepts.com Rio de la Vista P.O. Box 777, Monte Vista, CO 81144 719/852-2211 • riovista@rmi.net Daniela and Jim Howell P.O. Box 67, Cimarron, CO 81220-0067 970/249-0353 • howelljd@montrose.net Chadwick McKellar 16775 Southwood Dr. Colorado Springs, CO 80908 719/495-4641 • cmckellar@juno.com
MISSISSIPPI Preston Sullivan 610 Ed Sullivan Lane, NE Meadville, MS 39653 601/384-5310 prestons@nwaisp.com MONTANA Wayne Burleson RT 1, Box 2780, Absarokee, MT 59001 406/328-6808 • rutbuster@montana.net Roland Kroos 4926 Itana Circle, Bozeman, MT 59715 406/522-3862 • KROOSING@msn.com
NORTH CAROLINA Sam Bingham 394 Vanderbilt Rd., Asheville, NC 28803 828/274-1309 • sbingham@igc.org NORTH DAKOTA
* Wayne Berry University of North Dakota—Williston P.O. Box 1326, Williston, ND 58802 701/774-4269 or 701/774-4200 wayne.berry@wsc.nodak.edu OKLAHOMA Kim Barker RT 2, Box 67, Waynoka, OK 73860 580/824-9011 • barker_k@hotmail.com
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PENNSYLVANIA
INTERNATIONAL
Jim Weaver 428 Copp Hollow Rd. Wellsboro, PA 16901-8976 570/724-7788 • jaweaver@epix.net
AUSTRALIA Helen Carrell P.O. Box 1263 Warwick, QLD 4370 61-7-46617393 • 61-7-46670835 helen@insideoutmgt.com
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 Jennifer Hamre 602 W. St. Johns Ave., Austin, TX 78752 512/374-0104; yosefahanah@yahoo.com
Steve Hailstone 5 Lampert Rd., Crafers, SA 5152 61-4-1882-2212 hailstone@internode.on.net Graeme Hand “Inverary” Caroona Lane, Branxholme, VIC 3302 61-3-5578-6272 • 61-4-1853-2130 gshand@hotkey.net.au
Jose Ramon “Moncho” Villar Av. Las Americas #1178 Fracc. Cumbres, Saltillo, Coahuila 25270 52-844-415-1542 • fmholistic@att.net.mx NAMIBIA Gero Diekmann P.O. Box 363, Okahandja 9000 264-62-518091 • nam00132@mweb.com.na Colin Nott P.O. Box 11977, Windhoek 264-61-228506 • canott@iafrica.com.na Wiebke Volkmann P.O. Box 182, Otavi, 264-67-234-448 wiebke@mweb.com.na NEW ZEALAND
* R.H. (Dick) Richardson University of Texas at Austin Department of Integrative Biology Austin, TX 78712 512/471-4128 • d.richardson@mail.utexas.edu Peggy Sechrist 25 Thunderbird Rd. Fredericksburg, TX 78624 830/990-2529 • sechrist@ ktc.com
Brian Marshall P.O. Box 300, Guyra NSW 2365 61-2-6779-1927 • fax: 61-2-6779-1947 bkmrshl@northnet.com.au Bruce Ward P.O. Box 103, Milsons Pt., NSW 1565 61-2-9929-5568 • fax: 61-2-9929-5569 blward@holisticresults. com. au
Liz Williams 4106 Avenue B Austin, TX 78751-4220 512/323-2858 • eliz@grandecom.net
Brian Wehlburg c/o “Sunnyholt”, Injue, QLD 4454 61-7-4626-7187 • ijapo2000@yahoo.com
WASHINGTON Craig Madsen P.O. Box 107, Edwall, WA 99008 509/236-2451 madsen2fir@centurytel.net
CANADA Don and Randee Halladay Box 2, Site 2, RR 1, Rocky Mountain House, AB, T0M 1T0 403/729-2472 • donran@telusplanet. net
Sandra Matheson 228 E. Smith Rd. Bellingham, WA 98226 360/398-7866 • smm1@ gte.net
Noel McNaughton 5704-144 St., Edmondton, AB, T6H 4H4s 780/432-5492 • noel@mcnaughton.ca
* Don Nelson
Len Pigott Box 222, Dysart, SK, SOH 1HO 306/432-4583 • JLPigott@sasktel.net
Washington State University P.O. Box 646310, Pullman, WA 99164 509/335-2922 • nelsond@ wsu.edu
Kelly Sidoryk Box 374, Lloydminster, AB, S9V 0Y4 403/875-4418 • hi-gain@telusplanet.net
Maurice Robinette S. 16102 Wolfe Rd., Cheney, WA 99004 509/299-4942 • mlr@icehouse.net Doug Warnock 151 Cedar Cove Rd., Ellensburg, WA 98926 509/925-9127 • warnockd@ elltel.net WISCONSIN Elizabeth Bird Room 203 Hiram Smith Hall 1545 Observatory Dr., Madison WI 53706 608/265-3727 • eabird@facstaff.wisc.edu Larry Johnson W886 State Road 92, Brooklyn, WI 53521 608/455-1685 • lpjohn@rconnect.com WYOMING Tim Morrison P.O. Box 536, Meeteese, WY 82433 307/868-2354 • mcd@tctwest.net
Mark Gardner P.O. Box 1395, Dubbo, NSW 2830 61-2-6882-0605 mark.g@ozemail.com.au
John King P.O. Box 3440, Richmond, Nelson 64-3-338-5506 • succession@clear.net.nz SOUTH AFRICA Sheldon Barnes P.O. Box 300, Kimberly 8300 barnesfarm@mweb.co.za Johan Blom P.O. Box 568, Graaf-Reinet 6280 27-49-891-0163 • johanblom@cybertrade.co.za Ian Mitchell-Innes P.O. Box 52, Elandslaagte 2900 27-36-421-1747 • blanerne@mweb.co.za Norman Neave P.O. Box 69, Mtubatuba 3935 27-084-2452/62 • norberyl@telkomsa.net Dick Richardson P.O. Box 1806, Vryburg 8600 tel/fax: 27-53-927-4367 judyrich@cybertrade.co.za Colleen Todd P.O. Box 21, Hoedspruit 1380 27-82-335-3901 (cell) • colleen_todd@yahoo.com SPAIN Aspen Edge Apartado de Correos 19, 18420 Lanjaron,s Granada (0034)-958-347-053 holisticdecisions@hotmail.com
MEXICO Ivan Aguirre La Inmaculada Apdo. Postal 304 Hermosillo, Sonora 83000 tel/fax: 52-637-377-8929 rancho_inmaculada@yahoo.com
ZAMBIA Mutizwa Mukute PELUM Zambia Office P.O. Box 36524, Lusaka 260-1-261119/261124/261118/263514 pelum@kepa.org.zm
Elco Blanco-Madrid Cristobal de Olid #307 Chihuahua Chih., 31240 52-614-415-3497 • fax: 52-614-415-3175 elco_blanco@hotmail.com Manuel Casas-Perez Calle Amarguva No. 61 Lomas Herradura Huixquilucan, Mexico City CP 52785 52-55-5291-393452-55-54020090 (c)
ZIMBABWE Liberty Mabhena Spring Cabinet P.O. Box 853, Harare 263-4-210021/2 • 263-4-210577/8 fax: 263-4-210273 Elias Ncube P. Bag 5950, Victoria Falls 263-3-454519 rogpachm@africaonline.co.zw
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