#137, In Practice, May/Jun 2011

healthy land. sustainable future.

MAY / JUNE 2011

NUMBER 137

From the Board Chair

WWW.HOLISTICMANAGEMENT.ORG

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Holistic Management, Ranching, and Patience

TIME MANAGEMENT

by Sallie Calhoun

M

y friends and family do not consider me a patient person. In fact, it is just the opposite. My sister and I cannot cook in the same kitchen because I am constantly turning the burners to high, and she is constantly coming behind me to turn them down. I am certain that my fellow HMI board members have noticed me twitching and sighing impatiently, no matter how hard I try to control myself, and I am not sure that I have ever taken a leisurely car ride when I was at the wheel.

So, it has occurred to me on numerous occasions that the cosmos was trying to send me a message when I got involved in ranching. In the high-tech world I used to live in, 18 months is a long time, and 3-year plans are notoriously out of date almost as soon as they are completed.

Now, I work in a world where three years might tell us nothing. We might monitor to see if our grazing planning is working on an annual basis but, especially in California, the weather variability often swamps our efforts to understand and draw conclusions. We just signed on for the Soil Carbon Challenge and at least 10 years of carbon monitoring. Things just take time, and you have frustratingly little control.

Many things can only happen once a year, or even less if they require certain weather or certain numbers of animals in one place. You have to be patient.

We Need to Hear From YOU! IN PRACTICE Reader’s Survey Please fill out the survey on page 23 or complete it online at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/THKS95X We need your responses by June 15th.

THANK YOU!

As you might imagine, this has been something of a tough transition for me. Over the last ten years I have found that there are two main things that help me be more patient, and I found them both through Holistic Management.

The first is an apparently insatiable curiosity about how the ecosystem processes on my ranch work. How do the plants and animals interact with each other? What does different weather mean? What’s happening in the soil? What is the weak link in this plant’s life cycle? What is the impact of rest on the native perennial grasses in this paddock? How well is the water cycle working? And on and on and on. I sometimes feel as if I have a persistent four-year-old inside my brain. Who had any idea that there were so many questions and that so few of them can be satisfactorily answered with just the conventional wisdom?

When I am just about ready to throw up my hands because there are so many questions and so much to figure out, I think about the second thing that keeps me sane. That would be a firm belief that as long as you are moving towards your holisticgoal, you are making progress.

Sometimes, you have to be creative to see how that failed experiment you just did moved you in the right direction, but you usually learn something by failing. Sometimes you get lucky and see obvious progress. Somehow, knowing that I am moving forward makes me less concerned about how quickly I am moving.

Everything doesn’t have to be instantly clear or work as expected. We know where we’re going, and we’re moving, and that is, somewhat surprisingly to me, often enough to end my frustration and give me a feeling of satisfaction.

Now, I am trying to learn to apply these same CONTINUED ON PAGE 14

Val and David Pogson of Manitoba, Canada used their training in Holistic Management to improve their quality of life and resource management.

One of the tangible benefits was a log cabin built from local timber.

To learn more, turn to page 5.

FEATURE STORIES Soil Management, Food Vitamins, and Agricultural Biodiversity

FRANK ARAGONA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Time Management Tools

TONY & FRAN MCQUAIL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Carrying on Holistic Traditions— Building A Log Cabin

DAVID POGSON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Financial Planning Review

DON CAMPBELL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Pollywog Farm— A New Case Study for Teaching Holistic Financial Planning

ELLEN GIBSON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Mitchell Bay Farm & Nursery— Aiming At Sustainability

DOUG WARNOCK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

LAND and LIVESTOCK Kindee Valley Farm— Towards Our Holisticgoal with Pigs

BRIAN WEHLBURG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Grazing “Planning” for Success

BEN BARTLETT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

NEWS and NETWORK The Carbon Challenge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Grapevine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Certified Educators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Marketplace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Reader’s Survey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Soil Management, Food Vitamins, and Agricultural Biodiversity

healthy land. sustainable future.

by Frank Aragona Holistic Management International exists to educate people to manage land for a sustainable future.

STAFF Peter Holter . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chief Executive Officer Tracy Favre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chief Operating Officer Kelly King . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chief Financial Officer Ann Adams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Managing Editor, IN PRACTICE and

Director of Education Sandy Langelier . . . . . . . . Director, Communications

and Outreach Frank Aragona . . . . . . . . . . Director, Research and

Development Amy Normand . . . . . . . . . . . Development Advisor Tom Levine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Development Advisor Donna Torrez . . . . . . . . . . . Manager: Administration

& Executive Support Peggy Cole . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Project Manager, Texas Brady Gibbons . . . . . . . . . . Field Advisor Mary Girsch-Bock . . . . . Development Associate Valerie Grubbs . . . . . . . . . Accounting Associate Carrie Nelson . . . . . . . . . . . Education Associate

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Sallie Calhoun, Chair Ben Bartlett, Past Chair Gail Hammack, Vice-Chair John Hackley, Secretary Christopher Peck, Treasurer Ron Chapman Judi Earl Jim McMullan Jim Shelton

Lee Dueringer Clint Josey Jim Parker Kelly Sidoryk

The David West Station for Holistic Management Tel: 325/392-2292 • Cel: 325/226-3042 westgift@hughes.net Joe & Peggy Maddox, Ranch Managers

HOLISTIC MANAGEMENT IN PRACTICE (ISSN: 1098-8157) is published six times a year by: Holistic Management International 1010 Tijeras NW, Albuquerque, NM 87102, 505/842-5252, fax: 505/843-7900; email: hmi@holisticmanagement.org.; website: www.holisticmanagement.org COPYRIGHT © 2011

HMI was originally founded in 1984 by Allan Savory and Jody Butterfield. They have since left to pursue other ventures.

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May / June 2011

W

e often hear claims that minerals in both our food supply and our soil have been declining for the past several decades. Soils poor in minerals are a consequence of poor land stewardship, the argument goes, and as a result the quantities of vitamins and minerals in our food have also declined. What research evidence exists to support this argument?

The best article I’ve seen on this topic was written by Donald Davis entitled “Declining Fruit and Vegetable Nutrient Composition: What is the Evidence?” published in HortScience Vol. 44(1) in February of 2009.

This article “summarizes three kinds of evidence pointing toward declines during the last 50 to 100 years in the concentration of some nutrients in vegetables and perhaps also fruits available in the United States and the United Kingdom.”

The first type of evidence presented deals with the “dilution effect” of synthetic fertilizers.

Research trials have compared mineral content of fertilized plants and unfertilized plants, concluding: “…fertilized plants contained larger amounts of minerals than the unfertilized plants, but these amounts were sufficiently diluted by the increased dry matter that all mineral concentrations declined, except for P.” Comparisons of historical measurements are another type of evidence presented. Statistical comparisons of older data (50 to 70 years) with current data reveal a similar trend of decline: “The strongest evidence for declines occurs for minerals in vegetables, especially calcium and copper (Cu), with median declines of ~17% and 80%...The one study that considered protein and vitamins found apparent median declines in 43 garden crops (nearly all vegetables) amounting to 6% for protein and 15% to 28% for three of the five vitamins studied.”

Similar studies show statistically significant declines in potassium, manganese, zinc, copper, magnesium, calcium, phosphorous, and iron.

Data analysis reveals, however, that these trends are not necessarily well explained by soil mineral depletion. Natural variability between cultivars may be responsible for

declines in nutrient densities. The author compares four side-by-side studies in order to test this hypothesis.

He concludes that these studies: “show uniformly inverse associations between yield and nutrient concentrations for every nutrient studied so far (other than carbohydrate) – two minerals in broccoli; six minerals in wheat, plus protein, oil; and three amino acids in maize. These four studies suggest to me that genetic dilution effects may be common when selective breeding successfully increases crop yields.”

The author explains the apparent reason for these consistent declines in mineral and nutrient concentrations: “In fruits, vegetables, and grains, usually 80% to 90% of the dry weight yield is carbohydrate. Thus, when breeders select for high yield, they are, in effect, selecting mostly for high carbohydrate with no assurance that dozens of other nutrients and thousands of phytochemicals will all increase in proportion to yield. Thus, genetic dilution effects seem unsurprising.”

Davis’ explanation for declines in food nutrient densities is certainly plausible, and supported by the evidence. While current available data does little to support the hypothesis that declines in soil minerals are causing the decline in food quality, more research is required in this area to ascertain the true nature of the relationship between land management and nutrient densities in food.

The research of Dr. Christine Jones on the pasture cropping techniques of Colin Seis indicate massive changes in soil mineral content associated with a shift to pasture cropping; the effect that these changes may have on our food supply is still poorly understood. Although we may speculate on the impact of similar regenerative practices and technologies, as far as I know we have little data to support such speculation.

What is clear, however, is that plant breeding programs have had the unintended consequence of reducing our food quality; this evidence highlights yet another reason why our agricultural biodiversity is such an important resource for the future of food production.

Time Management Tools

things we hope to get done that week in the space below the calendar.

Once we have looked at the coming four weeks, we return to Monday and make notes of what we want to do that day—and who is doing what in the space under—“To do Today.”

On Tuesday morning at breakfast we get down the coming week’s calendar and look at what is coming up that day and erase what we got done yesterday from the “To do Today” area and add in the things we plan to do Tuesday. We repeat this every morning (breakfast time works well for our daily planning—we’ve done our chores, been outside, checked the weather forecast, and have a sense of whether we are planning for foul or fair weather.)

In the space to the side of the calendar I keep track of some to do items that I don’t want to lose track of but that aren’t urgent or specifically scheduled.

The next Monday before breakfast I take the past week’s calendar, transfer any undone items from the to do lists that I still want to get done on to the coming week’s calendar, wash off the old week, dry it and then put the month and day dates of the 4th week coming on it, and it gets filled in after we’ve reviewed the other three week calendars which are already filled in.

Also different people are responsible for cooking supper during the week so we note who is responsible for the evening meal in the supper box on the calendar. This allows us to remind ourselves who has this duty at our daily morning session which helps people get things out of the freezer to defrost and ensures we have someone cooking supper. It also means that we allow them

by Tony & Fran McQuail

O

ver the years, we’ve developed a number of time management tools that have helped us run our farm more smoothly.

We thought we’d share the ones we continue to use.

The Bring Forward File The Bring Forward File can live in a hanging folder box or in a file cabinet drawer.

It consists of: 12 hanging folders labeled with 12 months of the year, and 31 File folders labeled 1 to 31 (for the days of the month) The way it works is you put the 31 folders in the appropriate month that you are in. Then when bills or theatre tickets arrive in the mail or a doctor’s appointment notice with instructions, you file them in the appropriate month’s hanging folder—and if they are in the month or months that currently have file folders in them you file them in the appropriate date’s folder.

Each day you take the day’s folder out of this month’s hanging file—look in it to see what bills, tickets, doctor’s visit, etc. is coming due that day.

Then you move yesterday’s file folder into next month’s hanging folder and put any papers that are in the coming month’s folder that pertain to that date into that folder (we often leave all that filing till the first of the new month when all the day folders have moved to the new month’s hanging folders).

You can use the Bring Forward Folder file for any papers that are associated with a specific date and you can also use it to keep track of notes for things you need to take with you on a specific date that won’t fit in the Bring Forward File. A note in the May 10th folder saying, “Fencing at Bill’s; remember to take 3-point hitch posthole auger and fence pounder that he asked me to bring,” can help ensure that you arrive at Bill’s with the tools he asked you to bring over a month ago.

The Bring Forward File has helped us improve our management of important papers that aren’t immediately needed. It saves a lot of time spent searching through purses, wallets, piles of paper on desk, etc.

We recently added two envelopes to the front of the Hanging Folder Box that say: Food Expenses for the Month and Someone Owes someone else.

This makes it easy at the end of the month to total up the food expenses and divide them with our daughter as well as sort out farm items picked up

by our daughter and reimburse her or get her to reimburse us for thing we picked up for her.

We have a separate file box for our farm income and expenses where we keep folders for the month’s credit card slips, our local coop bills and other farm invoices where we clean out our wallets and purses—hopefully every time we come back from town—but at least when we think of it or need to make space in our wallets.

These folders could go with the bring folder file if it were more convenient to have them there.

Having one place for these slips has made it a lot easier for us to keep track of them.

Fridge Calendar We also have four Fridge Calendars which we had our local business supply shop photo copy enlarge onto 11” by 17” sheets of paper and then laminate. This gives us a plastic covered weekly calendar for 4 weeks. We use a wet erasable marker on it and every Monday we have a family planning meeting where we look at what is coming up in the next four weeks. We note scheduled farm and off-farm events, appointments, livestock shipping, meat delivery trips, meetings, conference calls, etc. on the calendar. We have the Saturday and Sunday together at the end of the week as it helps us think of and plan weekends as a unit rather than having them split in half. We also note down

CONTINUED ON PAGE 4

Fridge Calendar Month Monday Morn

Tuesday Morn

Wednesday Morn

Thursday Morn

Friday Morn

Saturday Morn

Sunday Morn

Aft

Aft

Aft

Aft

Aft

Aft

Aft

Supper Eve

Supper Eve

Supper Eve

Supper Eve

Supper Eve

Supper Eve

Supper Eve

IN PRACTICE

To do today

To do this week

Number 137

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what we are doing and have yet to do. We use dry

Time Management Tools

continued from page three erasable markers—these could be color-coded for the items different individuals are responsible for.

prep time for the meal in our daily planning.

This line may be unnecessary in other households where one person does all the cooking or it could be where dishwashing responsibilities get assigned.

Sharing meal cooking responsibilities could be a paradigm shift for some. Our youngest daughter from an early age was pretty insistent that she didn’t want to always be stuck doing dishes, and that it wasn’t fair that Fran and I did the cooking. So we developed a family cooking and dishes rotation that included everyone— which we now extend to apprentices and visitors.

Weekly Family Meeting The fridge chart is used with our weekly family meetings which we have found help keep us all clear on who is going where/when and can help sort out vehicle needs and scheduling challenges.

And by looking ahead a month, it gives us a sense of what we are up to and gives us a planning horizon that lets us make arrangements for covering chores or sequencing activities on the farm more effectively than if we took it day by day.

Personal Calendar Most of us have some form of personal calendar or daily planner where we keep track of appointments. We bring ours to the weekly family meetings and they are the source of much of the information that then goes on the Fridge Calendar.

I also use my daily planner to remind me of things for next year. Most daily planners have calendars for one or two years. Let’s say we’ve taken a walk at the end of September, and we notice a wild pear tree with lots of pears on the ground. We are too late for this year, but I make a note in my day planner calendar to “Check wild pear tree at edge of field C” on the first of September. Or I’m doing spring fencing and have a lot of damage because I didn’t get around to loosening the high tensile fences last fall before the winter snow load. I’ll make a note on the next year’s calendar for November “Remember to loosen high tensile fence wire.” Or we’ve had the septic tank cleaned and I know it should be done every three years. My daily planner only has two years ahead so I go to the second year calendar and make a note in the margin – septic tank cleaned July 10, 2010 – needs to be cleaned again in 2013. At the end of the year I transfer the notes from those calendars in the back of my daily planner to the appropriate dates in the new one.

White Board To Do List We’ve also started using a white board with our to do lists on it and people who are planning to do the different items noted beside them. We have this posted on our porch where we eat meals during the summer and where we can look at it without taking off our farm boots to get to the kitchen fridge. We found this helpful with our apprentices and lets them and us keep track of

Tool Organization When many different people are using tools and equipment, it is really helpful to have a labeled place for everything so people know where to find things and know where to put them away so others can find them later. We have found that leaving tools where you were working may save time occasionally, but usually ends up wasting time. If I leave my fencing tools out beside the fence because I’m planning to get back to them after lunch works ok if I get back to them after lunch. But if a neighbor shows up needing help or I discover a broken water line needing attention and things keep happening that are higher priority, I may be looking for tools along a fence line two weeks later when the grass has grown two feet and I can’t remember exactly where I left them. The same can be true for garden tools, etc.

Having tools organized and put back in working order after use can save a lot of time.

Time management is about saving time and reducing stress so we improve our quality of life. It may take some additional time initially to set up a time management system, but it certainly has made a difference in how we have been able to move toward our holisticgoal.

Tony and Fran McQuail are Holistic Management Educators in Lucknow, Ontario, Canada. They can be reached at: mcqufarm@hurontel.on.ca.

California Grassland Carbon Challenge

by Peter Donovan

I

n January and February 2011, eight California grassland managers, from Red Bluff to Goleta, established monitoring sites as starting points for seeing whether, or how fast, they could turn atmospheric carbon into water-holding, fertilityenhancing soil organic matter. Most are Holistic Management practitioners.

These microsites or plots are georeferenced as well as located via permanent markers, compass, and tape. With the help of the land managers, Peter Donovan of the Soil Carbon Coalition (soilcarboncoalition.org) documented basic soil cover, including photography, and took some measurements with a tension infiltrometer as well as bulk density and carbon content for three soil layers down to 40 cm. Carbon samples are currently being processed at Cal Poly.

Resampling of these microsites is projected for

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May / June 2011

2014, 2017, and 2021. The focus of the California Grassland Carbon Challenge is to provide practical and accurate feedback to managers who are interested in trying to increase soil organic matter, which is the number one recommendation of the NRCS soil quality team to land managers.

The Challenge is not connected with any carbon market or offset scheme, but is about exploring what’s possible, using the creativity, imagination, and skills of the land managers. The initial entrants plan to use, or continue to use, management of grazing to favor plant health, soil cover, and an increase in perennials.

In one case, soil carbon plots were established on sites measured by NRCS personnel in 2001 for perennial vs. annual root mass as well as soil carbon and bulk density. Data could emerge from

this 10-year comparison.

The launch of the California Grassland Carbon Challenge, which remains open for entry, was highlighted by a day-long mini-conference hosted by the Morris Ranch in San Juan Bautista and facilitated by Holistic Management Certified Educator Jeff Goebel. Topics covered included: 1. the generally lower levels of carbon and water in soil, combined with higher levels in the atmosphere, were likely to exacerbate food and water issues such as flooding, drought, water scarcity and quality, food security, and biodiversity loss; 2. continuing to manage against these problems was a losing proposition; we are better off managing toward what we want and need; 3. the carbon cycle is a process, not an event, CONTINUED ON PAGE 14

Carrying on Holistic Traditions— Building A Log Cabin

by David Pogson

V

al (my wife), Ashley (my daughter) and I farm with my brother Barry in southern Manitoba, Canada on 1,000 acres (400 ha). We are fourth-generation farmers with our great-grandparents arriving here in 1900. My grandfather carried on the grain and livestock part of the farm, then he started the logging portion of the Pogson logging heritage.

In the 1930s it was a very dry decade with little to no grain—just enough to feed the livestock—so grandfather decided to sell oak posts to help support his family of six children.

Grandfather cut up to 10,000 posts a winter using an axe and horses. He wasted no part of the tree because the trunk was sold as posts and the top for firewood. He was thinking holistic before in his time and I guess it has rubbed off on me.

Family Values My father took over the farm in 1965 and continued holistic practices. Over the years Dad and Mom were always there for the family. The landscape was important, and they made choices to not drain sloughs or bulldoze tree bluffs. The sloughs provided a ground water source and native hay for livestock. You did not use the land in any way to harm it, and the trees where a valued resource for pasture and hunting.

In the 1980s Barry and I started farming and carried on the tradition of making a living in grain, cattle, and logging. Val and I married in 1994 and continued farming with my brother. In

2007 and Val and I had become very frustrated with conventional farming. Today’s attitude to purchase all inputs from large companies and continue to destroy our land was not sustainable.

The Holistic Management course taught by Don Campbell Val and I attended got us back to the important things like family, land and trees, and the livestock. The course made us sit down and think about what we wanted for our future.

Our holisticgoal included the importance of way we live as a family, improving the land, using more cattle on existing land and more logging.

We have a five year old daughter, Ashley, and she is a big part of the farm as well. She loves to come with us while we work with the land and the livestock. Her questions make me think about what I am doing and continue to develop my understanding as I explain the reasons for why and when to move the animals.

Management Changes

The planned grazing component of Holistic Management training helped us understand the importance of the mineral cycle, water cycle, energy flow, and biological function of soil. After walking our land we now recognized signs and symptoms of poor ecosystem processes on our land. Using planned grazing over the last four seasons has allowed us to increase our cattle numbers by over 30% without increasing our land base.

The first step we took for our finances was creating a summary of how we spent our money.

Next we considered our existing logjam of a conventionally based production paradigm.

We identified the weak link of our existing enterprises and focused our investments to strengthen the weak link. Overtime we have added profitable enterprises while we try to reduce our maintenance expenses and inescapable expenses. This allows us the opportunity to spend The building of this log cabin became a synergistic project that improved more on our wealth the Pogsons’ quality of life and gave them an opportunity to engage with generating expenses to their neighbors. address the weak link.

Daughter Ashley enjoys helping her parents with their farm chores.

An Opportunity The logging side of the farm continues although the post end of it is gone by the wayside.

Barry and I built a sawmill and work with Agrowoodlot people. We have taken a number of courses for low impact logging. The low impact logging saves the forest floor and teaches us to harvest trees that will lead to better quality trees in the future.

With running the saw mill we had a neighbor and friend ask if we would be interested in taking down their shelterbelt. I said we would come and have a look at the coffee break at our next Holistic Management meeting. At the shelter belt I could not believe my eyes when I saw the trees. They were Northwest poplar 80-90 feet tall (27-30 m) with 30-40 inch (75-100 cm) butts. The trees where hitting maturity and breaking branches and causing potential hazards to building and young kids. We offered to remove the trees at no cost in exchange for the logs.

After contacting the local woodlot people about the trees, they suggested we use the trees and run a workshop to show people how you can use local trees. We put our heads together and decided to create a log building for a shop. In June we started harvesting the trees. Once we cut the trees, we hauled them to the mill. They were milled into square cants 8 by 10 inches (20-25 cm). The building was 38 by 20 feet (13 x 7 m) with an 8foot (2.67 m) overhang. We had the first course on wall construction in July. Twenty people came and learned for two days, and we got the walls in place. The next season we hosted a two-day course to build the roof. Our current project is to shingle the roof. Working with the woodlot people, Barry and I designed a jig to cut poplar shingles on the saw mill. We are in the process of shingling the building.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 14

Number 137

IN PRACTICE

5

Financial Planning Review

by Don Campbell

T

he steps to financial planning are straight forward and simple. They are shown in the graphic below. You all have the knowledge and skill to do a financial plan. Where most of us struggle is to have: • the motivation • the self discipline, and • the time management to actually do a financial plan.

A motive is a thought or feeling that makes a person act. Motivation is to induce, to act. You, and you alone, have control over your motives (thoughts and feelings) and your motivation (your decision to act). I hope I can offer some motivational ideas or reasons why you might choose to do a financial plan, but I fully acknowledge that the final decision will be yours.

Self discipline is the careful control and training of oneself. Once again, you are in charge.

I believe we all struggle with self discipline. I know that I do. Self discipline is doing what is right or best, not what is easiest or to my liking.

Self discipline, like most things, becomes easier with practice. If you ever want to have self discipline you need to start with something easy and progress to more and more difficult situations until you are master of yourself. The best time to start was likely 20 years ago. The second best time to start is today. Are you ready to meet the challenge of self discipline?

Time management is the third requirement for financial planning. Financial planning is a quadrant two activity. This means that it will be important, but not urgent. The results of working in quadrant two are: vision, perspective, balance,

discipline, control, and only a few crises. Would results like that be beneficial to you? Once again it is your choice. We need to realize that when we say “yes” to something we are saying “no” to something else at the same time. Do you have the discipline to say yes to quadrant two and no to quadrant one (urgent and unimportant)?

Q. What are the benefits of financial planning?

A. The biggest benefit is peace of mind: knowing where you are today and where you will be a year from now and knowing that you are creating the future you desire.

Q. What’s different about Holistic Financial Planning?

A. The major differences are: 1. Paying your self first. This involves setting the profit you desire and then planning to make it happen.

2. Working in the future. Since the future hasn’t happened we can influence and change it.

3. Spending our money more wisely. This is accomplished by identifying the weak link in each enterprise and then sorting our expenses into Wealth Generating, Inescapable and Maintanence categories.

4. Monitoring. We develop a plan that satisfies us. We then have 12 opportunities to monitor, control and replan if necessary so that we reach our objective: profit.

Q. I’ve never done a financial plan. I just don’t know where to start. What should I do?

The 9 Steps to Financial Success #9 Plan, Monitor, Control, Replan #8 Assess ending networth #7 Cash Flow #6 Plan and sort expenses (WIM) #5 Define weak link per enterprise #4 Plan Profit #3 Plan Income #2 Assess starting net worth #1 Review progress toward your holisticgoal

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A. Don’t let the fact that you have never done a plan intimidate you. Make a commitment to yourself that you will do a plan this year. Set a date for completion of your plan. Review the material from your course or take a course. The steps are laid out in detail in the Holistic Management Handbook and Financial Planning Manual.

You can download the manual for free on the HMI website. Get some help if you feel that is necessary. This might be a close friend, your management club or a Certified Educator.

Q. I want to do a plan this year. Where should I start?

A. CONGRATULATIONS! Before starting to plan you need to: Look for a logjam in your operation. This is a reflective step. Is there one overriding issue that is constantly preventing you from moving towards your holisticgoal? If you find a logjam you need to address it and plan the time and money necessary to do so. If you don’t have a log jam move on.

Analyze your existing enterprises and any new enterprises you are considering using the gross profit analysis. This will allow you to select enterprises that have a positive gross margin. Be sure to test your decisions toward your holisticgoal. You are now ready to begin the steps to financial planning.

Q. The second step is starting net worth.

What does that mean?

A. Your starting net worth is a list of all your assets including cash minus your liabilities. The difference is your starting net worth. It is often helpful to keep items that you aren’t likely to sell very often at a relatively low, constant value over a period of time. This would include land and livestock. The danger in not doing this is that you may be showing a positive net worth but all you are really showing is the inflation of your land.

Net worth only has value when you are starting or discontinuing a business.

Q. The third step asks me to plan a year’s income. How can I do that when I don’t know what prices will be?

A. Don’t let uncertainty in the market deter your decision to plan. The more uncertain things are the more important it is to plan. When we are projecting our income there will always be uncertainty. The further out we are projecting the greater the uncertainty will be. There are a couple of ways to offset this. One is to have the bulk of

your income at the start of the year. This works well if you are a corporation and can change your yearend and if your income is not well spread across the year. In this situation you have real income against projected expenses which is much easier to control. The second way to offset this uncertainty is to project 2 or 3 prices and see how things look.

Q. Step 4 is setting my profit. How do I do that and how do you define profit?

A. This is where you make the decision to pay yourself first. Profit is defined as an increase in net worth. Profit is after all your expenses have been paid including your living expenses. Profit is a return on your investment and a return for your management skills. Profit is much more likely to be attained when you plan for it. You are far too important to take what is left at the end of the year. You and only you can determine what profit you desire. Your profit can be held as increased assets, reduced liabilities, cash or any combination of the three. You have the power to hold your profit so that it helps you move toward your holisticgoal.

Q. What do you mean by define the weak link?

A. There are 3 links in our businesses. They are resource conversion (growing), product conversion (harvesting) and marketing. One, and only one, of these will be the weakest at any given time. You need to determine the weak link in each enterprise you have. Knowing the weak link allows you to sort your expenses into Wealth Generating (W), Inescapable (I) and Maintanence (M) categories. Sorting our expenses allows us to spend our money more wisely. Not all expenses are equal. W expenses strengthen the weak link or generate new wealth. I or inescapable expenses are unavoidable and a constant amount of money. M expenses are all the expenses that aren’t W or I expenses. The idea is to spend as much as needed on the W expenses. Don’t worry about the I expenses; it’s a set amount. Be ruthless on cutting and reducing the M expenses. Reducing the M expenses allows us to free up money to invest in the W expenses.

Q. Step 6 says to plan and sort my expenses.

Can you clarify this?

A. Planning your expenses is similar to planning your income. You require a date, a volume and a price. Be as detailed as possible.

Plan all your expenses on a monthly basis. Write out the details on a worksheet.

Q. Step 7 asks me to do a cash flow. What does this involve?

A. A cash flow is a summary of our monthly income and expense. This step tells us whether we can cash flow our business or if we will require a bank loan. If a bank loan is required we will know the amount and when we can repay the loan.

Borrowed money is a tool. It is not good or bad. A good financial plan will tell you if it is wise to borrow or not. If you decide to use borrowed money, a financial plan will allow you to access more money at a cheaper interest rate. If you don’t want debt, a financial plan will help you operate debt free.

Q. Step 8 is to do an ending net worth. How do I do that?

A. An ending net worth is a list of all your assets and liabilities at the end of the planning year. You compare the starting and ending net worth. If the difference is positive and close to what you planned, you move to step 9. If the difference in net worth is negative or lower than desired you don’t quit your replan. Remember you are working in the future. Since the future hasn’t happened you can change it. Replan until you get the result you desire. Don’t be discouraged; be committed to your goal of profit.

Q. Step 9 is monitor and control. How do I do that?

A. Monitoring is vital to financial planning. A financial plan without monitoring is of no value.

Monitoring involves recording what actually happened as compared to what was planned to

happen. You record the difference between the plan and the actual in the difference and cumulative difference line on the cash flow sheet.

If the differences are small, you continue on and try to control your plan. If the differences are large, you do a replan.

Q. I did a plan last year. Part way through the year I was way off plan. I felt discouraged and quit planning for the rest of the year. How might I do better?

A. This is a common trap for people. Most people are willing to do a plan, but many get discouraged when a replan is required. The best solution is to choose to be positive. The original plan is good; the best you could do at a given time. When a replan is required, it is not a reflection on your planning skills but an indication that something has changed. Your first plan was good; the replan will be equally good because you are a good person and you are using your knowledge and skills. Remember that what doesn’t change in a replan is your goal of being profitable.

At this point I had planned to give you a bunch of reasons why you might choose to do a financial plan. I am not going to do that. I am only going to mention one reason. Do a financial plan for yourself and those you love. Financial planning can help you be profitable.

Don Campbell is a Certified Educator from Meadow Lake, Saskatchewan. He can be reached at: doncampbell@sasktel.net.

Pollywog Farm— A New Case Study for Teaching Holistic Financial Planning

by Ellen Gibson As part of the USDA/NIFA Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program grant that funded three years of Whole Farm Planning training for Beginning Women Farmers in the Northeast, 11 participants are also being trained in HMI’s two-year Certified Educator Training Program. In the fall of 2010, the trainees came from Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New York to attend four weekend workshops as part of their Certified Educator training. Here, the author, who is one of the participants, describes how the group came up with a new approach to teaching financial planning.

A

t work in Putney, Vermont, trainees in the HMI Certified Educator training program explore new ways to teach Holistic financial planning, one concept at a time.

The two-day financial planning session was our third weekend of Certified Educator training, where we learn Holistic Management concepts in more depth and practice our CONTINUED ON PAGE 8

Number 137

IN PRACTICE

7

Polywog Farm

continued from page seven

(left to right) Kate Kerman, Jessie Schmidt, and Ellen Gibson participating in one of the Certified Educator Training Sessions. teaching and facilitating skills. We take up residency together for the weekend, away from our normal routines and obligations. We generally spend our days, evenings, and meals discussing Holistic Management topics.

We have come to know each other well, establishing a level of comfort from trust and a deep sense of involvement. We laugh a lot, but the sessions are not without their frustrations. A goal stands before us—to take these complex principles, integrate them fully into our lives, and teach them with some degree of competency.

Our Certified Educator class is representative of the face of farming in the Northeast. We come from a variety of backgrounds, cover a 30-year age span, and bring knowledge from a diversity of enterprises and markets with profits of a few hundred dollars a year to over a million dollars.

Most of us, but not all, took the Beginning Women Farmer course in 2010. Most of us, but not all, are women.

The first day of financial planning was passing by and we were making precious little progress.

We were struggling over numbers in an imaginary enterprise budget, bogging down over the amount someone might spend on electricity—in other words we were lost in the trees even though the forest was all around us. Suddenly, it hit me: these numbers were totally obscuring the concepts. Why not concentrate on the concepts first? The numbers could always come later.

It was worth a try. Our instructor, Certified Educator Seth Wilner, returned to the overview slide that reads “9 Steps to Financial Planning,” back up, and we started over from the beginning.

We also wanted a new case study—one that would characterize the women in our classes and 8

IN PRACTICE

May / June 2011

reflect the Northeast climate. We hadn’t figured out how to make that happen. So we scheduled time at the end of the day and worked on a case study as a group.

Putting the Pieces Together After this training, the holidays were bearing down, and the pressure was on. Beginning Women Farmer classes were right around the corner. We had a good start on the new case study, but we still needed to create many of the financial planning pieces. Our goal was to create a complete package of financial planning documents for Pollywog Farm. At the end of November, Seth emailed us a list: 1) Worksheets for wealth generating expenses (log jam, adverse factors and weak links) and any others 2) Worksheets for the CSA, eggs, and salsa enterprises 3) Beginning and ending balance sheets for net worth 4) Expenses categorized as maintenance and inescapable 5) An annual income and expense sheet including a planned profit column 6) An example of a tested decision “That is a whole heck of a lot of work,” he concluded. “Should we do all of this? If so, how?”

Ask and Ye Shall Receive Replies started coming in the next day. Kate Kerman in New Hamsphire found figures for the salsa enterprise. Rachel Schneider from New York began working on a detailed budget for a CSA.

Jessie Schmidt from Vermont put together a sheet on net worth for Pollywog Farm. Calley Hastings from Vermont sent figures on her layers, and Diane Schivera from Maine supplied figures from a Maine Organic Farm & Garden Association workshop with Richard Wiswall on organic egg production. The financial picture of Pollywog Farm began to take shape and Seth bound the pieces together with a narrative.

Emails continued flying back and forth as Seth, Phil Metzger of Central New York RC&D, Erica Frenay of Cornell University, and Barbara Link from Massachusetts began teaching a session using the Pollywog case study. Barbara reported, “I thought the session was so much better than last year’s—and although I have no idea what the evaluation will reveal—I think the group walked away with a good solid understanding and some motivation to do homework! The case study was awesome. It clearly engaged and resonated with the group.”

Instructors for the program are reporting the 2011 series of Beginning Women Farmer classes really seem to like the new case study. Each class is different. Erica wrote, “The Massachusetts class seems overall more advanced in their farm operations and business skill level than last year’s class. I thought they caught on really quickly to the concepts, and as they start applying them to their farms, they’ll be asking us some challenging questions about the details. It’s still difficult to make it through everything in the new and improved financial planning agenda. “ We are ever mindful that numbers scare many people. The irony is that in business, numbers erase fears—they tell you exactly where you are; they put you in the driver’s seat. If we can introduce the concepts before the numbers, we hope we can enable farmers—especially women!—to be financially literate. There is nothing more empowering. There is no other way to have a profitable enterprise.

There’s a lot to cover in the Beginning Women Farmer curriculum in the time we have. This is a problem we continue to grapple with. We don’t want to be agenda driven, and we don’t want to leave folks behind, and we need time for reflective discussion.

As we Certified Educator trainees collaborate on curriculum content, practice teaching with instructors, and incorporate Holistic Management principles into our own lives, we hope that every student we engage will walk away with a solid understanding of Holistic Management financial tools—as well as other Holistic Management benefits—and the motivation to put them to use.

Ellen Gibson farms in Paris, Maine and can be reached at: egibson22@megalink.net.

Mitchell Bay Farm & Nursery— Aiming At Sustainability

by Doug Warnock

B

ruce Gregory and Colleen Howe, owners of Mitchell Bay Farm and Nursery of Friday Harbor, Washington have improved diversity and increased profit in their quest toward sustainability. The two learned Holistic Management, Bruce as a participant and Colleen from Bruce, in the Washington State University (WSU)—Kellogg Foundation Integrated Farming Systems/Holistic Management Project (1995-1999) led by Dr. Don Nelson, WSU Beef Extension Specialist and Holistic Management Certified Educator.

Bruce and Colleen, a husband and wife team, manage a diverse farm operation in the San Juan Islands of Northwestern Washington State. This certified organic farm and nursery produces two varieties of kiwi-fruit, seven varieties of Asian pears, honey, grass-fed lamb and other sheep products, and ornamental plants from the nursery.

In addition to all the products sold off farm to customers, Bruce and Colleen raise most of their own food.

The products currently raised on Mitchell Bay Farm are the result of trying various things, monitoring and adapting. “Our enterprises are sized appropriately for the land we have and the amount and timing of labor needs,” Bruce said.

The two provide most all the labor needed to run the farm and nursery. The sheep have seasonal grazing, which is tied to the rain patterns on the island. The dry summers produce very little grass.

“We’re trying to be as sustainable as possible and we’ve found that bigger is not always better,” Bruce said. “The challenge is to find how we can capture solar energy on all the different levels of our farm.” They integrate the grazing of their sheep with the production of both kiwi fruit and Asian pears.

“The wide range of plant materials on the farm make for more diverse insect populations and help to minimize pest problems,” Colleen said. “The plant diversity we have achieved has led to more complexity in all systems on the farm.

We have all kinds of wildlife, and we work to make sure there are nesting sites available for the many types of birds and support a significant hummingbird population. The complexity and diversity we have here is so wonderful.” In addition, they make use of deer resistant plants.

The sheep are pastured under a planned grazing management program. Enough pasture divisions have been established so that the forage plants have minimal animal exposure, while

getting adequate recovery time before the next grazing. They use high tensile electric wire for perimeter fences along with portable electric fencing for cross fences to achieve the desired number of pasture divisions.

“After using planned grazing management, we began to see the suppressed plants express themselves. All of a sudden plant diversity began to increase,” Bruce said. “We timed the lambing with the grass growth, so that the lambs are ready to go onto grass when it begins to grow.”

“All of this is so integrated and works very well together. Nature is quite complex. This is a very rewarding experience,” Colleen said. “The diversity of plant and animal life has increased greatly in recent years and the farm is so much more alive, now.”

Mitchell Bay Farm has been recognized for its many achievements. In 2010 it was one of three farms in the state given the Vim Wright Stewardship Award. This award is given annually to recognize farms that protect the economic vitality of farming in Washington State and promote environmental stewardship of the state’s agricultural landscape. The farm was recognized for its soil fertility, plant propagation, and biodiversity. The farm was also granted the Finnie Stewardship Award in 2010 by the San Juan

Mitchell Bay Farms participated in 1995 FRG (Farm Research Grant) through Western SARE titled “Timed Rotational Grazing in Asian pear Orchards” in which they compared conventional orchard mowing with a LTE (Low Tensile Electric) V-trellis system that uses 12.5 gauge aluminum wire in a four-wire configuration on a espalier, Asian pear trellis system.

“It is possible to have 200% lambing,” Colleen said. “The old saying is that the first lamb pays for the ewe’s maintenance and the second lamb provides the profit.” She indicated that they use Dorper rams on their Suffolk-North Country Cheviot ewes. Their sheep actually produce three different products to sell, including grass-fed lamb, yarn from the wool and sheepskins. The sheepskins from the cross bred lambs are very popular due to the color patterns resulting from the breeds involved. Bruce and Colleen have continued to add small enterprises, which have helped to increase farm profit.

Stewardship Network.

Mitchell Bay Farm has had many visitors. It has been the site for many WSU Extension field days and many individual visits by people to view the gardens, plant propagation and nursery.

“There is a part of farming that is genetic for some people; it’s in your system for life. We’re fortunate enough to be able to enjoy farming and make a living doing it,” Bruce said.

Bruce and Colleen can be reached at: mbfarm@rockisland.com. Doug Warnock can be reached at: dwarnock@columbiainet.com.

Number 137

IN PRACTICE

9

Kindee Valley Farm—

&

Towards Our Holisticgoal with Pigs

by Brian Wehlburg

K

indee Valley Farm is situated five hours north of Sydney on the east coast of Australia. The farm is 622 acres (249 ha) and receives 50 inches (1,250 mm) of rain with a summer dominant period (non brittle). The farm frosts in winter. At present the farm has 29 paddocks and is watered from perennial streams. The topography is undulating to steep, 30% being remnant rain forest with the remainder cleared and pastured. Originally a dairy farm, the property has been cropped and grazed but has had very little pasture improvement done for a very long time. Soil pH are down to the 4.5 mark with all sorts of imbalances. As a result, approximately 60% of the grazing land area is covered in poor plant

The pigs impact on the land is noticeable as they incorporate a great deal of litter into the soil.

10

Land & Livestock

May / June 2011

Pigs led the pack when Brian tested numerous options for land improvement at Kindee. species that reflect this state of affairs such as Blady grass (Imperata cylindrical), Carpet grass (Axonopus fissilfolius) and Whiskey grass (Andropogon virginicus).

A number of friends got together two years ago and purchased the farm with the intention of managing it holistically and producing high quality food for the huge population along the east coast of Australia.

Within the investor group we have a marketer, a business consultant, an economist, and me, an Holistic Management Certified Educator. This has created a wonderful group with great diversity and interests.

Our first temporary holisticgoal was knocked into shape around the dining room table on our first meeting on the farm and has some minor alterations since. Monthly reports have kept the shareholders up to speed with developments and regular weekend trips have kept up the enthusiasm for the project.

Our first two years have turned out to be very tough years with floods, rising interest rates, the high value of the Australian dollar—having a negative effect on cattle prices, and productivity from the poor soils being far from satisfactory resulting in very poor weight gains.

To rectify this situation we held a brainstorming session to identify the way forward. This exercise identified a number of decisions to be tested towards our holisticgoal. The subsequent testing itself stimulated our creativity to develop further options—among which were the shift from steer production to a lowcost, cow-calf operation, the introduction of chickens for egg production and the introduction of pigs to help rejuvenate the paddocks and move them away from poor soil fertility loving plant types.

One of our problems identified was the large percentage of our resources being utilized to produce poor quality feed which then tends to choke any other beneficial plants from establishing. We have used lick blocks and temporary fencing, with daily moves to create some shift with limited success. Conventional wisdom in the neighborhood has used fire or mowing to keep the poorer species edible or at bay. Our testing of the various options that we had identified showed us clearly that the pig option even with our lack of knowledge in pig

management was worth pursuing as was the compost tea option while clearly burning and slashing failed to move us in the direction of our holisticgoal.

behind the pigs. We have been spreading seed by hand of several low pH tolerant clovers and grass and the initial results at soil surface are extremely encouraging with a very vigorous germination and establishment of clovers. Fixed point photographs of the treated areas will maintain the evolution of the environment towards the future resource base as described in our holisticgoal. As the sows begin to farrow the weak link in the pig chain of production is planned to shift from product to marketing as we need to introduce our product as a new product into the market and not be see to be in competition with other pork products in the market.

We are very happy with our introduction of pigs as part of our production on Kindee Valley Farm. We have discovered they are extremely enjoyable to manage and we have learnt a considerable amount. We believe that the market for pork production is just beginning to have a rapid change as the consumer learns about industrial pork production methods and demands better practices through their consumer power.

Decision Testing Most major decisions are tested when creating the financial plan, though some will be tested as needed throughout the year. Key questions we answered were: What is/are the key issues involved in this decision? We determined it was low productivity of pastures, high percentage of poorer plant species, and poor soil health.

What is/are the decision makers’ objective(s) (what do they hope to achieve with this decision) in light of the holisticgoal? - Reduce undesirable plant species, improve soil conditions, and increase weight gains through a higher percentage of more nutritious plants.

What are the options being tested? Cool season burning, slashing weeds by tractor, the use of herbicide, application of compost teas and introduction of pigs as a form of production.

Our monitoring has focused on the establishment of better plant types

Herbicide application

Mowing/ slashing

Cool patch burn

ID Problem/ idea

Brian Wehlburg is a Certified Educator who lives in New South Wales, Australia. He can be reached at: brian@insideoutsidemgt.com.au.

Application of compost tea

Introduction of pigs

Sustainability

Research has shown this practice has not succeeded

Conflicts with “Efficient and proactive” in FRB

Conflicts with “Efficient and proactive” and how our land must be in FRB

Should lead towards “highly functioning with a large diversity of species. Our soils must be covered, growing and full of life”

Should lead towards “highly functioning with a large diversity of species.”

Cause & Effect

Not dealing with root cause – poor soil, will reduce fertility further

Not dealing with root cause – poor soil, worried about effect the need to be constantly on a tractor

Not dealing with root cause – poor soil, will reduce fertility and diversity even further

Could be dealing with root cause? Possible need for regular applications

Could be dealing with root cause? Turning in organic matter through rooting and dung/urine

Weak LinkSocial

Neighbors, local fire department

No one

HM network

No one

Neighbors – pigs seen as destructive, escapees into vegetable gardens possible conflict

Biological

Not the weak point in life cycle – establishment

Not the weak point in life cycle – establishment

Not the weak point in life cycle – establishment

This action does focus on the weak point

This action does focus on the weak point

Financial

Will provide a fresh green bite

Will provide a fresh green bite

?????

???????

Will provide a fresh green bite and a new chain of production

Energy Source & Use

Source okay addictive

Fossil fuel consumptive

Fossil fuel Addictive

Solar cyclical

Solar cyclical

Money Source & Use

Nil addictive

Paper dollars consumptive

Mineral dollars Addictive

Solar dollars cyclical

Paper dollars cyclical

Gross Profit Analysis

$0

$50 per ha $5,000

$35 per ha $3,500

$15 per ha $1,500

80+291 $3,344

Society & Culture

Bad

Bad

Bad

Good

Good

Marginal Reaction

3

4

5

2

1

Explanation of testing results

inexpensive and will be carried out in conjunction with pigs

Maximum building towards FRB in holisticgoal

Earliest monitoring for chosen option

Soil surface monitoring to detect change in plant species composition

Dislike managing the pigs, resistance to doing chores

Date of testing

10 Oct 2009

Number 137

Land & Livestock

11

Grazing “Planning” for Success

by Ben Bartlett

T

he title of this article says it all. It is about success or making progress towards what you want from life utilizing planning to create expected outcomes from your grazing program. Most people that are reading this article have a holisticgoal or an idea what success means to them. You cannot “plan” if you don’t have something you are working towards. Most all of you reading this are grazing livestock already and maybe have been grazing for years. I would also bet that most of you do not have a written grazing plan.

Write It Down There’s lot of excuses—while our crop-raising neighbors have written plans for each field, what to plant, till, fertilize, etc.—grazing managers most often have their plans in their “heads”. Let me warn you, I am going to suggest that every grazier needs a written plan. However, not everyone needs to do the very detailed open season/ closed season Holistic Management planned grazing chart. It is a lot like the need for people to exercise. Everyone should do some, but not everyone should attempt the same exercising program.

For anyone with livestock who expects to make some income, you have to take your grazing program seriously. Feed is over 50% of all costs to produce grazing livestock. It’s the “cost gorilla” in the room and you can’t ignore it.

In addition, the quality and quantity of forage you feed your ruminants has significant impact on reproduction, off-spring survival, and weight gain.

Most people get paid on number of head X number of pounds, and not only

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Land & Livestock

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is grazing an important way to control cost but it is vital to the quantity you have to sell. It would seem to be an understatement that a good grazing program is a necessity for a profitable livestock operation.

When many people think of a written grazing plan, they jump to the Holistic Management Grazing Chart because that has been the only written planning tool they are aware of. This detailed plan can be very useful for people new to grazing or with new land to graze or when grazing large areas.

However, the detail required has often discouraged people with years of experience on the same piece of land (“I’ve been grazing this farm for 30 years, I don’t need a chart” - attitude), or people who graze the same paddock 3-6 times per year, or people who just are not into “written plans”.

Planning is just like exercise: do a little to see the benefits and then do more as it fits your holisticgoal.

One additional comment about the need for a “written” plan: Having something written down is a critical part of the effort; and no matter how short or how simple, writing it down is almost magical. Writing the plan down makes it more than just random thoughts, helps you put the ideas together, allows you to share it with others, gives you a “guide” over time to follow, and most importantly, gives you hardcopy outcomes to monitor toward.

Tools of the Trade As you think about planning your grazing operation, keep in mind all the “tools” you have at your disposal. Electric fence is not new, but there are

always new ways to use various fence and water moving technology to empower your use of livestock as solar energy converting forage harvesters.

Mob grazing, MIG grazing, and even set stocking are grazing system “tools” you can use on some paddocks for some of the year with some of your livestock. These various grazing systems are not “good” or “bad” but have various pros and cons with costs and benefits. Your job as grazing manager is to put a plan together utilizing the various tools that will move your grazing program, and therefore you, toward your holisticgoal. One very important tool that is often overlooked is increased knowledge, knowledge about how plants grow, how livestock graze and the power you have by controlling the time your livestock spend in one place. Knowledge is the most powerful “tool” you can have.

this grazing goal?” You then have a goal and the beginning of a “plan.”

Just work on 1-3 grazing issues per year and have a strategy and tactics for each goal. I’d encourage you to test your grazing goals toward your holisticgoal and consider the future landscape you want, before you jump into strategies and tactics.

Here’s an example: You want to extend your grazing season by 30 days, (your goal); your strategy will be to build more fence so you can graze hay fields, and the tactics are to get bids on fencing by June 1 and have fence build by October 1. (See Grazing Priorities Worksheet.) Working on a grazing goal with a written strategy/ tactics is a critical step to get you to the next level of planning.

A Level 3 grazing plan helps you address the grazing challenges or opportunities noted in your Grazing Plan Priorities Worksheet and includes One Step At a Time all the possible places you could graze. It also considers both the grazing and If doing all your grazing planning in your head is “Level 1” grazing and the non-grazing season and allows you to chart recovery and grazing periods. using the big Holistic Management Grazing Chart is “Level 4” grazing, let’s The main strength of the grazing plan is that you work from “critical control look at the steps to getting you from 1 to 4—Level 2 and 3 planned grazing. points” (CCP). CCPs are: where and when you want to graze and where and Level 2 planned grazing is having a written plan to work on your grazing when you don’t want to graze. It also includes length of recovery periods and “goals.” How many of you have said, “I wish I could graze longer in the fall, grazing periods. or had an alternative for my summer slump, or maybe had better grazing Here’s an example. Most everyone has a pasture they like to calve in or animal performance?” You have just identified a key grazing goal for you. maybe a pasture they need to avoid in the spring because it’s too wet. These Now, turn this around. Answer the question, “What would you do to address are the critical control points (CCPs), paddocks you need to graze or not graze with certain groups of animals at predetermined times of the year. In our situation, we put our vacation time in the plan because we want the animals in good fences and to have good water while we Planned Grazing Priorities Worksheet are gone. This is critical to animal performance and our peace of You need goals! – What do you want? What are your key issues? mind while on vacation. After you get the CCP paddocks identified, it’s amazing how many of the other pasture moves just fall into place. If You need a strategy for each goal! – The “what” you are going to do. you want to graze X paddock in July, the animals should be in Y You need tactics fo each strategy – The “how” you are going to do it w/ timelines. paddock in June because it’s close or if we want to graze X in July, Your grazing goals: Write them down – to share, remember, revisit, as a reminder then we need to also graze X in May so it would be ready to re-graze in about July when plants have recovered.

2011 – #1 ________________________________________________________ Everyone’s situation is different but this form of planning puts #2 ________________________________________________________ you in control without having to plan every day of the entire grazing #3 ________________________________________________________ season. In addition, if you leave a little space in the planning box, you can write in the actual days you spend in each paddock. When 2015 ____________________________________________________________ you plan next year, you know where you grazed last year and the Your Strategy for: actual yield for the paddock. This will make future planning efforts Goal #1 __________________________________________________________ even more powerful and useful, and, don’t forget, easier!

Goal #2 __________________________________________________________

Just Do It!

Goal #3 __________________________________________________________

Your ability to do a good job grazing is pivotal to a having a successful livestock business. There are a tremendous number of ideas and practices that we all can use to be better graziers, but the key is for graziers to build plans for grazing success on their operation to work toward their grazing goals that will help them toward their holisticgoal. This plan needs to be written down, it needs objectives, and it needs to be monitored. If you are thinking your grazing program could be better, you need to make a plan. It can be short, simple, and easy, but make a plan. The first written grazing plan you have on the refrigerator or by the wall calendar is a giant step forward for your grazing program.

The option is doing the same thing as last year and hoping for better results.

Long Term Goal ____________________________________________________ Your Tactics for: Goal #1 __________________________________________________________ Goal #2 __________________________________________________________ Goal #3 __________________________________________________________ Long Term Goal ____________________________________________________ Next Steps:

• Plan – execute - monitor - re-plan • Make new goals each year!

• Get more “knowledge” – study, conference, pasture walks, books, magazines • Apply appropriate “technology” – grazing systems, new plants, water technology • Have a “Planned Grazing” grazing program – Part of Holistic Management

Ben Bartlett is an Extension Educator for Michigan State University, a Holistic Management Certified Educator, and a DVM. He can be reached at: bartle18@msu.edu or 906/439-5880.

Number 137

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California Grassland Carbon Challenge and driven mainly by the metabolisms of selfmotivated organisms such as plants, fungi, and bacteria; 4. soils are the terrestrial hub of the carbon cycle as they contain several times the carbon (and water) of atmosphere and vegetation combined; 5. human management has enormous influence, not only on fossil fuels, but on how the carbon cycle and water cycle function through soils; and 6. significant reversals of the general pattern of soil carbon loss have occurred as a result.

Humans can manage for increased soil organic matter, which can be measured in a fairly simple and straightforward manner.

After a lunch of Morris Ranch grassfed shortribs, Joe Morris led a discussion tour on his land, focusing on how planned grazing and direct marketing of grassfed beef could enhance the carbon cycle, which in turn has enormous influence over the water cycle. Participants witnessed an infiltration demonstration of bare

From the Board Chair

continued from page four

Participants at the Soil Carbon Challenge event held at the Morris Ranch. ground versus native perennial grass. The effects of plant material and soil organic matter on the soil’s ability to accept water made a significant impression on many.

The Soil Carbon Challenge will be coming to New Mexico this year (2011). Baseline plots include basic soil cover readings, soil sampling, water infiltration measurements, graphic display

Building A Log Cabin

on a mapping interface, and are highly replicable without extensive training or expensive equipment. These plots can be located on existing monitoring transects to add value to them. If you are interested, see soilcarboncoalition.org/challenge and contact Peter Donovan at managingwholes.com@gmail.com.

continued from page five

continued from page one lessons to my life outside of ranching, including at HMI. As you might imagine, I would like to see us change the world a lot faster. But the reality is that the system we are trying to change makes my endlessly fascinating ranch ecosystem look relatively simple. It certainly has a lot fewer people involved, and that’s a big advantage. For the organization we focus on our holisticgoal, plans, and budgets to understand and monitor how we are doing, while still looking for logjams, marginal reaction, and weak links. My reliance on my holisticgoal in my personal life is one reason that I am very excited that we are spending a day at our board meeting revisiting the organization’s holisticgoal to make sure that it reflects the current organization and its focus.

If we have a holisticgoal and we are headed there, I know that I can be happy, persistent, and relatively patient.

14

IN PRACTICE

This project was a win-win scenario for the neighbors and us. Barry and I had the opportunity to meet the original land owners who planted the shelter belt and they had the opportunity to see the trees used to create a building. During the sawing process we counted the tree rings and aged the trees at 40 years. The couple who planted the trees told us stories of hoeing, planting, and watering these trees. Traditionally the trees would have been bull dozed and burned, but we did not waste a thing. The by-products of the sawing process have been used as windbreak slabs, wood supply for wood boiler heating the house, and tree bark and saw dust as mulch. Best of all, we have a beautiful building in the yard and a story to tell from a building that will last for generations.

Opportunities continue to come forward to share our holistically managed farm as part of a university course. We tour the students across our woodlot, cattle, grain, multi-crop, pasture, and chicken enterprises. The discussion generated helps clarify the importance of the mineral cycle, water cycle, energy cycle and biological function of the soil.

The log building idea was brought to life by applying the skills we learned with the Holistic Management decision-making framework. We also continue to learn by attending grazing tours, financial planning sessions, and Holistic Management conferences. We feel the Holistic Management community is our management club. We want to share what we have learned because we believe that Holistic Management has allowed us to strengthen our family bonds, continue to This poly crop planting includes vetch, radish, turnip, and barley. The Pogsons have increased their farm sustainably, and create a profit.

David and Valerie Pogson can be reached efforts to improve soil fertility as a result of their at: 204/825-7684 or dvpogson@xplornet.com Holistic Management training.

May / June 2011

T he news from holistic management international

people, programs & projects

GenNext at Austin College In February, HMI assisted in the initiation of a GenNext course at Austin College in Sherman, Texas.The one-day introductory course was taught by long time HMI Certified Educator Rob Rutherford of California Polytechnical Institute in San Luis Obispo, California.Rob’s presentation was titled, “Holistic Management: The Basics and The Differences” and largely addressed the paradigm shift experienced through Holistic Management practices based on his experience of teaching Holistic Management to Cal Poly students.

There were several different presentations throughout the day for students in Environmental Studies or Economics.This event took place because of the efforts of Professors Danny Nuckols, Peter Schulze, and George Diggs.Student interest was high for these presentations with extended conversations taking place after the official presentation period.With such a positive upshot from these presentations, Austin College has expressed a clear interest in continuing this program at their school.

HMI will continue to collaborate with Austin College to explore possible programmatic implementation of a Holistic Management curriculum at Austin College.This not only would add to the already robust curriculum that Austin College has to offer, but also exemplify a way in which the many other interested high schools and colleges can implement such a program as well.

Many of the student’s questions about Holistic Management have contributed to the development of the GenNext program and our development of funding materials.The questions ranged from; “How can I become involved in Holistic Management?” to “How can our current agriculture systems be made more sustainable?”

All of these questions lend to the point that there is a very large need to educate this generation when it comes to exploring the possibilities within sustainable agriculture.

Holistic Management Training in Virginia The Rappahannock Future Farms Program is in the first year of a three-year program to train farmers in Rappahannock County, Virginia in Holistic Management practices.The first year is a pilot program with a small group of farmers who will, at the end of a year of intensive training, present to the community the impact of their changing

management practices on their land, their financial health and their quality of life.Farmers in the first year program will then mentor farmers in subsequent years.

Peggy Sechrist instructs the core group of farmers committed Project staff for this program is to learning all Holistic Management modules.

HMI’s COO, Tracy Favre, and Project Manager, Peggy Cole. Lead testing guidelines. All worked through the exercises instructor is Certified Educator Peggy Sechrist. and came up with a start on their holisticgoal. At Local farmer Cliff Miller has been instrumental the end of the day, these farmers signed an in organizing his fellow farmers and HMI that the agreement to commit to the project. This program time to act is now if the area’s agricultural provides these farmers: Quarterly training/ orientation is to be saved. Tirelessly working to consulting in Holistic Management for their entire raise funds and awareness that this proposed management team by experts in the 5 Holistic education in Holistic Management is just what the Management modules (Holistic Management farmers need to make their land more productive Basics, Grazing, Financial Planning, Land and their businesses more profitable, Cliff Planning, and Monitoring); on-going coaching convinced the county supervisors to help support a support for the Program Members individually and pilot program. He said, “it is meant to help in a study group; and educational materials. farmers, as a group, farm more intelligently and Participants agreed to also work with HMI to make sure when we make decisions that we don’t gather monitoring information to measure do something that will help us in the short term progress towards each holisticgoal and to and hurt us in the long term.” participate in the final town hall meeting at the The HMI development team worked with Cliff end of the one-year program to share their to get more support from county foundations and experiences. They will also be considered for individuals to make this program truly a countymentoring of future program participants in order wide effort at working together toward a common to create a self sustaining program that will benefit goal. the greater community in Rappahannock County.

The first training session was January 24th in Additional follow up with the pilot group also Sperryville, a little town nestled in the valley beside took place in February via distance conferencing Shenandoah National Park in the Blue Ridge with lead instructor Peggy Sechrist. Ian MitchellMountains. The session began with a town hall Innes was the Certified Educator for this next meeting to ask the community what they are round of classes in March, teaching grazing looking for and to explain how HMI can help. planning and biological monitoring, as well as Peggy Sechrist led a standing room only crowd tour each of the farms briefly to consult as through the principles and processes of Holistic monitoring data is gathered.

Management. Those present identified their values to include: preservation of resources; scenic beauty; Canadian Rancher Earns National teach youth sustainability; good educational Recognition system; clean air, food and water; active volunteers; HMI Certified Educator the arts; keeping young families here; viable and rancher, Don economic opportunities in the rural lifestyle; Campbell recently earned caring; safe; joyful; friendly, open and respectful national attention for being community spirit. named one of the 12 most HMI has funding for 5 to 10 farms to become influential farmers in participants in the pilot program. 10 farms and an Canada by Country Guide agent who helps farmers were admitted to this Magazine. Don co-owns B- Don Campbell group at the end of the town hall meeting and C Ranch in Meadow Lake, returned the next day with their management Saskatechewan. He raises cattle with his two sons teams for the first of their classes. Peggy Sechrist Scott and Mark and is often traveling teaching led the group in an interactive discussion of the CONTINUED ON PAGE 16 whole, the goal, the ecosystem processes and the Number 137

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15

Grapevine

• Added ability to identify exclusion periods

continued from page fifteen Holistic Management workshops and supporting numerous management clubs through Western Canada. Don credits Holistic Management for giving him the ability to care for his family and double his land’s grass production.

Congratulations, Don!

HMI at SRM Conference

and paddocks needing special attention • Compares estimated SAUs with planned peak SAUs • Easy calculations to determine SAUs • Auto-fill functions for closed plan • Grazing Manual hyperlink references for each step for ease of reference • New Livestock and Land Performance worksheet To order a copy of either the upgrade or the software as a new user call HMI at 505/842-5252 or order online at HMI’s online store at: http://holisticmanagement.org/store/

Free Downloads HMI is pleased to announce four new additions to our free downloads page. Those interested in learning more about Holistic Management can download electronic versions of the Principles for Success: Introduction to Holistic Management Manual; Healthy Land, Healthy Profits: Holistic Financial Planning Manual; and Increasing Pasture and Animal Productivity: Holistic Grazing Planning Manual. We also have included K-6 curriculum for our successful Kids on the Land program developed by Peggy Maddox. You can access these downloads by going to the free downloads section on our online store at: http://holisticmanagement.org/store/

In Memoriam It is with great sadness HMI reports the passing of Claudia Ball and Terry Gompert.

HMI participated in the tradeshow for the 2011 Society for Range Management Conference in Billings, Montana this year,which was attended by over 1500 participants. The trade show was packed and HMI’s Frank Aragona and Amy Normand were busy constantly at HMI’s booth, answering questions, introducing our new initiatives, and selling books. Frank also presented a poster session on the research around Holistic Planned Grazing, and he attended quite a few sessions on remote sensing technology for monitoring as this is of great interest to a number of agencies. Likewise, there was a Holistic Management producer panel presentations that had attendance of over 200 people.

HMI Social Media Efforts HMI is making a concentrated effort to build HMI’s Facebook and Twitter presence with the endgoal of generating awareness of Holistic Management within the sustainable agriculture movement. Under the efforts of HMI’s Director of Outreach and Communication, Sandy Langelier, HMI’s total Facebook fans have grown by 34% with Fan Page interactions increasing by 869%. Likewise, HMI Twitter Followers have grown by 234%. Please join us on Facebook and Twitter by clicking on those links from our home page.

Grazing Planning Software Update HMI’s Grazing Planning software is an electronic version of the Holistic Management Grazing Plan and Control Chart. This software tool does all the grazing planning calculations for you and the new upgrade that is now available has the following additions: • Account for multiple herds 16

IN PRACTICE

May / June 2011

Claudia Ball, a long-time HMI supporter and member, died March 9th. She was born in El Paso, Hudspeth County, Texas and lived in San Antonio for much of her childhood. She developed her love of ranching helping with chores on her grandparents’ Hudspeth River Ranch.

She is survived by her daughter, Mary Alice Ball Strunk and Alice’s husband William Robert “Billy Bob” Strunk and her three grandchildren, William Armour, Sarah, and Claudia Abbey.

Claudia pursued her lifelong dream of managing her ranch to ensure her descendants would have a legacy and history to treasure. Her next career as a woman rancher produced many awards and accolades including Conservation Rancher of the Year in 1983. Claudia was the first woman to serve on the Del Rio National Bank Board of Directors and then the Texas Community Bank. She was a founding Director of Holistic Resource Management of Texas, serving as its President, Treasurer and Director, and implemented the principles she studied on her beloved Hudspeth River Ranch. The ranch served as a teaching program for students from Texas A & M University, Sul Ross University, and Angelo State University.

Terry Gompert, a long time Holistic Management practitioner and active Holistic Management Certified Educator, died March 25th. Terry was an Extension Educator for the University of Nebraska in Knox County as well as a knowledgeable grassfed beef producer. He was instrumental in the training of many other Certified Educators as well as providing many trainings and educational events for agricultural producers throughout the Midwest. His work also included efforts on the Grassfed Exchange and the Carbon Terry Gompert Coalition. He presented on Holistic Management and low-cost grassfed beef across North America. Terry believed locally-grown foods, family farms, sustainable agriculture, Holistic Management and grass-based agriculture are the most valuable aspects of Nebraska’s future. Terry is survived by his wife, Connie, and his children and grandchildren.

As Denise Bartlett wrote: “Terry loved a good laugh, loved his family, loved his job. He was able to be the person he was, generous and ultimately kind, because he was well grounded in love from Connie and from God. The 72nd verse of the Tao speaks of the need for awe always and for acceptance of self. Terry cultivated and exemplified awe of the world around him. He also ‘loved himself without exalting himself.’ His attitude was one of the wise but enthusiastic servant. Somewhere up there, I’m sure that St. Peter has already been invited to a seminar to understand the importance of the tool of ‘rest’ when leading people to ‘lie down in green pastures.’”

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Ball and Gompert families.

2011 Western Canadian Holistic Management Conference

by Pam Iwanchyscho

T

he third consecutive Western Canadian Holistic Management Conference was held on February 15th and 16th, in Lloydminster, Alberta, Canada with 200 delegates in attendance. The event was organized by a committee of Manitoba Agriculture, Alberta Agriculture, Saskatchewan Agriculture staff as well as the Chinook Applied Research Association and numerous farmer volunteers across the Canadian prairies.

The conference opened with a tremendously inspiring presentation made by the Ponoka Holistic Management Club from Ponoka, Alberta. The group openly discussed their activities and ideas as to how they have remained intact all these years and how they have remained successful as a group.

Many of their ideas were shared for other groups to be able to use and take home.

Two keynote speakers who made a huge contribution to the event were Kier Barker and Dr.

Elaine Dembe. Kier spoke of his personal struggle with spina bifida and how he overcame hurdle upon hurdle in his life. His presentation was the Conference delegates at the Lloydminster Exhibition Grounds listening beginning of many to the Ponoka Holistic Club panel delivering their talk on how to be an humanitarian and effective support group. “people” type presentations throughout the conference. Dr. Elaine Dembe spoke on the relaying thoughts and comments on the personal, personal health side of things from a physical financial, and cropping and land management activity and healthy eating choice side of things. sides of Holistic Management. These break-out Her humorous presentation was well received sessions were delivered by the Canadian Certified based on how not to grow old!

Holistic Management educators.

Many break-out presentations were made on A big thank you goes to all the sponsors who the practical side of Holistic Management from made the conference possible. Special thanks to producers across Western Canada who are the Alberta Agriculture Department for their very practicing Holistic Management. Open bear-pit substantial financial contribution as well as Farm sessions also took place at the beginning of day 2 Business Communications.

Children’s Program at Canadian Conference

S

even children and a few more babies joined their families at this year’s Western Canadian Holistic Management Conference. This year the conference organizing committee decided to provide a free children’s program and babysitting service for the participants. It was a great success!

The parents were able to enjoy the many presentations throughout the two days while their kids were involved in activities about sustainable food and farming.

To get to know each other at the very beginning the kids were asked a few questions about their farm and their favorite places and we talked about how important our connections to these places are for us to feel a desire to take care of them. We used some of the exercises from the free downloads of HMI’s Kids on the Land program. It was a nice way to introduce the program and the sort of activities the kids would be involved in over the two days. Interestingly, some of the comments from the children included their favorite places being indoors, in their bedrooms or in front of the T.V. or their video games. Although this didn’t surprise me it re-affirms the importance to deliver programs like Kids on the Land to our youth, both urban and rural, and even those with parents involved in Holistic Management.

Other activities included building an EarthBox garden, crafting farm animal and pollinator fridge magnets, playing the Cows, Fish, Cattledogs and Kids board game created by the Alberta Riparian Habitat Management Society, and learning about land, water and wetland conservation practices and caring for the land on a wetland demonstration model. We even made pizzas that included all local ingredients sourced from a brand new store in Lloydminster. During some down time, the kids had access to coloring and activity books all of which taught about sustainable food and farming. And, when the weather was nice, we headed

by Pam Gottselig

outdoors to go for a snowshoe hike and learn about animal adaptations in the winter.

We also attended a few of the keynote speakers and the kids had a chance to sit with their parents. The program was a lot of fun and the organizing committee wants to continue this great addition to the conferences.

The Children’s Program was organized by Pamela Gottselig, Manager of the Parkland Conservation Farm. This program was phenomenal for those parents who brought their children to the conference!

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UNITED STATES

Certified Educators

NEW YORK Erica Frenay 454 Old 76 Road, Brooktondale, NY 14817 607/539-3246 • efrenay22@gmail.com

The following Certified Educators listed have been trained to teach and coach individuals in Holistic Management. On a yearly basis, Certified Educators renew their agreement to be affiliated with HMI. This agreement requires their commitment to practice Holistic Management in their own lives and to seek out opportunities for staying current with the latest developments in Holistic Management.

For more information about or application forms for the HMI’s Certified Educator Training Programs, contact Ann Adams or visit our website at: www.holisticmanagement.org.

◆ These educators provide Holistic Management instruction on behalf of the institutions they represent. associate educators provide * These educational services to their communities and peer groups.

MICHIGAN

ARIZONA

* Tim McGaffic

P.O. Box 1903, Cave Creek, AZ 85331 808/936-5749 • tim@timmcgaffic.com CALIFORNIA

Richard King 1675 Adobe Rd., Petaluma, CA 94954 707/769-1490 • 707/794-8692(w) richard.king@ca.usda.gov * Christopher Peck 1330 Gumview Road, Windsor, CA 95492 707/758-0171 Christopher@naturalinvesting.com ◆ Rob Rutherford CA Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo, CA 93407 805/756-1475 • rrutherf@calpoly.edu COLORADO Cindy Dvergsten 17702 County Rd. 23, Dolores, CO 81323 970/882-4222 hminfo@wholenewconcepts.com * Katherine Belle Rosing 22755 E. Garrett, Calhan, CO 80808 970/310-0852 heritagebellefarms@gmail.com GEORGIA Constance Neely 1421 Rockinwood Dr., Athens, GA 30606 706/540-2878 • clneely@earthlink.net

* Ben Bartlett

N4632 ET Road, Traunik, MI 49891 906/439-5210 (h) • 906/439-5880 (w) bartle18@msu.edu * Larry Dyer 1113 Klondike Ave, Petoskey, MI 49770-3233 231/439-8982 (w) • 231/347-7162 (h) dyerlawr@msu.edu MONTANA Roland Kroos 4926 Itana Circle, Bozeman, MT 59715 406/522-3862 kroosing@msn.com * Cliff Montagne P.O. Box 173120, Montana State University Department of Land Resources & Environmental Science, Bozeman, MT 59717 406/994-5079 • montagne@montana.edu NEBRASKA Paul Swanson 5155 West 12th St., Hastings, NE 68901 402/463-8507 swanson@inebraska.com Ralph Tate 1109 Timber Dr., Papillion, NE 68046 402/932-3405 Tater2d2@cox.net NEW HAMPSHIRE ◆ Seth Wilner

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

IOWA

* Mae Rose Petrehn

P.O. Box 1802, Ames, IA 50010 913/707-7723 treadearthintometaphor@gmail.com

NEW MEXICO ◆ Ann Adams

Holistic Management International 1010 Tijeras NW, Albuquerque, NM 87102 505/842-5252 anna@holisticmanagement.org Kelly Boney 4865 Quay Road L, San Jon, NM 88434 575/760-7636 kboney@plateautel.net Kirk Gadzia P.O. Box 1100, Bernalillo, NM 87004 505/867-4685, (f) 505/867-9952 kirk@rmsgadzia.com

MAINE Vivianne Holmes 239 E Buckfield Road Buckfield, ME 04220-4209 207/336-2484 vholmes@umext.maine.edu * Tobey Williamson 52 Center Street Portland, ME 04101 c: 207-332-9941 tobey@bartongingold.com

IN PRACTICE

OREGON Jeff Goebel 52 NW Mcleay Blvd., Portland, OR 97210 541/610-7084 • goebel@aboutlistening.com

UNITED STATES

18

NORTH DAKOTA Wayne Berry 1611 11th Ave. West, Williston, ND 58801 701/572-9183 • wberry@wil.midco.net Joshua Dukart 2539 Clover Place, Bismarck, ND 58503 701/870-1184 • Joshua_dukart@yahoo.com

May / June 2011

PENNSYLVANIA Jim Weaver 428 Copp Hollow Road, Wellsboro, PA 16901 570/724-4955 • jaweaver@epix.net TEXAS Guy Glosson 6717 Hwy. 380, Snyder, TX 79549 806/237-2554 glosson@caprock-spur.com

Peggy Maddox P.O. Box 694, Ozona, TX 76943-0694 325/392-2292 • westgift@hughes.net Peggy Sechrist 106 Thunderbird Ranch Road, Fredericksburg, TX 78624 (C)830/456-5587 • peggysechrist@gmail.com WASHINGTON Sandra Matheson 228 E. Smith Rd., Bellingham, WA 98226 360/398-7866 • mathesonsm@frontier.com ◆ Don Nelson Department of Animal Sciences 116 Clark Hall, Washington State University Pullman, WA 99164-6310 509/335-2922 • nelsond@wsu.edu Doug Warnock 1880 SE Larch Ave., College Place, WA 99324 509/540-5771 • 509/856-7101 (c) dwarnock@columbianet.com WISCONSIN Larry Johnson, 608/455-1685 W886 State Rd. 92, Brooklyn, WI 53521 LarryStillPointFarm@gmail.com * Laura Paine Wisconsin DATCP N893 Kranz Rd., Columbus, WI 53925 608/224-5120 (w) • 920/623-4407 (h) laura.paine@datcp.state.wi.us

INTERNATIONAL AUSTRALIA Judi Earl “Glen Orton” 3843 Warialda Rd., Coolatai NSW 2402 judiearl@auzzie.net 61-2- 0409-151-969 George Gundry Willeroo, Tarago, NSW 2580 61-2-4844-6223 • g.gundry@bigpond.com Graeme Hand 150 Caroona Lane, Branxholme, VIC 3302 61-3-5578-6272 (h) 61-4-1853-2130 (c) graeme.hand@bigpond.com Dick Richardson Frogmore Boorowa NSW 2586 61-0-263853217 (w) 61-0-263856224 (h) 61-0-429069001 (c) dick@hanaminno.com.au Brian Wehlburg Pine Scrub Creek, Kindee, NSW, 2446 61-2-6587-4353 brian@insideoutsidemgt.com.au CANADA Don Campbell Box 817 Meadow Lake, SK S9X 1Y6 306/236-6088 doncampbell@sasktel.net Linda & Ralph Corcoran Box 36, Langbank, SK S0G 2X0 306/532-4778 rlcorcoran@sasktel.net

* Allison Guichon

Box 10, Quilchena, BC V0E 2R0 250/378-4535 allison@guichonranch.ca Blain Hjertaas Box 760, Redvers, Saskatchewan SOC 2HO 306/452-3882 bhjer@sasktel.net Brian Luce RR #4, Ponoka, AB T4J 1R4 403/783-6518 lucends@cciwireless.ca Tony McQuail 86016 Creek Line, RR#1, Lucknow, ON N0G 2H0 519/528-2493 mcqufarm@hurontel.on.ca Len Pigott Box 222, Dysart, SK, SOH 1HO 306/432-4583 JLPigott@sasktel.net Kelly Sidoryk P.O. Box 374, Lloydminster, AB S9V 0Y4 780/875-9806 (h) 780/875-4418 (c) sidorykk@yahoo.ca

INTERNATIONAL

MEXICO Ivan A. Aguirre Ibarra P.O. Box 304, Hermosillo, Sonora 83000 52-1-662-281-0990 (from U.S.) 51-1-662-281-0901 Rancho_inmaculada@yahoo.com.mx

NEW ZEALAND

* John King

UNITED KINGDOM NAMIBIA Usiel Kandjii P.O. Box 23319, Windhoek 264-61-205-2324 • kandjiiu@gmail.com Colin Nott P.O. Box 11977, Windhoek 264/61-225085 (h) 264/81-2418778 canott@iafrica.com.na Wiebke Volkmann P.O. Box 9285, Windhoek 264-61-225183 or 264-81-127-0081 wiebke@mweb.com.na

* Philip Bubb 32 Dart Close, St. Ives, Cambridge, PE27 3JB 44-1480-496-2925 (h) +44 7837 405483 (w) philipbubb@onetel.com

COLORADO Colorado Branch For Holistic Management® P.O. Box 218 Lewis, CO 81327 www.coloradoholisticmanagement.org Cindy Dvergsten, webmaster 970/882-4222 NEW YORK Central NY RC&D Phil Metzger 99 North Broad Street Norwich, NY 13815 607/334-3231 ext 4 phil.metzger@ny.usda.gov

PENNSYLVANIA Northern Penn Network Jim Weaver, contact person 428 Copp Hollow Road, Wellsboro, PA 16901 570/724-4955 • jaweaver@epix.net

TEXAS West Station for Holistic Management Peggy Maddox PO Box 694, Ozona, TX 76943 325/392-2292 westgift@hughes.net

NORTHWEST Managing Wholes Peter Donovan PO Box 393 Enterprise, OR 97828 541/426-5783 www.managingwholes.com

T H E

M A R K E T P L A C E

Holistic Goal Setting and Facilitation Services Are you ready to make the most out of your resources?

Do you need help dealing with critical human resource issues?

Has change taken you by surprise?

HMI provides skilled, objective facilitators to help you achieve your goals!

BENEFITS OF HOLISTIC MANAGEMENT FACILITATION INCLUDE:

Oklahoma Land Stewardship Alliance Kim Barker, contact person 35878 Cimarron Road Waynoka, OK 73860 580/732-0244 580/732-0244 oklsa@pldi.net

SOUTH AFRICA Jozua Lambrechts P.O. Box 5070 Helderberg, Somerset West Western Cape 7135 27-83-310-1940 • 27-21-851-2430 (w) jozua@websurf.co.za Ian Mitchell-Innes P.O. Box 52 Elandslaagte 2900 27-36-421-1747 blanerne@mweb.co.za

OKLAHOMA

ARIZONA HRM of Arizona Norm Lowe 2660 E. Hemberg Flagstaff, AZ 86004 928/214-0040 loweflag@aol.com

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To learn more, call HMI at

• Elicits key motivators and values 505/842-5252 or from the group for more effective email Tracy at tfavre@ group decision making holisticmanagement.org.

• Improves communication • Improves conflict resolution • Creates a safe environment to have crucial conversations including generational transfer • Creates common ground from which to make management decisions and plans

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

AFFILIATES

Want to make the world a better place?

Interested in teaching others about Holistic Management?

HMI’s Certified Educator Training Program is an individualized two-year training program developed to produce excellent Holistic Management facilitators, coaches, and instructors. Tailored to meet your needs and interests.

TO LEARN MORE, CONTACT: Ann Adams • hmi@holisticmanagement.org • 505/842-5252 http://www.holisticmanagement.org/n7/Certified_Educators/CE9_ITP.html

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T H E

M A R K E T P L A C E

HANDS-ON AGRONOMY BASIC SOIL FERTILITY GUIDELINES Now Available on DVD

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For consulting or educational services contact:

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(plus shipping) (PAL orders add $5)

WE ACCEPT CREDIT CARD ORDERS (VISA, MC)

Tour 2011

T h e I a n M it c h e ll- I n n e s May 2 . . . . . . . . Ford Ranch, Texas

May 3-5 . . . . . . 3-Day Class Introduction, Financial, and Grazing Overview May 9 . . . . . . . Bear Creek Ranch, Texas May 10-12 . . . . 3-Day Advanced Grazing Techniques May 14 . . . . . . . Phelan Ranch, Oklahoma ~ FOR MORE INFORMATION GO TO ~ www.holisticmanagement.org or call 505/842-5252

20

IN PRACTICE

May / June 2011

T H E

M A R K E T P L A C E

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Low Stress Cattle Handling Video $59.

Send checks/money order to:

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

970/229-0703 www.grandin.com

Seth Wilner SETH HAS OVER 10 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE WORKING WITH FARMERS AND FARM FAMILIES As a Certified Educator and a New Hampshire Cooperative Extension Educator, Seth offers effective, hands-on, practical consulting and training in: • PROGRAM EVALUATION • VISION AND VALUES CLARIFICATION • FINANCIAL PLANNING • BUSINESS PLANNING • WHOLE FARM PLANNING • BUDGETING • GOALSETTING • CONFLICT RESOLUTION

To learn more about these consulting and training opportunities, contact Seth at: seth.wilner@unh.edu • 603/863-4497

Number 137

IN PRACTICE

21

T H E

WORLD CLASS FENCING

M A R K E T P L A C E

&

Custom-made

SPURS Crosses

www.powerflexfence.com

PowerFlex G2 Post

To place your order, or learn more, contact: KELLY BONEY, Certified Educator

PowerFlex Geared Reel

4865 Quay Road L San Jon, NM 88434 575/760-7636 kboney@ plateautel.net

HMI Wear Unique gifts for everyone on your shopping list!

• HATS • JACKETS • VESTS • SHIRTS Visit our online store at www.holisticmanagement.org TODAY! Phone orders call 505/842-5252

HMI GRAZING PLANNING SOFTWARE UPGRADE The HMI Grazing Planning Software is an electronic version of the Holistic Management Grazing Plan and Control Chart. This software tool does all the grazing planning calculations for as many as 100 paddocks.

New features include: • Account for multiple herds

$

100

• Added ability to identify exclusion eperiods and paddocks needing special attention • Compares estimated SAUs with planned peak SAUs • Easy calculations to determine SAUs • Auto-fill functions for closed plan • Grazing Manual hyperlink references for each step for ease of reference • New Livestock and Land Performance worksheet

TO LEARN MORE OR TO ORDER CALL

HMI at 505/842-5252 or go to our online store at www.holisticmanagement.org/store/ 22

IN PRACTICE

May / June 2011

See the Big Picture ~ Respond to Change ~ Be Sustainable

Get Started Today – Join Our

Holistic Management Distance Learning & Mentoring Program Realize Immediate Benefits Save money on education — and get more for your money with highly personalized training.

All you need is a telephone, a computer is NOT needed. Learn at your own pace; apply what you learn to your situation and get results now!

Don’t change your life to learn.

Let your education change your life!

Visit: www.wholenewconcepts.com Email: hminfo@wholenewconcepts.com Call Cindy at 970/882-4222 for a free consultation!

Cindy Dvergsten, is a Holistic Management® Certified Educator, offering you over 15 years experience in training, mentoring, and facilitation; 30 years in natural resource management; and a lifetime of experience in diversified farming.

Offered By Whole New Concepts, LLC P.O. Box 218 Lewis CO 81327

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healthy land. sustainable future.

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August 2008, 61 pages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$17

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

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Books & Multimedia Holistic Management: A New Framework for Decision-Making,

_ Second Edition, by Allan Savory with Jody Butterfield. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $50 _ Spanish Version (soft) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $40 _ Holistic Management Handbook, by Butterfield, Bingham, Savory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $30 _ At Home With Holistic Management, by Ann Adams. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $20 _ Holistic Management: A New Environmental Intelligence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $10 _ Improving Whole Farm Planning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $13 _ Video: Creating a Sustainable Civilization—An Introduction to

_ Aide Memoire for Grazing Planning August 2007, 63 pages. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$17

_ Early Warning Biological Monitoring— Croplands April 2000, 26 pages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$15

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

_ Land Planning—For The Rancher or Farmer Running Livestock August 2007, 31 pages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$15

Planning Forms (All forms are padded – 25 sheets per pad)

Holistic Decision-Making, based on a lecture given by Allan Savory. (DVD) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $30

_ Stockmanship, by Steve Cote. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $35 _ The Grassfed Gourmet Cookbook, by Shannon Hayes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $25 _ The Oglin, by Dick Richardson & Rio de la Vista. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $25 _ Gardeners of Eden, by Dan Dagget . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $25 _ Video: Healing the Land Through Multi-Species Grazing (DVD) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $30 _ PBS Video—The First Millimeter: Healing the Earth (DVD) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $25

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