#147, In Practice, Jan/Feb 2013

In Practice a publication of Holistic Management International

JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2013

Improving Pasture Forage—

NUMBER 147

W W W. H O L I S T I C M A N A G E M E N T. O R G

by ELYSA BRYANT

~ INSIDE THIS ISSUE ~

To Seed or Not to Seed

Pasture Seeding

I

’ve been practicing Holistic Management and planned grazing for about 2-3 years now. In those two years that I’ve been learning and practicing Holistic Management, I’ve been in a number of classes learning about how the planned grazing improves the diversity of forage in a pasture. Almost without fail, when the instructor says that the forage will improve, without even reseeding, participants just can’t quite seem to believe it. “Then how are those new grasses, legumes and brassicas appearing,” a participant will often ask, to which the instructor replies “from the seed bank.”

Oftentimes the question emerges again, the group often perplexed at how this could possibly be true. Pressed for more information and types of seeds they should be buying, the instructor explains that given time and practice with the planned grazing that improvement in forage species will steadily occur. Buzz will linger, people will ask again, sometimes repeatedly, “but I must have to buy some seed.” I’ve only been part of a group once where the instructor was persistent in making the point: you don’t have to buy seed to see an improvement in pasture if you’re using planned grazing.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

FEATURE STORIES The Lazy R Ranch— Seventy-Five Years and Four Generations SANDRA M. MATHESON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Drought I’ve Known ART ROANE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Land & Livestock

I was doubtful at times and I wouldn’t have believed it if I didn’t see it for myself every time I walk through my pasture. When I began moving my animals through the pasture, it already seemed pretty healthy. It was vibrant green with some clover and grasses.

I think the first time I did biological monitoring I saw about 8 different species and I thought “maybe I don’t even need to do planned grazing.” I decided to go ahead anyway because I wanted to see if you really could get greater diversity in forage, and therefore greater diversity in the environment overall, without spreading seed. I had heard about the concept of the seed bank in the soil, but honestly, it was knowing something without really having the experience to know it. I had doubts in my own mind, too, about whether I could rely on the seed bank to provide increased, and improved, forage diversity.

That doubt gave way to a small purchase of seeds the first spring two years ago.

I bought some field peas and some triticale and spread it by hand. I had my poultry rotating throughout that pasture the first year and the triticale and field peas emerged.

The animals did well and after my first season was under my belt, I was satisfied to see how healthy our animals (and their eggs and meat) seemed to be. The forage looked kind of beat by the end of the growing season, I had made some mistakes, but overall the results with the animals reinforced my own desire to keep trying the planned grazing.

I didn’t notice much of a change in the species of forage as I looked out over the top, but that changed the next year.

Last year, after a full year since starting, and going in to our second year as a farm, I noticed that the forage emerged from the winter hibernation full and lush. I noticed much, much more clover. We decided we would not mechanically graze the pasture, instead we would let it grow and then make paths through for the Electronet fencing to continue with the planned grazing. It was after the first time that we took the weedwhacker through to make paths that I got a more complete view of the diversity of the forage from more than an ‘across the tops’ perspective. Once the forage was cut away in swaths, you could see the understories and layers of new species that had developed.

Many producers have found that with increased recovery periods and greater stock density, they are able to regenerate native grasses from the seed bank already in the soil.

Learn about the scientific and on-farm research that explores this topic on this page and on pages 7 and 9.

Why Grazing Native Grasses Is More Profitable Than Resowing Or Cropping GRAEME HAND . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Grass Comeback GRAEME HAND . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Merlin Ranch— Improving Land and Animal Performance HEATHER SMITH THOMAS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Cattle & Mule Deer CHRIS GILL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

News & Network

The Experiment

3 5

7 9

11 14

From the Board Chair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Grapevine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Development Corner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Kids on the Land . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Book Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Certified Educators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Marketplace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Pasture Forage

In Practice a publication of Holistic Management International

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

STAFF Peter Holter . . . . . . . Chief Executive Officer Kelly King . . . . . . . . . Chief Financial Officer Ann Adams. . . . . . . . Managing Editor, IN PRACTICE and Director of Education Sandy Langelier. . . . Director, Communications and Outreach

continued from page one

As I walked those pasture paths I was amazed. The field peas and triticale had emerged again but there were more grasses and grains that I hadn’t seen before: barley, oats, sorghum, orchard grass, alfalfa and other species I have yet to know the names of. As the season wore on, a spring and summer drier than usual after a winter of huge snowfall, I was gratified to see the resilience of these new grasses, grains and legumes. I knew I didn’t need to purchase seed to revitalize my forage quality, but a persistent habit kicked in anyway: I purchased a small amount of seed, red clover and alfalfa this time, because I was afraid I had just had beginner’s luck. I wasn’t sure that I would see that same lush, green, diverse pasture emerge from winter the way it had after the first year.

Frank Aragona . . . . . Director, Programs

Buying As a Habit

Matt Parrack . . . . . . . Director, Development

That “persistent habit” was buying something when I had trouble believing I already had everything I needed. I think that is the same habit that makes people question how improvement could possibly occur without buying and spreading seed. If I look around I see lots of examples where we tend to think that buying something will make our problem better, even when we already have what we need, almost no matter what our problem is.

If we are buying something to address the

Peggy Sechrist. . . . . Development Advisor Peggy Maddox . . . . . Director, Kids on the Land Program Peggy Cole . . . . . . . . Project Manager, Texas Mary Girsch-Bock . . Grants Manager Carrie Nelson . . . . . . Store Manager / Customer Support

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Sallie Calhoun, Chair Ben Bartlett, Past Chair Kelly Sidoryk, Vice-Chair Jim Shelton, Treasurer Judi Earl, Secretary Ron Chapman Zizi Fritz Laura Gill Gail Hammack Clint Josey Wayne Knight Sam Montoya Jim Parker Michael Podolny

Elysa Bryant is a participant in HMI’s Beginning Women Farmer Program and a Certified Educator trainee. She can be reached at: elysa.bryant@gmail.com.

HOLISTIC MANAGEMENT In Practice (ISSN: 1098-8157) is published six times a year by: Holistic Management International 5941 Jefferson St. NE, Suite B Albuquerque, NM 87109 505/842-5252, fax: 505/843-7900; email: hmi@holisticmanagement.org.; website: www.holisticmanagement.org

Copyright © 2013

2 IN PRACTICE

problem, we’re likely to believe it is in some meaningful way better than what we have on hand. Sometimes this is true; for me personally, most of the time it is not. There are even times when the easy, cheap answer just seems too easy. If it was really that easy than why doesn’t everyone do it?

My guess is because we are in the habit of buying something to make something else better. For pasture improvement, however, that habit causes you to spend money when you may not want or need to make that expenditure.

Granted, sometimes a farmer is buying seed for the pasture because they are sowing for monoculture, like alfalfa that will be the last rotation for beef before going to slaughter. In context, it does matter what you are managing toward. I am managing toward greater biodiversity overall, so for me, purchasing seed doesn’t necessarily get me any closer to my holistic goal.

What’s happened this year so far? Well, we had an incredibly dry, unseasonably warm winter and early spring. Still, everything emerged green and full. New species emerged that haven’t been in the pasture previously, including herbs, more grains, grasses, and brassicas. There is a lot more wildlife, too. A lot of birds, butterflies, bees and dragonflies are present. Their presence in the pasture, which is adjacent to our vegetables, has ensured lots of activity there.

Holistic Management planned grazing can help us get out of the habit of buying seed to make our pastures more diverse if we are willing to try it as it was designed. The seeds in the soil, long dormant and forgotten products of species present in the past, can be the seeds of change as you evolve toward a higher quality, healthier and more diverse pasture.

Forbs and grasses abound in many different age stages as a result of Elysa’s experimentation with grazing and allowing the native seedbank to reseed her pastures and achieve greater biodiversity.

January / February 2013

The Lazy R Ranch—

Seventy-Five Years and Four Generations

by Sandra M. Matheson

I

t is early morning in a farmhouse at the edge of a long, quiet meadow surrounded by pines.

Beth Robinette rises and makes her way to the kitchen. She quickly prepares a lunch for her husband Matt and sends him off to work. The two young children are next. She wakes them, feeds them, and get’s them dressed. They pile into the car and head off to school. Returning home, it’s time to fit in an hour or two of farm chores. There’s no end to the work it seems.

Grandmother Lorene is next to wake, get dressed, and fed. Grandpa Gene passed away three years ago and Grandmother can no longer take care of herself. Beth spends the next few hours working inside on the business and school work. Before long, it’s time to pick up the children from school. Dinner is prepared for the family and Matt returns home. As afternoon turns to evening, time is devoted to family and study. Another day draws to a close on the Lazy R Ranch.

Beth (Elizabeth) is the fourth generation of Robinettes on the Lazy R. She has recently become an official partner and manager of the ranch along with her father, Maurice Robinette.

This year marks the seventy-fifth anniversary of the Lazy R Ranch in Cheney, Washington. The family prides itself on producing quality and sustainably produced grass fed beef with the principles of Holistic Management.

Lazy R History In 1937, Beth’s great-grandfather Earl moved to the ranch. With his wife, Louella (a professional chef), two sons, and a daughter, he managed a herd of twenty dairy cattle. His son Gene transitioned from milk cows to beef in 1950. He and his wife Lorene (a school teacher) welcomed a son, Maurice, in 1950.The family has been raising beef cattle ever since.

Maurice has loved cattle from the very beginning. It’s reported that his first word was “moo”. He graduated from Washington State University and earned his Master’s Degree in Sociology from the University of Idaho. He moved to Montana for work and there met his wife Ellen. In 1981, they returned to the ranch in Cheney. Ellen is described as the backbone of the farm, assisting with nearly every aspect of the work, including the books.

Maurice and Ellen have two very talented and intelligent daughters. Beth is the oldest followed by Jacqueline who is currently at the University of Puget Sound studying in the areas of political science and government.

Holistic Management Roots Beth’s earliest memory on the farm was being chased by a Charolais cow when she was 3 years old. “My mom had my infant sister strapped to her back and she chucked me over a barbed wire fence before hurtling over it herself. I’ve never liked white cows because of that.”

She has been involved in the ranch from an early age. Her primary job as a child was to raise the orphan calves. She recalls, “It was always really fun in the beginning when they were little and cute, but by the time they were ready to be weaned and I had been head butted a couple times, I was ready to see them turn into hamburger.”

Maurice Robinette became involved with Holistic Management in 1995 through the four year Washington State University/Kellogg Foundation Holistic Management project. He was selected from the group to enter the Certified Educator Training Program in 1996.

He, and that original team of educators, still work together facilitating Holistic Management in the U.S. through Managing Change Northwest. Beth was 9 years old at the time, so Holistic Management has been a part of the family’s philosophy for most of her life. She first read the Holistic Management textbook in 8th grade for a science fair project on grazing. She admits a great deal of it went over her head, but it was her first real introduction to the process.

Beth attended Cheney High School. She went on to graduate from Fairhaven College at Western Washington University where she earned a self-designed degree entitled “Empowering Family Farms: Profiting from Sustainability.” She is currently enrolled in the MBA program in Sustainable Systems at Bainbridge Graduate Institute with a certificate in Sustainable Food and Agriculture.

From Daughter to Partner Beth was never pressured to come back and work on the family ranch. She read several influential books that pulled her in that direction, including Fast Food Nation in high school and Omnivore’s Dilemma as a freshman in college.

She soon realized that a great opportunity to do meaningful work was sitting right in front of her.

She says, “It became clear to me that I had to

Lazy R Ranch partners (daughter and father)— Beth and Maurice Robinette

return to the ranch. I didn’t intend to come back so soon after college, but after my grandfather passed away, it became clear that I needed to be close to my family.”

Beth married her sweetheart Matt in 2011.

Matt had also grown up in Cheney. He didn’t have any farm experience, but was “pretty happy to marry into a family that came with unlimited steak dinners.” He works as an English teacher at a school in a treatment facility for boys age 10-18 with chemical dependency issues and emotional disturbances. Although Matt doesn’t have an active role in the ranch business, he is always eager to lend a helping hand where needed.

The union with Matt created an instant family: Matt’s ten year old daughter, Audrey, and his five-year-old nephew, Charlie. The new family moved to the ranch shortly thereafter.

They reside in her grandparents’ home to help care for Lorene, age 87, and become part of the Lazy R Ranch’s next generations.

The transition from daughter to business partner has not always been easy. It becomes a complicated relationship assuming the two roles. Both Beth and her father are strong willed and are often very direct about their opinions and feelings. Naturally there have been some clashes—to be expected in any relationship— but more important are the added the benefits of deep trust, love, and a shared vision.

A Holistic Approach The Lazy R is located 16 miles southwest of Spokane, Washington. The Robinettes produce all natural grass fed and finished beef which is CONTINUED ON PAGE 4

Number 147

IN PRACTICE 3

The Lazy R Ranch

continued from page three

direct marketed in the Spokane area. The 836 acres became certified organic just this year.

The herd is primarily Black Angus with a recent introduction of a Lowline bull. The Lowline cattle have a smaller carcass size and are reported to be more efficient on feed, to finish better, and allow for more animals per acre. Beth stresses that more people, especially urbanites want to take advantage of bulk grass fed beef, but either can’t afford a large side or don’t have a large enough freezer to store it. Having some smaller cattle on the ranch has helped to fill that niche.

Their mission is to produce food that is “good for the land, good for the animals, and good for people”. Until the mid-nineties, the ranch was managed using conventional practices. Since the introduction of Holistic Management, many changes have occurred.

According to Beth, “In order to make holistic decisions, we look at all aspects of the ranching process: animal, producer, and client. We have established clear goals regarding our quality of life, ideal product, and how we want the world to be in the future. All of our important decisions are tested against these ideals and goals in order to give us the best possible results.”

One of the challenges to practicing Holistic Management on the ranch is the time it takes to

make a major decision. Beth explains, “My dad and I spend a lot of time mulling things over, using testing guidelines, and trying to come up with creative solutions to problems. It’s tempting to just do the easy, fast thing, but it isn’t always the right thing. It would be easy to spray RoundUp® on the musk thistles on our property. Using poisons on the ranch is not part of our holistic goal, so we spend a lot of time and effort using machetes and goats to control weed problems.

You really have to test your decisions and stick to your guns instead of just doing the easiest, fastest thing.”

Beth and Maurice work to match the nutritional requirements of the animal to the availability of forage on the ranch. They calve in late spring and early summer. High animal densities are used in the grazing plan, often up to 100 pair per acre. The cattle are trained to move frequently with little or no stress. The result is more contented cows. The harvesting of the cattle is done as humanely as possible.

There is a great emphasis on encouraging biodiversity on the ranch. They also enhance the preservation of wildlife habitat through their practices.

The move to grass fed beef has greatly decreased dependency on the price and availability of oil for production. Other than

making hay and transporting animals, petrochemicals are not used on the ranch. She explained that as the price of oil rises, their product continues to become more and more price-competitive with conventional beef. They work to keep their carbon footprint small and sequester carbon through their grazing practices so the beef operation has a net positive impact on the environment.

Maurice is the Director of Operations on the Lazy R. He performs most of the day-to-day “cowboy stuff.” Beth’s title is Director of Marketing. She facilitates the sales and marketing of the grass fed beef as well as having designed and maintaining the website.

Beth explains, “Marketing is the lifeblood of our business. It allowed us to go from price-takers at the sale yard, to price makers selling directly to our customers and to restaurants.. Because of their well-deserved excellent reputation, most of the beef is now sold word of mouth. Several recent media interviews have been helpful in promoting the business as well. A website is a critical for any small business. Lazy R customers are able to learn about the ranch online, place orders, and make purchases. The personal touch is very important to the Robinette family. They host farm tours and events to so they can meet their customers in person.

Beth also helps with daily chores, moving cattle, and building fence. In addition to the cattle, the ranch is home to a flock of laying hens, three dachshunds, a farm cat, and a small goat herd Beth manages that is used to control invasive weeds. She loves food and most of her spare time is devoted to cooking whole, nutritious, and delightful meals for her family. When asked how she balances her ranch, business, school, and family duties, Beth replied: “I don’t really. Balance implies some sort of separation, and in my life, all these things kind of bleed together. My family is part of my business and the ranch, and school is all about how to support my family and make my business CONTINUED ON PAGE 15

At the Lazy R Ranch, stock density runs at 100 cow/ calve pair/acre to improve soil fertility and work toward a net positive impact on the environment.

4 IN PRACTICE

January / February 2013

Drought I’ve Known

by ART ROANE

W

e ranch north and west of Ozona, Texas. Been here about 24 years and haven’t seen the same year twice . . . yet. Our average annual rainfall is 18 inches. We get an occasional snow and any moisture is welcome. In our years here, the most rain fell in 1990 (35.7”) and the least in 2011 (6.1”). Our greatest chances to grow forage are from mid-March thru mid-June and then from mid- August thru mid-October. I realize that this is about drought, but the optimist in me took over.

My first memories of drought included the stressed feelings of fear, confusion, doubt, anger, helplessness, and eventually apathy. Life was plenty gloomy and the sky way too blue. Like to think that I’ve learned something since then! For one thing, I know that the word normal has no use in the description of the weather here.

Are We There Yet? At first, I didn’t even know that we were in a drought. It wasn’t like we walked thru a door into “drought;” rather, it kinda’ crept up on us, like old age. Sure it hadn’t rained for a while, but to say that no rain is the definition didn’t say enough. Now, I feel “droughty” and know “she’s” with us when we have two consecutive growing seasons without moisture enough to enable our key forage species to complete their preferred growth—that is sprouting new growth, growing to maturity, and producing seed, stolons, and/or rhizomes during the respective growth season.

The time here has taught us to recognize the key forage species of value to wildlife and livestock and timing of growth rates, response to a little, a lot, or no rain, how grazing effects the plant species, what is the preferred amount of residual to leave after a graze, what are optimum recover time and conditions.

One of the reasons that this information is important to me is because it helps me determine when plant growth has stopped because of no available moisture. When this lack of growth happens for an extended, unexpected period; I basically “draw a line in the sand” and adjustments are made incrementally. Think “plan, monitor, adjust, replan.” When these conditions occur forage isn’t the only life decreasing. It seems like almost all life takes a hit the longer drought stays.

Adding Insult to Injury Almost all life takes a “drought hit” but some forms explode. When plants and animals are stressed they become more susceptible to parasites and forage is no exception. The opportunistic insects that attack forage show up at the most damaging of times and sometimes show up in plague-like proportions. Consider the giant grasshopper. Around here these unmanaged grazers attack en-mass when grass growth is extremely slow or non-existent and temperatures are in the 100 degree range.

They stay way past a planned graze, respect no fences, and their cannibalistic traits are a terrible example for sibling children.

Grasshoppers have hurt our grass and caused us to get bucked off on occasion, but when it seems like nothing else can go wrong during a drought enter the Desert Termite (also known as D.T.’s).

D.T.’s are country cousins to termites that eat houses, only more “outdoorsy.” They are similar in appearance but depending on your perspective, D.T.’s are much more damaging and harder to control than house eating termites. In my eyes, desert termites’ actions contribute greatly to creating the environment for which they were named.

Options, Options, and more Options I do believe that the most damaging part of a drought is the personal stress that I’ve allowed to consume me at times. For me severity of stress is directly proportionate to the number of perceivable options. We are all animals and those with 4 legs graphically exemplify the option/stress relationship at times. So . . . I don’t feel in bad company. Choices made during a drought seem weightier at the time. But drought or no drought, the realization of unlimited choice comes with the responsibility to make those choices that move us closer to our goal.

Following are some drought influenced choices we’ve made.

Since the winter of 2010, we’ve reduced our livestock number and species mix from a herd of cattle and sheep equaling an animal unit per 25 acres to a herd of sheep only with an A.U./120 acres during the summer of 2011. In this region, sheep are more flexible than cattle in diet (consuming forbs, brush, or grass), gestation length (5 months), and water requirements. Plus lambs weaned at two months of age can be marketed or fed to a weight of 50-70 pounds with the help of 100-120 pounds of feed for the next 60 days and then

sold, or lambs can be held on pasture and “roughed thru” with a minimal of supplement until times get better. At the same time, a dry open ewe will gain weight on very poor range.

In short, sheep give us more options during a drought.

Because of reduced livestock numbers we spend a lot more time on maintenance. We’ve changed fluids on machinery, patched fences, trimmed trees, built pens, greased bearings on everything greasable, and written articles.

We’ve also continued to remove invasive brush, mainly cedar (Redberry Juniper). It was so dry that spring of 2011 the cedar began to brown and by summer many trees appeared dead.

Appearances can be deceiving and as of now the 13 inches or so of rain received this year has caused resprouting of some of the cedar, a worthy adversary. This brush removal is costly (about $90/acre). But pro-rated over a beneficial period of 25 years, coupled with the fact that cedar’s water use is extreme and removal creates beneficial soil disturbance to aid rainfall efficacy, we feel removal is a good option.

After judging pasture usage as a weak link and running some figures we decided to spread our water availability out to benefit not only pasture utilization but also wildlife composition and livestock performance. We are using existing wells (some with electric pumps, others with windmills, and others are solar powered), fiberglass water reservoirs, poly pipe and pipe or concrete troughs to do the spreading.

Previously some of our pastures had one water source, that being in the cell center. What a positive difference we are seeing with changes in grazing patterns and wildlife population shifts!

CONTINUED ON PAGE 6

Art Roane on the Double T Ranch.

Number 147

IN PRACTICE 5

Drought I’ve Known

continued from page five

One of the hardest things to do during a drought (right behind finding anything to feel positive about) is to continue to monitor pasture conditions. After all—no growth is no growth and is as hard to measure as it is to touch, smell, or view. But believe me your time is well spent to at least take a few fixed point photos.

When green returns you’ll be able to really enjoy the beautiful difference and mark the extent of the land’s and your resilience.

Another activity that we’ve continued to pursue during drought is gardening. Sure the size of the garden is reduced, but we still glean the therapeutic benefits of helping growth along and consuming produce which seems juicier and more miraculous with each dry day.

Speaking of therapy, how about travel? If you are fortunate to have friends or relatives who live where it rains more often than where you do, why not use the fewer animal needs to propel you away from that dusty place for a week, two or even longer. Home probably won’t wash away. Your hosts may not grasp the full meaning of your wistful stares at their green lawns or pasture and impromptu dancing as it thunders may need to be explained, but they may grow to appreciate your delight in what they had taken for granted. Even though when it is time to go home, it may seem like you’ll smell the same old dust, check your perspective. I’ll bet it’s somewhat improved from when you departed home.

While true, we can’t all just pull out and be gone for weeks on end, we can reach out to our family, neighbors, and fellow “droughters.”

Visiting with others and sharing the hard times

goes a long way toward diffusing the stressful tension that like a parasite feeds on us during these hard times. It helps me to know and feel that I’m not fighting this alone. And even if my ideas on how to make it to “green up” are dried up, someone else may have just the thought to get thru to a better day or better yet the roles may reverse. These shared visits are not only empowering but build lasting relationships with folks.

Are We There Yet? Like knowing that drought is with us, it is helpful and much more fun to recognize when drought is gone. Even though “gone” is a transient term as far as drought is concerned, the first green up is as close to heaven as a child’s smile. And truly savoring the new smells, colors, and hopefully extended growth is one of life’s greatest blessings. Coming out of drought can begin as dramatically as flooding, then having consistent rains for multiple seasons (as occurred here after the drought of the ‘50s) or as subtle as heavy clouds and dew where you forgot they could be. When conditions do change for the better, what a great time it is!

In keeping with nature’s penchant for growth, new moisture will usually grow something but it doesn’t always bring desirable plants. Sometimes the first to grow following drought are plants which are poisonous to livestock in some way. Here those plants include Bitterweed, Twin Leave Sena, and Perennial Broomweed. Your region will have its own unique menu of plants to be careful of.

Note the increase in plant growth from the soil disturbance of brush removal.

6 IN PRACTICE

January / February 2013

There is another good reason to know the flora and fauna of your range. Consistent, timely rainfall also brings an increase in lots of beneficial populations. Bottom line—the quicker the ground is covered the quicker it heals.

Obviously, a little rain doesn’t bring long term change to the devastation caused by a persistent drought. How much rain is enough to restock (to any degree)? I consider bringing in more livestock when we get two consecutive growing seasons . . . basically the opposite of my definition for drought. What species of plants respond and how much they respond dictate what class of and how many animals are returned to the rejuvenated pastures. As a general rule we try to remain flexible and resist the temptation to increase our brood stock numbers until our ground cover of warm season perennial grass plants has increased by at least 25% following the hard times. Practicing patience gets pretty monotonous during a drought and is just as important following one.

To those of you in the middle of drought, keep hope alive any way you can that is healthy for you and the land. To you who are entering drought, buckle up and hang in there. The ride is mean but the outcome depends on your perspective as much or more than the weather.

Buena Suerte.

Double T Ranch is 22,000 acres located near Ozona, Texas. The land varies from low, rocky hills with a great stand of red berry juniper, a variety of mid and short -stemmed grasses, forbs and brush species; to clay flats generously populated with mesquite trees and tabosa grass. The land is on the western edge of the Edwards Plateau and eastern edge of the Trans-Pecos eco-regions of Texas. Many white tailed deer inhabit the lands, as do turkey, quail (bobwhite and blues), fox, javelina, bobcat, badger and an occasional cougar. Art can be reached at rrrrtt.ozo@aol.com.

Desert termites eat a lot. After purposely leaving over 800 lbs. of residual litter per acre post grazing, desert termites have reduced this estimated amount of litter to less than 200 lbs. in less than 60 days.

LIVESTOCK

&

Why Grazing Native Grasses Is More Profitable Than Resowing Or Cropping

by GRAEME HAND

Article 1: Risk & Agricultural Economics Frequently advisors, agronomists, staff of state departments of primary industries and consultants cannot understand how native grasses can be profitable in grazing enterprises. The typical comment that I receive is that “unlike your farmers, mine have to make money”.

I am confident that managing native grasses with modern regenerative grazing and pasture cropping is equally if not more profitable than current pasture management and current cropping methods that rely on bare ground between the plants. To justify this comment takes a fair bit of explanation so this will be a series of articles with this first one exploring the impact of risk on agriculture.

The key points below are referenced and supported in the body of the article.

Key Points: 1. Much of the discipline of current agricultural economics appears to be unable to cope with the complexity of agriculture and repeatedly fails to take into account farmer risk 2. It appears that the main reason for the inability to cope with risk is the static methods of financial analysis 3. As much “best practice” advice does not take risk into account, this means that farmers need to trial first to ensure that loss making farming practices are not adopted Risk: Reports and personal communications clearly show that risk is a major problem for many farmers in terms of following advice and designing enterprises. The current static measures of financial performance (gross margins, profit and cash margins) do not allow for risk and almost certainly result in flawed advice and a low level of successful farming3.

Risk-adjusted cash margins seem to be the only measure which show the long-term, cumulative effects of the enterprise mix on the bank balance3,4.

The following is a reply from Tim Hutchings who has just completed his PhD on risk in agriculture. I asked about his thoughts on 100% grazing businesses. His final line I found very disturbing.

Graeme, I purposely restricted by research to mixed farms, where I saw the biggest threat. Hence I did not get lower than 30% crop. My figures show

that you can run a relatively risk-free situation with grazing only, so long as: 1. The fixed and capital costs are low. Both upside and downside variability is less for grazing than for cropping, so it is easy to develop a cost structure which exceeds the income over a range of prices and rainfall scenarios. As long as the costs are low then low-cost farms will have more stable margins with grazing than with cropping, with fewer compounding losses.

2. Grazing enterprises will not support much debt. However, because of the relative lack of risk, and lower costs, grazing farms are less likely to develop large debts.

3. Grazing enterprises only work in climates with either extremely low costs (rangelands) or high rainfall areas with low rainfall variability (along the coast). In the latter case these areas both support a. the higher stocking rates needed to cover the fixed costs, b. have fewer droughts, and c. have low feed costs in a drought.

These conditions lead to the problem that high-cost mixed farms, which need to reduce their exposure to risk, cannot tolerate the risk associated with cropping, and cannot make money by diversifying into the lower risk grazing enterprises. Catch 22. Similarly grazing businesses are unlikely to earn sufficient money to buy extra land, or to finance the loans.

Catch 23. Hence farms are unlikely to increase scale by increasing size— in fact the opposite is the case because loans cost 9%, and the purchased land returns <3%.

Both these points show that agricultural businesses are now facing a new paradigm ie.

1. Productivity has stalled, because most farmers are achieving close to the practical limits of water-limited potential.

2. Costs are increasing by at least 3% per year (inflation). Because costs and income are about equal, this suggests that productivity will need to increase by at least 3% to match the rise in costs. That is very unlikely in grazing, and almost impossible in cropping.

3. Debt is out of control, because of the cumulative effects of the drought of the last decade. Farm debt has increased exponentially at nearly 9% per annum since 1965, suggesting that few farmers have repaid any debt over that period.

4. Land values are falling, both because of consolidation after the bubble in values in the six years pre-GFC, and because few farmers can afford land because of their high debt. There have only been 3 clearing sales advertised in this area in the past year. We used to see three a month.

As a result of these factors farms will inevitably run out of margin, unless prices increase. I think that cropping farms ran out of margin sometime in late 1990s.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 8

Number 147

Land & Livestock

7

Grazing Native Grasses

continued from page seven

I have discussed all of these issues at length in my thesis, which shows that most dryland farms in SE Australia have unsustainable risks of loss.

Regards, Tim

Hope Spring Eternal The advice presented in many industry publications suffers from this poor understanding of risk as Mark Gardner (Lead coach, consultant and co-owner of Vanguard Business Services, Dubbo, NSW) explains below.

I found that Mark’s reply may provide hope and future direction for agriculture which I will explore in the future articles.

G’day Handy Excellent timing. I reckon we need to shift the thinking on profit. While everyone needs profit to survive and achieve their goals within a triple bottom line context (holistic context) what is killing people is risk.

The models out there for profitability enhancement no longer may be relevant for such a dynamic world in which agriculture is facing. Most of the traditional approaches to profitability enhancement focus exclusively on improvements in production that is, achieving more from a groaning, stressed and declining resource base. The only way that this can be maintained is through an increased level of farm inputs, such as fertiliser, energy, seed, labour and machinery.

This is where the traditional models fall down; Fertiliser is no longer $280/t, Fuel is no longer 80 c/l, labour is no longer either plentiful or available (or often of the desired quality) and machinery prices are very expensive and the cost of family living and education has skyrocketed.

To try and recreate a model of production based on the old model, by attempting to recreate the past, unfortunately may create a failure to achieve any level of profitability, let alone massively increase risk.

The contemporary approaches to profitability enhancement recognise current reality and do not dwell in the past; Commodity process are not excessive, capital is scarce, stock numbers are low, costs are exorbitant and climate is variable. The managers of the land are tired and stressed and they want an easier, lower stress way of doing things.

They are sick of worrying about the overdraft, the bank manager and their future. They are reclaiming their futures by redesigning their farm business approaches to better suit current and future reality.

Some of the things they are doing are: • They focus on profitability enhancement through smart substitution of high cost technological solutions with lower cost more natural tools, the most powerful of these being recovery of perennial plants through planned grazing management.

• They realise that perennial pastures provide the best way to improve land health and that perennial pastures can be created in a low cost way through contemporary grazing management approaches and smart regenerative land management decision making.

Using contemporary grazing management approaches can regenerate land in a far lower cost way than the traditional methods. A recent industry report indicated that the breakeven point for traditional pasture renovation was some 7 years. Contemporary land managers see this as being too long, too risky and does not compare well with alternative choices that land managers have for their capital, such as investment in low cost electric fencing, livestock or debt reduction.

Unless land managers embrace some of the contemporary grazing and land management techniques available to reduce the impacts of rainfall variability; such as ground cover management, reliance on lower cost native perennial grasses with enhanced biodiversity (grow feed when rain falls, regardless of the season), plan their grazing to have a longer

recovery period for perennial plants to mitigate against the rainfall variability (min. 120 days preferably longer depending on a range of factors) and are prepared to slightly adjust their stock numbers to match feed ahead. They must Graze Plan to allow feed budgeting to occur, this is an essential part of the new land management paradigm.

Many land managers are finding the productivity increases (income in for cash out) allow them to enter a new paradigm of profitability. This is different to “production increases” which is measure in kg of wool/meat per ha, with No regard for the costs associated with the production. Understanding this is central to creating a new business model of profitability.

There are real opportunities for branded marketing using natural approaches to land management and many landholders with the skills are taking advantage of these to improve profits. There is a fundamental shift occurring which negates economies of scale, by shifting production into a higher value area. One central west NSW farmer makes more from their 100 goats from 100 acres than they do from the 4000 acres of traditional and well run farm lands.

Regards, Mark ■ Risk-Adjusted Cash Margins: I found that the graph below gave me the clearest idea of why farming is struggling to be successful. This graph (fig 4.4) from Tim Hutchings PhD is for a northern Mallee farm in Victoria showing that even though the static measures do not appear too bad the cumulative result is a significant decline in farm equity.

SOURCE REFERENCE 3

■ Risk of Loss: The graph below shows the risk of losing money for mixed farming between 1920-2010. Tim Hutchings highlights that this is most likely understating the actual risk.

SOURCE REFERENCE 3

8

Land & Livestock

January / February 2013

■ Complexity: It is clear that agriculture is more complex than many businesses and one definition that has been used for agriculture is: “When there are many complicated decisions combined with risk, uncertainty and social factors the decision is complex not merely complicated”1 This is an important point as when making complex decisions there are no right answers1 and many practices such as fertilizer, herbicide and area cropped have “flat payoff curves,” i.e. very similar profit over a wide range. This means that farmers have a wide margin for error and flexibility to pursue outcomes2 such as native grassland regeneration and social/ community activities.

Figure 2: Profit from wheat production as a function of herbicide dose

Grass Comeback

by GRAEME HAND

T

he Stipa Native Grasses Association was formed by farmers in 1997 to promote the profitable management and use of native grasses in agriculture. Many of these farmers had developed or adopted management practices on their properties that regenerated native grasslands. These practices have been proven to work in many environments and scientifically corroborated (Badgery et al. 2008, Thapa 2010). The management practices promote 100 per cent ground cover by growing leaf litter and trampling this litter onto the soil. The litter is managed with impact and disturbance so that it is composting, decomposing and providing germination sites. Examples of these practices are explored in Holistic Management (Savory & Butterfield 1999).

Stipa members throughout most mainland states have confirmed the following practices and trials are underway in Tasmania.

Grasses 101—manage your grazing

SOURCE REFERENCE 2

Conclusion It appears clear that current static agricultural economics and associated “best practice” is leading to poor advice as risk is either poorly understood or ignored. In the next article I will explore what practices successful Stipa members are using to reduce and manage risk. Contact me if you would like to discuss this article further.

This article was first printed in the Stipa Newsletter. Graeme Hand is the Chief Executive Officer for Stipa and can be reached at: graeme.hand@bigpond.com.

References: 1. Farm business decision making – how can we help? Nigel McGuckian, RMCG, Bendigo Victoria 2. Flat Earth Economics: The Far-reaching Consequences of Flat Payoff Functions in Economic Decision Making, David J. Pannell 2006, Review of Agricultural Economics—Volume 28, Number 4—Pages 553– 566 3. A financial analysis of the effect of the mix of crop and sheep enterprises on the risk profile of dryland farms in south-eastern Australia , TR Hutchings and TL Nordblom, 2011, Charles Sturt University AFBM Journal vol 8 no 1 4. Sense and Nonsense in Dairy Farm Management Economic Analysis, Alexandria Ferris and Bill Malcolm, Department of Food Science and Agribusiness—Institute of Land and Food Resources—University of Melbourne, Paper 31, 29 November 1999

The impact of unmanaged grazing on native grasslands in the Wannon country, southwest of Horsham, Victoria, was recorded by John Robertson in 1853. When he first arrived Robertson counted 37 different species of perennial native grasses on his run. Sheep were often difficult to find in the long growth. Within two years, Robertson observed that bare ground caused by overgrazing gave way to numerous deep erosion gullies across his land, accompanied by the emergence of saline springs (Billis & Kenyon 1930 in Jones 2009). It follows that if unmanaged grazing was the cause of this degradation, then managed grazing of native grasslands may reverse this degradation. The description below is the basis for the on farm trials. As discussed above, conditions need to be met for grassland regeneration. The first is creating the soil surface condition of a stable decomposing litter layer with germination sites.

The second is the presence in the immediate environment of a viable seed bank.

Improve the Soil Surface The soil surface conditions that promote this germination and establishment are complete litter cover and composting/decomposing litter at the soil surface. These soil surface conditions promote water infiltration and storage while at the same time inhibit weeds (Tongway & Hindley 2004).

Disturbance/impact of the soil surface is also required to create germination sites and to trample litter from fully recovered grass plants onto the soil surface.

The litter must be composting/decomposing to cycle nutrients (Tongway & Hindley 2004) and to increase the fungal content, which allows native grasses to access nutrients. The CONTINUED ON PAGE 10

Number 147

Land & Livestock

9

Grass Comeback

continued from page nine

management of the trial sites is based around increasing fungal biomass, which creates the conditions that favour the germination and establishment of native grasses and has been shown to be a reasonable “… indicator of the overall health of the soil ecosystem” (McDonald et al.

2010, p.56). Even where practices have reduced soil biological activity, management can quickly recover the required biological activity for regeneration as “… these soils are not biological deserts. They are far from dead and retain all of the essential components of healthy functioning ecosystems. All that is required is that they are treated a little differently” (McDonald et al. 2010, p.56).

Stipa’s experience is that this is the primary, low cost, low risk technique to regenerate native grasslands. “… [W]ithout fungaldominated soils, it can be very expensive, almost impossible to grow the native grasses” (Ross 2009).

These conditions can be created by livestock being pulsed at high density with long recovery periods. Management can recruit native grasses from very low populations ranging from 20-30 percent (Thapa 2010) to less than five percent of native grasses (Zollinger 2010) to bare ground in cropped areas (Stipa newsletter 2009).

A Word About the Seed Bank Stipa has been involved with over 400 trials where the soil surface conditions described above have been created without finding a site where a viable native grass seed bank has not been present. Previous seed bank work in Victorian grasslands identified numerous species that were not present in the vegetation (Lunt 1997). Similar work in NSW found “… a viable soil seed bank was present at all sites, and it was much larger than expected … There is much greater diversity in the seed bank than was detected in the vegetation surveys” (Lindsay & Cunningham 2009, p.11). Management clearly influences which seeds germinate and establish. “Just as past and current management practices impact the current standing vegetation, they also appear to impact the capacity of the seed bank to germinate” (Lindsay 2009).

The first step to learning how to regenerate native grasses is to develop a small trial (Pannell et al. 2006) that receives the management described: that is high-density pulse with animals, then long recovery and then repeat. Initially long recoveries are required to enable the native grasses to germinate and establish, especially where soil conditions are not optimal. “The native plants are growing and flowering much slower than most of the exotic species” (Lindsay 2009). For most environments a recovery period of around twelve months will create the conditions described. As this is dependent on soil, aspect, season and so on, these conditions can only be created by close observation and monitoring. The key is to produce the outcome in the trial area rather than sticking to a formula of impact and recovery.

Control Weeds The conditions that need to be created for most annual weeds to germinate and establish in a pasture or grassland is overuse of the perennial grasses—sometimes described as overgrazing (Savory & Butterfield 1999). The management described creates healthy, suppressive soils and highly competitive perennial grass root systems that outcompete annual weeds when they try to germinate and establish.

This is described by Roshan Thapa (2010), where weed control is provided by management of perennial grasses to increase competition.

Other work confirms that regenerative practices control annual as well 10

Land & Livestock

January / February 2013

Graeme Hand: The key is to produce the outcome in the trial area rather than sticking to a formula of impact and recovery.

as low successional perennial grasses such as serrated tussock. “…

However through proper management mature desirable perennial grasses have a role to play in managing weeds in permanent pastures” (Bowcher 2002). It has been shown that if you maintain competition from more palatable perennial grass species weeds like thistles and annual grasses don’t become a problem. Badgery et al. (2008b) found that serrated tussock seedlings could be prevented from establishing if the herbage mass of desirable perennial grasses was maintained above 1.5 tonnes dry matter per hectare (.6 tons/acre) through summer.

It is clear that in areas where introduced pastures do not persist for more than 10 years, at a very high level of carrying capacity, that wellmanaged highly productive native pasture is a low risk, resilient, profitable option. “Highly productive native pastures can perform similarly well in the more productive parts of the landscape and even in less-favourable positions. They also provide less financial risk, allow lower management input and provide higher resilience to variable rainfall, low fertility and acid soils. These native pastures can be substantially more profitable than introduced pastures sown on unsuitable land and performing below expectations” (Landford et al. 2004, p.56).

Graeme Hand is a grazier near Hamilton, Victoria and the chief executive officer of the Stipa Native Grasses Association Inc. 03 5578 6321, 0418 532 130, graeme.hand@bigpond.com. This article was first printed in the Australian Organic Producer 2012.

Merlin Ranch—

Improving Land and Animal Performance

by HEATHER SMITH THOMAS

A

t the Merlin Ranch in Buffalo, Wyoming, Mark Gordon has been practicing holistic planned grazing for many years and feels it has improved the land and also the health and productivity of the cattle.

Explorations and Results “I grew up on my family’s ranch near Kaycee, Wyoming,” says Mark.

“In 1983 I had a chance to tour a place with Allan Savory. Then in 1984 a partner of mine on another ranch, the 48 Ranch, and I went to one of the original week-long intensive courses. After coming back from that, we implemented a number of things that we learned. On the 48 Ranch we are still doing those grazing strategies.”

“My dad and I struggled a little on our home place. Then my wife and I had a wonderful opportunity to get a ranch of our own, in 1988. We moved up to the Merlin Ranch—a great family ranch that had sheep and cattle. It was a conventionally well-managed place though they didn’t use planned grazing per se. We got very aggressive about planning our grazing program,” says Mark.

“At that time the ranch had 4 main pastures. Now we have 22. People thought we were nuts. One year, when we had more backward calves than normal, some of our neighbors even suggested it was because we were moving our cattle too much. There was some tough sledding for awhile, but then things started turning our way.”

In 2000 he took on another property, the Ucross Ranch. “This is a very remarkable ranch. Ucross was looking for a Holistic Manager and with the help of Kirk Gadzia—who had been an instructor in the 1984 course—and Todd Graham who lives in Bozeman, Montana we built a holistic program.

With Todd’s independent monitoring, the ranch showed great improvement. This was important because our lease was tied in part to restoration of a depleted range resource,” says Mark.

The Ucross Foundation that owns the ranch is a nationally recognized artist-in-residence program whose artists have won many awards—from Pulitzers and Tonys to Pen Hemingways. “The opportunity to demonstrate responsible resource management with the artists who were in residence as well as some of the businessmen on the board was something we couldn’t pass up. When you talk about land stewardship, looking at the ground it is practiced on, you can talk the same language whether you are an urban vegan or a hardened industrialist. It is all one earth,” Mark explains.

This project dovetailed nicely with the Merlin ranch which is only 11 miles away from the Ucross. “We were very successful in improving productivity. In 2007 my foreman Barry Bower, who had been on the Merlin since the beginning, was able to stay on at Ucross in his own operation. He’s still there, and doing great things. Independent success for Merlin’s employees has always been one of our production goals.”

Todd Graham served as a third party independent verifier, with monitoring reports to show changes and improvements—the progress being made. “For Ucross this provided an objective look at what we were doing so it wasn’t just our word against theirs. Todd does a lot of work on many ranches around the west. Great stuff is happening there. Awhile back Todd presented data at a Quivira conference on the significant progress of Ucross,” says Mark.

Mark and Jennie on a hike.

Doubled Stocking Rate in Drought “We ended up with some great progress and ultimately sold a bunch of carbon credits. The Merlin ranch is really coming back, terrifically well.

We are running about 400 cows on a 10,000 acre place—in a drought.”

When he and his wife first came to the ranch it was running less than 200 cows.

“It’s a cow-calf operation and when we started, Allan Savory suggested 30 to 90 day rest periods for fast and slow growth pastures.

We’ve now backed that off to about 45 days for fast and 150 days for slow,” Mark says.

“We haven’t done mob grazing per se, but we do have a couple small pastures in which we’ve done some experimental high-intensity grazing and their production has improved, too. I’ve been intrigued with the mob grazing idea,” he says.

“When we took on the management of Ucross, that place was completely run down. Part of it was due to the fact they were charging the previous lessee so much that there was no chance for investment in improvements. That’s why we asked them to lower the rent and give us a little incentive to do what needed to be done,” says Mark.

“What’s been interesting is that the calves coming off the Ucross ranch are a little bigger than the calves here. It’s only 11 miles away, but does get a little more rain. Our place was theoretically in much better shape.

This was one reason we got the independent verifier. You get excited about what you’re doing, and see all the good things—but maybe miss some of the bad. We couldn’t understand what was happening,” he says.

Sometimes an objective third party can see more of the big picture.

In 2009 the Merlin Ranch received the Society for Range Management Wyoming Excellence in Range Management award. “We’ve also been very much involved in the sage grouse initiative through the Conservation District,” Mark says.

“This year they told us we had too much grass, which was really something, on a bad year like this one! But I think it’s important to have large groups of landowners engaged in a cooperative effort to create better sage grouse habitat without sacrificing any of their ranch performance. So we insisted on staying in the program, though we don’t receive any government monies for it.”

CONTINUED ON PAGE 12

Number 147

Land & Livestock

11

Land and Animal Performance

continued from page eleven

Improved Animal Performance Cattle performance on the ranch has improved along with the grass.

“When we started here in 1988 we had 91% pregnancy rate and weaned 490-500 pound calves--calving in February and March. Over the past 24 years this has improved. We recently preg-tested our heifers and they had a 93% breed-up rate. The past several years our cows have had a 96% or higher pregnancy rate. The calving interval has dropped from 60 days to 30 days on the heifers and from 90 days to 45 days on the cows.

We now start calving the heifers in mid-to-late March and the cows the first of April, and their calves now average 510 to 520 pounds,” Mark says.

“We’ve taken 30 days off their age and gained weight on the calves.

We have a lot more uniformity—and our inputs have cut down dramatically. I’m also back working on the family place again. This has been our first year trying to figure out a planned grazing system on that ranch and my dad is very supportive,” he says.

“When I moved onto the Merlin place, the carrying capacity was rated at about 185 animal units and we were running slightly more than that. At this point we are right around 410 animal units. For this year, we’ve just gone into the last of our untouched pastures (early September) and will soon be heading back into pastures we left in early March—to hold the cattle for a week and a half before we ship.”

“Another good thing is that our winter feeding has been reduced. In years past we started to feed in December—in normal years—and we’ve pushed it back to where we generally don’t start feeding until late February. We haven’t had snow so deep that the cows can’t continue to graze, at least not for the past few years. We try to leave enough grass that they can get down to it. But the year we moved here there was 46 inches of snow on the level and that was interesting. Most years, however, a big storm is about 1.5 to 2 feet of snow. Last year was a

Fencerow shot at water center with main herd. Note stockpiled forage outside fence.

The Merlin Ranch yearlings in pastures grazed for 2-5 days before being moved.

12

Land & Livestock

January / February 2013

miserable year because we had storms that came in the fall and then it froze and everything was covered with ice. We started feeding about February 14, last year. We bring the first and second calvers in a little bit earlier and feed them a little better, but the cows are quite happy out there,” Mark says.

The ranch runs an Angus-based herd, along with some Hereford crossbreds. “My dad’s operation was always Herefords and still is. We’ve added a little bit of Saler into the cross, when we can find the right bulls.

We used to have some sheep, but sold them when we converted our lease with Ucross over to Bauer Land and Cattle. Currently we are evaluating whether we want to get back into sheep. We had really good experience and good luck running both cattle and sheep.” They can complement one another in a grazing program.

The Grazing Response Index “Through the sage grouse program, the Conservation District contracted Roy Ross (a professor at Colorado State University) to look at the pastures. He determined that we were using some of these pastures too many times during the course of the year, on the 90 day rotation. We were feeling good about our progress because we’d doubled our stocking rate and were able to go through pastures 2 or 3 times each year, but Roy said we were not giving adequate rest to the grass.” Some forage species need to fully mature before you graze them again.

“We were looking at seed heads, etc. and figured we were doing fine.

But Roy showed us how to use the Grazing Response Index (GRI) he developed, and it’s a simple tool. The GRI uses three factors—intensity, rest, and opportunity.”

The intensity scores go from minus 1 to zero to 1. “If it doesn’t really look like you’ve grazed much in the pasture you might give yourself a 1.

If you feel like you’ve grazed it pretty well—whatever that magic balance is—you could rate it at zero. If you feel like you’ve overused the pasture you give it a minus 1,” Mark explains.

“Frequency involves how many times the plant is grazed during the grazing interval. We’ve modified this system a little on our place. I think the crucial number is 7 days. You can graze a plant twice, but if you do it past the 7 days, this is when it starts to hurt the plant because it takes 5 to 7 days for that plant to start growing again. If we’ve been in a pasture fewer than 7 days we’ll give ourselves a 1 and if we’ve been in there a little bit longer than that we’ll give ourselves a zero. If

we’ve been in it 30 days we’ll call it a minus 1 because the cattle have presumably regrazed that plant often, while it is trying to regrow,” he says.

Then there’s opportunity to regrow, which is a bit like recovery. “If you’ve gone the whole growing season without grazing the pasture at all, you give it a plus 2. If the cattle are in there year-long, it would be a minus 2. You could also have everything in between.”

At the end of the season you add up all the pasture scores. “We have a couple of calving pastures close to home that also have horses in them sometimes, or cattle during weaning or shipping, and they always seem to be in use. We go through and evaluate our pastures using the GRI and see which ones we grazed more than we wanted to. But we can bring ourselves back to level by staying out of a certain pasture. When you add all these up you might have a plus 1, a plus 1 and a zero and are getting better,” he says.

“We’ve modified the Holistic Management planning process to factor in the grazing response index. Every time we move out of a pasture we give it an intensity score and at the end of the year we evaluate these. We are monitoring the pastures every 7 days, looking at growth, etc. We’ll determine when the growing started and when it ended. We go through and see how we did on all the pastures and that goes into our plan for the next year.” This gives a starting point, even though a person doesn’t know what the year will bring in terms of precipitation—but it gives a plan that can be deviated from if necessary.

“This is the 3rd year that we’ve done this, and we’ve only missed on one pasture this year, because we grazed it too lightly,” he says.

There are many tools a person can use when trying to improve ranch pastures. “The GRI has been a really good one, both here and on my dad’s ranch. The people managing dad’s place are very dedicated.

They’ve been on Forest Service grazing and other rangelands and are very familiar with how this all works,” says Mark.

Working With Agencies Over the years the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has been very helpful in working with the Merlin Ranch on grazing management. “We’re not in a typical allotment situation. Our grazing is under a different arrangement, and our BLM people have been very good at working with us. We just do a total Animal Unit Month (AUM) count and don’t have a described time on and time off. It really helps having some flexibility, to move with the different conditions each year and be able to deal with things that are not ‘in the book.’”

“My dad’s place is similar but much larger. We’ll see how that goes in our planning. But on the Merlin Ranch grazing, the BLM has been very helpful and we’ve been very open with them and with the Natural Resource Conservation Services (NRCS).” It always helps when there’s a good relationship and people can work together on projects and try different things—without an adversary type of situation or new government policies that come along that negate what you’ve been working toward.

“In my mind, if the BLM, Forest Service and other agencies can begin to understand how valuable good grazing management can be—and build some flexibility into their planning process—we will all be a lot better off. I’ve been arguing for this, for many years,” says Mark.

A Learning Experience Doing planned grazing management has been a great learning experience for the Gordon family. “We are all still learning. I’ve always cherished the open dialogue with the folks we work with, and our neighbors. When we first started and had great gains in range and pasture productivity, we may have gotten a bit smug. Everyone was

saying how great we were doing, but sometimes I think people also need to tell us what we might do better. It’s always helpful when people have an open mind and can accept having people be critical. When you are openminded enough to take criticism you can learn a lot. It’s always nice to have compliments but it’s also good to be able to consider the criticisms!”

“My wife and ranch manager have been going to the High Plains Ranch Practicum and they’ve come back with a number of new tools and spread sheets that we will evaluate this coming year,” he says.

Mark and Jennie have four children, ranging from 21 to 26 years of age. They are all involved in the ranch in various ways but also have other jobs as well.

“It’s a put-together family. My first wife passed away and I had the two girls. Jennie and I met and she had the 2 boys. The boys were a bit of distance away, to start with, but they have all come back. We are all very proud of the ranch,” says Mark.

The Challenge of Drought & Fires

O

ver the years the Merlin Ranch has had some issues with extraordinary drought. The improvement in various pastures helped the ranch get through the drought years. “Most years we try to leave 2 pastures (and sometimes as much as one-third of the ranch) completely out of the grazing plan, so they have a full year’s rest. This program has been really great for us this year with the current drought because it’s allowed us to have a little backlog of grass to use,” Mark explains.

“From 1988 through 2000 the fluctuations we had in moisture were fairly normal. We’ve had as much as 19 inches of moisture and as little as 9.5 inches of rain. In 2000 we started a long drought that was only interrupted by one year (2006) in which we had more than 12 inches of rain. The rest of the time it was below 10, and one year we only had 7 inches.

Last year was a great year and we made fantastic progress and this year we’re back down to about 7 inches again. It has been very difficult because most of that rain occurred at the tail end of our spring green-up. It was a lot of water but didn’t do as much good as if it had come at a better time,” says Mark.

There have been a number of problems this year, with the extremely dry conditions and all the fires. “We’ve had some problems in our calves this year with pasteurella, and this has been a bit frustrating. It could be partly due to the dry and dusty conditions and/or to lung irritations from all the smoke,” he says.

“I’m not sure what we could have done differently—whether it was a nutritional problem or an immunity problem. We did some sampling of range this summer and found pretty high nutrient levels in the grass even though it was fairly mature. I am not sure whether this pathogen can be affected by grazing practices but we haven’t ruled it out,” says Mark.

There’s a large fire currently burning on forest land about 8 miles from the ranch, and some of the smoke in the area is also coming from the big fires in Idaho and western Wyoming.

“Earlier this summer we had a grass fire about a mile north of the ranch, but the wind decided to blow from the south instead of from the north and it didn’t come any closer.” The ranch has suffered through smoke from other big fires in the past, such as the Yellowstone fire in 1988.

Number 147

Land & Livestock

13

Cows and Desert Mule Deer

by CHRIS GILL

This is the third in a series about how cattle can benefit wildlife and habitat. Our previous two articles addressed quail and pronghorn.

D

esert mule deer are native to several Western states, and are in decline in New Mexico and West Texas. Notwithstanding vast accumulated knowledge about them, no expert can explain why or show how to reverse this: Of various educated guesses, none consider the central point of these articles: The decline of wild animals, including mule deer, closely mirrors the destocking of the Western ranges where for millions of years large grazers were fundamental to diverse and interdependent animal and plant communities.

For millions of years, through ever-changing climates, large herds of grazers moved nomadically through the deserts of the Southwest. Animals were forced to concentrate for protection from the packs of predators which shadowed them. Concentrated herds soon exhausted food and water and had to move on. And so, Nature’s grazing pattern was large animal numbers, in constant motion, present only where there was food and water, which meant only for short periods in any spot, then absent until infrequent seasonal rain returned to restart the cycle.

Like all animals deer need food, water, space and safety from their enemies. Unlike whitetail, mule deer are especially vulnerable to human tampering with ecological processes. Let us consider the following conditions.

Food: While deer are often described as browsers they are also grazers, of weeds (forbs) not grass. Like quail and pronghorn, mule deer need weeds. Cattle also rely for up to 1/3 of their diet on weeds. Weeds are critical to the health of other plants. Annual and perennial weeds channel water and cause organic accumulation into subsoil. Richer, wetter soil helps all plants and animals. Annual weeds thrive when soil is disturbed: in nature; most disturbance comes from the hooves of animals.

There were high numbers of deer in the ‘60s and early ‘70s with heavy grazing: those cattle are all in feedlots today and the destocking mirrors animal decline. The central insight of planned grazing is that lack of grazing and soil disturbance from large animals has caused grass and weeds to die, covered ground to become bare, and soil to dry out. It has also caused the incursion of brush, which invariably replaces grasses when animal impact ceases. Brushy conditions favor whitetail deer which displace mule deer. In far-West Texas and New Mexico, invasive brush is often treated with the use of chemicals like Spike. However, Spike kills

Mule deer need forbs as well as browse for food and good ground cover to hide their fawns against predators.

14

Land & Livestock

January / February 2013

weeds, especially more vulnerable, deeper-rooted perennial weeds, along with brush. So in treating brush chemically, we reduce quail, pronghorn, deer and cattle food.

One intuitive answer to declining range conditions is to introduce artificial feed. This will work in the short term but feeding wildlife is economically and physiologically unsustainable over long-terms. Instead, ranchers could better spend their money creating natural feed, by mimicking nature.

Without weeds and grass, heavier use of browse results. This is sometimes misinterpreted as overstocking of deer and leads to culling does even though mule deer are in decline!

Water: Mule deer need water. Cattle water helps deer and replaces natural springs and waterholes which have diminished due to human impact. Windmills have been replaced with submersible pumps, further lowering water tables. Water can be an ambush point: Multiple water points reduce this risk.

A primary reason for mule deer decline is lack of winter moisture: This drives reproductive success and summer rains control adult survival.

Reduced humidity is a serious issue. Whatever the global weather cycle or its cause, in our deserts humans magnify drought by reducing how much rain soaks in. With the loss of plant cover most rain now runs off or evaporates making scant desert rainfall less “effective.” Aquifer recharge is dimished.

Space: Desert mule deer need open space. The shift to brush in our Southwestern deserts is devastating for mule deer and as discussed above, the typical treatment, Spike, reduces mule deer food. High fences worsen the problem because mule deer have been found to need to move across very large ranges to find food: More on this below.

Safety From Predators: Mule deer like all animals need to be able to hide their young and flee predators. The intuitive answer to predation is to kill predators like mountain lions; a primary enemy of large mule deer, particularly bucks after the breeding season, and coyotes which get after fawns. But this is a great mistake: Long-term predator control is bad for mule deer. The classic example of bad mule deer “management” is the disaster on the Kaibab Plateau on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon.

There, cougar were removed along with all large grazers (cattle having replaced bison). Without predators the deer herd exploded, and without large grazers the habitat cratered: population collapsed. Neither has ever recovered.

Assuming predation is a problem, the best way to protect mule deer fawns is to stimulate the growth of grass and forbs through intensive, short-duration planned grazing, leaving 70% of the plants as standing cover where does can hide fawns. This is also better for pronghorn, quail and cattle performance, and for plants: It turns out all these need the same things.

Hunting: Even though mule deer are in decline, mule deer management relies on whitetail practices designed to deal with severe overpopulation of a species which has thrived alongside human impact.

The Texas whitetail challenge is underhunting: many managers act as if this applies to mule deer.

Excessive hunting pressure on Western public lands is driven by the financial needs of management agencies. Over in Texas, at the Sierra Diablo WMA next to Circle Ranch, in 2010 and 2011 - the worst recorded drought in Texas history—bucks and does were killed at a rate that, if reflected across Hudspeth County, would have removed 1,636 bucks and 2,181 does from the herd!

Texas harvest decisions are based on whitetail deer count methods CONTINUED ON PAGE 18

From the BOD Chair

Collaboration— “If it’s worth doing, you probably can’t get it done by yourself.”

by SALLIE CALHOUN

I

speculated in an earlier article that some cosmic force brought me to ranching in order to give me an opportunity to work on my patience—always a weak point. I now realize that the same force thinks I need to improve my collaboration skills. These days as I work on grassland health, local community, and the food system I see collaboration everywhere—the lack of it, the possibility of it, the challenge of it, and the fun of it. I have finally come to see that my largest failures and disappointments occurred when I tried to solve a problem without sufficient community, collaboration, and co-development. And I have realized that the most fun I have is when I am in community working to change things or accomplish something.

As I work to embrace collaboration with all its challenges and possibility, I am very pleased to see HMI moving in the same direction. As we all work towards a more sustainable and healthier world, there is no alternative. If we are to make substantial progress towards creating hundreds of thousands of new, successful, sustainable farmers and ranchers, it will take an entire ecosystem, of which HMI should be an integral part. It is going to be lots of networks of consumers, farmers, ranchers, credit providers, technical assistance providers, government agencies, processors, foundations, non-profits, and investors that make this work. Networks will be by community, by county, by state, by nation, and global. There are already networks of new farmers, women farmers, local eaters, environmentalists, organic farmers, Holistic Management practitioners, permaculture designers, and many others. Paul Hawken did a good job of attempting to describe the mind-boggling and chaotic nature of the movement in his book, Blessed Unrest.

In my work I find myself doing a lot more talking and connecting than I would have ever imagined. It amazes me that I started with the “simple” goal of improving the health of the California grassland that I found myself temporarily responsible for. Now, I spend time talking to urban groups about grasslands, soil carbon, grass fed beef, and Holistic Management. I also work with organizations like the Business Alliance of Local Living Economies, Slow Money, and Slow Food. I go to ranching meetings and work with the local community foundation. The more time passes, the more involved I become in the network personally and the more interesting it all gets and the more I appreciate how important these activities are.

My own journey has certainly been chaotic and unpredictable, but I am happy to say that HMI's progress is much more thoughtful and intentional. HMI has thought long and hard about who can help in our mission to educate people to manage land for a sustainable future in various regions of the country. The Beginning Women Farmer Program in the northeast included 7 partners, ranging from government agencies to non-profits. There were 11 instructors working on the program with Ann Adams of HMI. Other programs in Texas, Oklahoma, and Virginia all involve significant collaboration with a variety of partners.

We are right in the middle of this growing network, which is where we belong. It seems to me that there have been many times when HMI worked alone in the past, either because it was so early in the movement that collaborators were scarce or because we were in the process of determining how our products fit into the governmental/non-profit mix and what might create meaningful and successful collaborations. Those days are certainly over.

A friend and neighbor of mine, Joe Morris, summed it up recently at the Quivira Coalition meeting as he accepted the Clarence Burch award. He said, “It has dawned on me that while the saying most famously is that “It takes a village to raise a child!” it is also true that “It takes a village to do almost anything of real value in this life. And nature teaches us that this is entirely true: we are all connected; we do not succeed alone.”

The Lazy R Ranch continued from page four

better.” This is a perfect example of holistic thinking.

A Sustainable Future for Lazy R It is the family’s hope that the ranch remains in sustainable production in perpetuity. For Beth, sustainability has four major aspects (quadruple bottom line): environment, social, financial, and personal/ spiritual. She states that you must be able to fulfill the needs of each of these aspects for something to be truly sustainable. As for her part in the future of Lazy R Ranch, the newest partner hopes to continue to grow the business and make it more financially sustainable. She finds the work meaningful and something she can believe in. As a bonus, she gets to live in one of the most beautiful places on earth.

One important aspect of a family business is the succession plan. “I’m the fourth generation to live and work on the Lazy R,” says Beth, “I loved growing up so close the land and with a clear idea of where my food comes from, and I feel so privileged to have the opportunity to raise my kids in the same way. I hope that many more generations of Robinettes are to come!”

What else does Beth Robinette wish for? She would like to see more young people involved in agriculture. There need to be more models created for profitable farms and new ways for young people to get involved in the farm business. Holistic Management offers the foundation for better, more sustainable decisions and planning so many more farm families will be able to celebrate their own seventy-fifth anniversaries with multiple generations.

You can learn more about the Lazy R Ranch at: http://www.lazyrbeef.com.

Sandra Matheson is a DVM and Certified Educator in Bellingham, Washington. She can be reached at: mathesonsm@frontier.com.

Number 147

IN PRACTICE 15

people programs projects N E W S F R O M H O L I S T I C M A N AG E M E N T I N T E R N AT I O N A L

New Board Members

A

t HMI’s Annual Board meeting held on November 12-13th in Albuquerque, New Mexico, three new Board members began their official terms. HMI is excited about all the skills and knowledge these new Board members bring to our organization.

Michael Podolny is the founder and President of The Podolny Group, Inc., a consulting business specializing in succession planning and process management with offices in Chicago and Albuquerque. He has over 35 years of experience working with business exit and succession issues. During this period he has filled numerous roles including consultant, acquisitions intermediary, counselor, financier, investor, owner and operator. With a track record of having closed exit and succession transactions with a value well over $500 million, he understands the outcome realities for business owners.

He has specifically worked on succession processes in a vast range of businesses including, but not limited to: metal and plastics manufacturing, all aspects of the food industry including agriculture, wholesale distribution, retail and restaurants; various aspects of the financial industry including independent trusts, mutual insurance, wealth management and insurance; and professionals such as legal, accounting, engineering, and architects—not to mention, hard and soft technology industry companies. He also is a professional speaker on many of these business topics.

Michael joined HMI’s Board because he’s always been interested in the concept of land sustainability that includes an economic focus.

He enjoys working with organizations committed to excellence and is looking forward to serving on HMI’s Board.

Sam Montoya has worked at the Sandia Pueblo Tribe’s Language and Cultural Resource Administrator. He also has farmed 93 irrigated acres at the Pueblo and works to get local youth involved in agriculture after retiring from a 27-year career in 16 IN PRACTICE

the Bureau of Indian Affairs. He also helped start the Southwest Livestock Growers Alliance.

Sam is concerned that young people are not involved in agriculture more and that there is too much idle agricultural land. He believes grassfed food has the potential to strengthen ranch economies, bring jobs to rural areas, and become a healthy food alternative for urban consumers. He is eager to work on HMI’s Board of Directors to help bring about those changes.

Laura Gill came to Holistic Management as a participant in HMI’s Ranch and Rangeland Manager Training Program. As co-manager of the 32,000-acre Circle Ranch in Texas, she wanted to learn how to better manage the land to improve wildlife habitat. She has held numerous positions and memberships in a variety of organizations including Planned Parenthood, Texas and Southwest Cattle Raisers Association, Texas Bighorn Society, and Texas Wildlife Association. As owner and manager of Laura Negley Gill Real Estate Services she has been involved in real estate development and investments. She earned a BA from the University of Texas at Austin.

Because Laura has a strong interest in wildlife, she is concerned about how destocking practices on rangelands are creating havoc, reducing the health of wildlife habitat. She believes we need to get animals back to work on the landscape and believes HMI’s work on improving land health is critical work to share with others.

The annual Board meeting also began the terms of the Board officers (some whom have already served in these roles) which include: Sallie Calhoun, Chair; Kelly Sidoryk, Vice-Chair, Jim Shelton, Treasurer; Judi Earl, Secretary. HMI wishes to thank all our Officers and Directors for the many hours of valuable volunteer service they provide. We also would like to thank Christopher Peck for his service on the Board.

Annual Appeal Reminder

O

ur 2012 Annual Appeal is now in the mail, and once again, we are counting on the support of the Holistic Management International community. This year, it’s more important than ever to support our mission to educate people to

January / February 2013

manage land for a sustainable future. Studies have shown that ranch and farm land continues to disappear at an alarming rate; so much that USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack recently called for an additional 100,000 farmers in order to sustain food production in the U.S. Your support will help us maintain and grow the programs that are designed to educate and support agricultural professionals in order to maintain healthy land, that in turn produces healthy food.

For your convenience, there are two easy ways to donate. You can mail a check made out to HMI to 5941 Jefferson St. NE, Ste B, Albuquerque, NM 87109 or to donate online, visit www.holisticmanagement.org/give. For a 2012 tax deduction, please postmark your contribution by December 31, 2012.

Holistic Managers Win Award Joe and Julie Morris won the 2012 Clarence Burch Award from the Quivira Conference. This award recognizes individuals who have lead by example in promoting and accomplishing outstanding stewardship of private and/or public lands. Joe and Julie have owned and operated Morris Grassfed Beef since 1991 when Joe took over the management of his grandparents’ 200-acre ranch near San Juan Bautista, California. Joe has brought numerous practices to the ranch through his collaboration with experts in holism, decision-making, business management, livestock and horses, and consensus building.

Because of his planned grazing practices he has seen a widespread resurgence of native perennial grasses on his grasslands instead of European annual grasses. He has also helped regenerate oaks as well because of the increased water holding capacities of his soils.

Over the past decade Joe has hosted as many as 2,000 people to his ranch and his Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) component of his grassfed beef business has 800 members. Congratulations, Joe and Julie!

Bill and Sally Wellborn of Many Summers Farm in Cornish New Hampshire recently won the 2012 Cooperator of the Year Award from the Sullivan County Conservation District. The award recognizes Many Summers Farm conservation efforts in their farming practices.

Bill and Sally started this homestead farm in the late 1960s. Today, Many Summers Farm sells aged raw milk cheese, raw milk yogurt, and grassfed beef as well as Devon cattle breed stock. As Holistic Management practitioners they are able to keep their whole herd grassfed, with no supplemental grains, synthetic chemicals or antibiotics. Congratulations Bill and Sally!

DEVELOPMENT CORNER Beginning Women Farmer Program

T

he new Beginning Women Farmer Program, Growing Successful Transitions with Beginning Women Farmer Programs in the Northeast and Texas began last fall with classes being held in Texas, Massachusetts, and Connecticut. Vermont, New Hampshire, New York, and Maine will begin their classes in January. A total of 360 beginning women farmers will be trained in these states over the next 3 years.

A new addition to this grant is a class of 31 beginning women farmers in Texas. This group is coordinated by Peggy Cole, HMI’s Program Manager, and is being instructed by Holistic Management Certified Educator Peggy Sechrist. Mentors for this program include Peggy Maddox, Betsy Ross, Kathy Harris, and Laurie Bostic who have experience with dairies, poultry, beef cattle, sheep, and vegetable production.

Because the drive times are so large for this Texas group—many live in other agricultural regions up to 7 hours away—we are offering 10 sessions in 5 meetings about once a month for the next 6 months.

The first gathering of this group was September 20-21, 2012 at Austin’s Center for Environmental Research (CER) at the Hornsby Bend Biosolids Management Plant, a rare partnership of the University of Texas and Texas A&M University to support urban ecology and sustainability studies for Austin. CER director Kevin Anderson not only let us meet there at no charge, he treated the group to a tour and talk about the facility’s cutting edge reuse of wastewater, biosolids, and the city’s collected tree and lawn waste. We thought this site would be ideal for the intro class because Kevin is a long time Holistic Management practitioner and because it exemplifies the planning and innovation toward a goal that we are introducing with this class.

The second day of the session covered Time Management. Peggy Sechrist presented information about the different ways people organize themselves and their time based on right-brain dominance or left-brain dominance.

Many of the women were especially glad to see this class with the methodology of charting all tasks on a single sheet for easy assessment.

Another training component of this session was on marketing, led by Marisa Alcorta from National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT). She talked about the resources

available from Appropriate Technology Transfer for Rural America (ATTRA) and how to assess farmers’ markets as a place to market your production.

In October, this same group of women met for the sessions on financial planning held at the beautiful Beginning women farmers learn about whole farm Montesino Ranch, offered for our use planning at a facility donated by the Hornsby by ranch manager Pam Mitchell and Biosolids Management Plant in Austin, Texas. by owners Brenda and Scott Mitchell.

All participants produced their net worth with a balance sheet as well as Many of the women expressed gratitude for learning about the financial weak link. They this new support and especially to be in the practiced Gross Profit Analysis (GPA) until they company of women. Their strengths ranged each had a GPA for at least a few of their from legal advice and engineering expertise to enterprises. They planned their income, profit, body work and nutritional counseling, with most and expenses and played the weak link game of the women coming to farming from diverse to help them understand how to prioritize careers that gave the group a huge pool of expenses. skills and knowledge.

Future Farms—Upper Piedmont Update

T

he farmers enrolled in HMI’s Future Farms & Ranches: Upper Piedmont year-long program in Virginia are well on their way to becoming seasoned Holistic Management practitioners.

So far, HMI has trained 32 farmers and ranchers for a total of 42 hours of training per person and we are providing ongoing mentoring to these producers over the next 4 months.

So far, the group learned the basics of all five components of HMI’s Curriculum. The learning

sessions include place-based workshops as well as online distance learning.

Particularly successful was our Holistic Financial Planning course taught by Holistic Management Certified Educator, Seth Wilner.

Frank Aragona, HMI’s Director of Programs, says, “Training in financial planning is of particular importance to farmers and ranchers, because successful financial managers can greatly improve farm sustainability very quickly.”

Farmer’s Market Evaluation Tour

by ROBERT MAGGIANI, Sustainable Agriculture Specialist, NCAT

Objective: To come away with some observation tools for evaluating a potential farmers market that you might want to join.

1) What to look for: • How much and what’s the diversity of produce are farmers bringing? What types of cuts are meat producers selling? Are they arriving with a few crates in the back of their truck or do they have a box truck? This can help you figure out what kind of volume they are moving at that market.

• What’s missing? Is there something you can offer? What are the seasonal gaps and is there something you can bring?

Think about new products in the context of your infrastructure and time. Talk to the market manager and see what they are looking for.

• Do a customer count. Pick one stall and take either 5 or 10 or 15 minutes and count how many people come up to the cash box in that period of time. Go into the booth and look at prices, and get a sense of how much folks are purchasing on average.

Then extrapolate that number out so that you can figure out how much that booth is making in one hour, and then over the 3 or 4 hour period of the market.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 18

Number 147

IN PRACTICE 17

Development Corner continued from page seventeen

Example: I saw 20 people come up to the cash registers at Johnson’s Backyard Gardens in a ten minute period. Average purchase was $7. 6*10= 60 minutes, so 20*6=120 people in an hour, 120*7 = $840 in one hour, $840*4 hours = $3360. This is what the farm stand would make for the day. As a side note, this was the busiest booth at the market. They also had an extremely well-designed layout where there was easy customer flow, and I counted about 18 different crops for sale, so their booth exuded abundance and diversity. They also had 4 people working the market and 2 cash registers. Later I talked to Brent (the owner), told him about what we were doing and asked him if that estimate was accurate. He said that actually, it was pretty much right on. He also told me that he’s growing on 80 acres, has 80 people who work for him (I’m sure some are part time and just for markets), that he does 13 markets a week (6 on Saturdays) and that they are grossing $3 million a year. That’s unheard of in the vegetable world. He also has a huge

Cows and Mule Deer

CSA, and I would guess that they are selling to some wholesale accounts as well.

• Location: What was the impetus for this market? Why did it start? Is the community that it’s in “bought in” to the market? Will they attend? Can they afford this food? Are they interested? If there isn’t the potential for a strong local customer base, the market will fail.

2) How do you evaluate a market manager?

• Ask them why they started this market, what was the motivation? Is it community driven or did the idea come from outside the community? (one is a good sign, the other not such a good sign) • Did they do a pilot study? (this will help determine the need and desire for a market in the community) • Do they have a sense of how many customers are coming through the market?

• Ask how they are advertising the market.

What (if any) organizations are they working with to support the market in the community?

(A market has a much better chance of sticking around if the community supports it) • Do they have a goal for the size and impact of the market?

continued from page fourteen

which can overcount mule deer. Increased efficiency of hunters using vehicles, telescopic sights and better rifles with more time increases hunter success. Any deer removal, especially “culling” of “management” bucks and does, leaves fewer deer for predators, increasing pressure on does and fawns. As a general statement, mule deer must be harvested sparingly.

Human Tampering: High fences and Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) are related. High-fencing appears imminent in far-West Texas mule deer country. Here is what we know about it from experience elsewhere.

CWD, already in New Mexico mule deer herds, was recently found in far-West Texas. CWD is invariably fatal and highly contagious to all of the deer (cervid) family High-fenced areas accelerate the spread of CWD, because the disease-transmitting agents (prions) remain in the soil for many years and infect animals that are confined on infected feces and urine, or are bumping noses with other animals at feed and water points.

CWD-infected mule deer can live for years and spread the disease. Swift removal by natural process is the best way to suppress CWD. In open ranges with widely-dispersed deer populations, mountain lions are the best tool. Sick mule deer are vulnerable, and lions seem immune to CWD (based on failed brainto-brain experimental transfers).

Generally, high-fence game farming is economically unsustainable, and as usually practiced is damaging to wildlife and habitat. The set stocking of unnaturally high numbers of deer devastates the habitat inside the fences, as does set stocking of

18 IN PRACTICE

January / February 2013

Golden Rules of Marketing • Start as small as you can learn the markets • Diversify to manage risk • Know your story and tell it!

• Direct markets and wholesale markets take different skills and different strategies, and bring different benefits • Remember to keep your financial and personal goals in mind • Remember to calculate the COSTS of your markets • Sell it before you sow it • Build your customer base through personal relationships and networking 3) Questions to ask yourself about entering a farmers market: • What are the nearest markets and how much will it cost (fuel, labor—yours too!— energy) to work them?

• Are there enough customers to make it profitable?

• What’s my niche?

• Do I enjoy working with the public?

(This is important!)

• How much time will I spend, and how early will my day start and end?

cattle at any density inside any fence.

A primary high-fence objective is genetic manipulation. Animals are bred for one characteristic: big racks. Eventually, these find their way back into the wild population with unknown effects on native gene pools.

Captive fawn survival compared to free-range deer is reported in Texas to be as low as 14%: In my opinion, this is probably because does are not giving fawns their natural antibodies including “medicine” coming through weeds and other natural food, and, is a result of genetic-tinkering.

The answer to this mystery of mule deer disappearance is rather simple, at least in concept: We must restore our native plants through animal impact by mimicking nature, encouraging biodiversity and ceasing single species management. The fact is that 80% of native animals on this continent disappeared when early humans arrived. Consequently there are many empty niches in the ecological system which will benefit from having some animal species in them; plants don’t care where animal impact comes from, so long as they get what they need. Cattle merely replace bison but many other animals might work. Cows are just easier, pay for themselves, and can be vaccinated against wildlife diseases. Let us approach this issue with common sense and pragmatism.

In this spirit HMI is presenting a series of classes based on the use of cattle to help wildlife. Cows and Quail is the only wildlife and habitat class based on the recognition that plants need animals as much as animals need plants. Watch for one near you.

Chris Gill and his family own the Circle Ranch near Van Horn, Texas where they are, using cattle to improve wildlife habitat. www.circleranchtx.com.

Canadian Kids on the Land Program

by VAL and DAVID POGSON

I

n 2005 we began our path in Holistic Management and part of our goal was to create educational opportunities for children of all ages.

In June 2012 the local early year’s school accepted our invitation to visit our farm. The morning of the tour we set up six learning stations manned by parent volunteers. The tour group included 36 children in grades one and two and their teachers and 5 parent and community volunteers.

Upon arrival we had an introduction of our fourth generation family farm for the entire group. Prior to arrival the teachers had identified groups of 6 children and identified them with a color.

Each group had an adult leader to lead the group to the six different learning stations. At each station the group was given an introduction to the station and a project and lots of time for questions. The stations included chickens in tractors, horses, earthworms, pigs in a tractor, plants and coloring and puzzles to take home. The projects included feeding chickens, moving cages for grazing, studying and digging earthworms, learning parts of the horse saddle, coloring, puzzles, watching eggs being laid and planting a tomato to take home.

After a brown bag lunch the kids participated in a sticker scavenger hunt following clues based on information from the learning stations. The afternoon continued with a pasture walk which gave everyone a chance to enjoy the landscape and sunshine. Using hula hoops we created a focal point and down on their knees the groups identified the materials inside the hula hoop. This led to a great deal of discussion on plants, insects, soil, roots, soil cover and no cover, soil temperature and moisture. As we pointed out the wild flowers, to everyone’s surprise, a set of baby fawns was located along the path to our beaver dam. David had an opportunity to discuss the importance of wildlife and plant diversity on the land before the kids returned to school. What a great day!

Smiles abounded and kids and adults had a great outdoor classroom learning experience. Later the next week David and I spent time reading the hand written descriptions and enjoying the hand drawn pictures of what the kids enjoyed. This made creating the experience all worthwhile.

David and I would like to challenge other holistic managers to take the time to share their ranch with the next generation! The Kids on the Land curriculum is a great free resource to help get you started.

David and Val Pogson run Pogson’s Farm in Mather, Manitoba, Canada. They can be reached at: 204/ 825-7684 or dvpogson@xplornet.com. HMI’s Kids on the Land Program curriculum is available as a free download at HMI’s website: www.holisticmanagement.org.

Book Review

by ANN ADAMS

Sowing Seeds in the Desert: Natural Farming, Global Restoration, and Ultimate Food Security

by Masanobu Fukuoka • pp. 168 • Chelsea Green Publishing • 2012

I

first read Masanobu Fukuoka’s international bestseller, The OneStraw Revolution, back in the late ‘80s. I had not known about Holistic Management at the time and was struck by the idea of agricultural production that worked with Nature rather than against it. When I did learn about Holistic Management I was struck by the similarity of Fukuoka’s natural farming methods and how Holistic Management helps people improve land productivity by mimicking the way wild herds grazed the landscape and improved land health.

Fukuoka’s work is focused on crops like rice and orchards and vegetables and is a nice companion to the Nature-mimicking grazing of Holistic Management. However, I assumed Fukuoka’s work was most relevant to less-brittle areas of the world and small-scale agriculture/landscapes. So it was with great interest that I read Sowing Seeds in the Desert and learned how he had been traveling around the world (including the western arid U.S.) exploring ways to take his ideas of natural farming to a global level particularly in arid environments of the world to help stop desertification. Larry Korn (one of Fukuoka’s students) edits this treatise which was published after Fukuoka’s death in 2008.

Fukuoka’s focus in this book is to achieve global food security by using the techniques of natural farming across the globe so that the tools for improved land health and growing food are in the hands of all producers and pastoralists. He makes it clear from his early mis-trials that natural farming is not about neglect or letting Nature take its course.

It is about agricultural production that requires as little intervention as possible so that Nature can do the work. This type of agricultural production requires a profound paradigm shift, or as Fukuoka put it, “a philosophy.” He wrote: “If you do not understand the philosophy, the rest [farming] becomes empty activity.” Again, like Holistic Management, we must view Nature as a partner and recognize we are a part of Nature in order to make the effort to change our farming practices and our very relationship with Nature. The closer we live to Nature, the more sensitivity we bring to our natural farming or ranching.

This book is a series of short essays by Fukuoka as edited by Korn so don’t expect a book that steps you through the how-to’s. However, you do get some tales of experimentation and restoration recipes at the end of the book that should provide good fodder for whatever land restoration/production project you are working on. He also offers ideas of large-scale use of these techniques that do inspire the imagination and demonstrates profitability (he references a visit to the Lundberg rice farm). However, as someone trained in Holistic Management, I’d be curious what the cost/benefit analysis is for seeding large acreages with clay balls versus feeding animals at high stock density for arid land restoration.

So, if you’re looking for a book that helps you remember why you were attracted to farming or ranching in a way that partners with Nature, or one that gets you thinking about some big picture concepts in the context of global agricultural production, food security, and environmental conditions, pick up a copy of Sowing Seeds in the Desert. It will challenge you to think differently.

Number 147

IN PRACTICE 19

Certified Educators

U N I T E D S TAT E S

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.

◆ These educators provide Holistic

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.

Management instruction on behalf of the institutions they represent.

These associate educators provide * educational services to their

ARIZONA

MAINE

*

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 • 325/226-3042 (c) westgift@hughes.net Peggy Sechrist 106 Thunderbird Ranch Road, Fredericksburg, TX 78624 830/456-5587 (c) peggysechrist@gmail.com

NEW YORK

WASHINGTON

Erica Frenay 454 Old 76 Rd. • Brooktondale, NY 14817 607/539-3246 • efrenay22@gmail.com Phillip Metzger 120 Thompson Creek Rd. Norwich, NY 13815 607/316-4182 • pmetzger17@gmail.com

Sandra Matheson 228 E. Smith Rd., Bellingham, WA 98226 360/220-5103 • mathesonsm@frontier.com ◆ Don Nelson Washington State University 121 Clark Hall, Pullman, WA 99164-6310 509/335-2922 • nelsond@wsu.edu Doug Warnock 6684 E. Highway 124, Prescott, WA 99348 509/629-1671 (c) • 509/849-2264 (h) dwarnock@columbiainet.com

communities and peer groups.

U N I T E D S TAT E S

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

NEW MEXICO ◆ Ann Adams Holistic Management International 5941 Jefferson St. NE, Suite B Albuquerque, NM 87109 • 505/842-5252 anna@holisticmanagement.org Kirk Gadzia P.O. Box 1100, Bernalillo, NM 87004 505/867-4685 • 505/867-9952 (f) kirk@rmsgadzia.com Jeff Goebel PO Box 7011, Albuquerque, NM 87194 541/610-7084 • goebel@aboutlistening.com

Vivianne Holmes 239 E Buckfield Road Buckfield, ME 04220-4209 207/336-2484 • vholmes@maine.edu

CALIFORNIA

NORTH DAKOTA

Lee Altier College of Agriculture, CSU 400 West First St. • Chico, CA 95929-0310 laltier@csuchico.edu • 530/636-2525 Owen Hablutzel 4235 W. 63rd St., Los Angeles, CA 90043 310/567-6862 • go2owen@gmail.com Richard King Poppy Hill Farm, 1675 Adobe Rd., Petaluma, CA 94954 rking1675@gmail.com • 707/217-2308 cell ◆ Rob Rutherford CA Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo, CA 93407 805/756-1475 • rrutherf@calpoly.edu

Joshua Dukart 2539 Clover Place, Bismarck, ND 58503 701/870-1184 • Joshua_dukart@yahoo.com

COLORADO Cindy Dvergsten 17702 County Rd. 23, Dolores, CO 81323 970/882-4222 hminfo@wholenewconcepts.com Katie Miller 22755 E. Garrett Rd. Calhan, CO 80808-9170 970/310-0852 • katie.belle1985@hotmail.com

*

GEORGIA Constance Neely 1421 Rockinwood Dr., Athens, GA 30606 706/540-2878 • clneely@earthlink.net

HAWAII Tobey Williamson General Delivery, Kamuela, HI 96743 207-774-2458 tobeywilliamson@hotmail.com

MICHIGAN Dyer *1113Larry Klondike Ave, Petoskey, MI 49770 231/347-7162 (h) • 231/881-2784 (c) ldyer3913@gmail.com

MONTANA Roland Kroos 4926 Itana Circle Bozeman, MT 59715 406/522-3862 • 406/581-3038 (c) 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 Mae Rose Petrehn 86904 Delmar Ave. Newport, NE 68759-5520 913/543-1344 (hm); 913/707- 7723 (c) treadearthintometaphor@gmail.com Paul Swanson 5155 West 12th St., Hastings, NE 68901 402/463-8507 • 402/705-1241 (c) swanson5155@windstream.net Ralph Tate 1109 Timber Dr., Papillion, NE 68046 402/932-3405 • Tater2d2@cox.net

NEW HAMPSHIRE IOWA Torray & Erin Wilson 4375 Pierce Ave., Paullina, IA 51046-7401 712/448-3870 • torray@gmail.com curlywilly@gmail.com

20 IN PRACTICE

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

January / February 2013

PENNSYLVANIA Jim Weaver 428 Copp Hollow Rd., Wellsboro, PA 16901 570/724-4955 • jaweaver@epix.net

WISCONSIN

*

Laura Paine Wisconsin DATCP N893 Kranz Rd., Columbus, WI 53925 608/224-5120 (w) • 920/623-4407 (h) laura.paine@datcp.state.wi.us

I N T E R N AT I O N A L AUSTRALIA Judi Earl 3843 Warialda Rd, Coolatai, NSW 2402 Australia 61267296185 • 409151969 (c) judiearl@auzzie.net 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

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

CANADA Don Campbell Box 817 Meadow Lake, S0X 1Y6 306/236-6088 doncampbell@sasktel.net

Kelly Sidoryk P.O. Box 374, Lloydminster, AB S9V 0Y4 780/875-9806 (h) 780/875-4418 (c) sidorykk@yahoo.ca

I N T E R N AT I O N A L KENYA

Holistic Goal Setting & Facilitation Services

NEW ZEALAND

Richard Hatfield P. O. Box 10091, Nairobi, 100 KENYA 020 271-0367-70 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 Mackey P.O. Box 15109, Langata, Nairobi 254-727-288-039 belinda@grevyszebratrust.org Constance Neely, Ph.D. clneely@earthlink.net • +254-724-522-617

*

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

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?

SOUTH AFRICA Wayne Knight Solar Addicts PO Box 537, Mokopane, 0600 South Africa 27-0-15-491-5286 +27 15 491 3451 (h) +27 82 805 3274 (c) theknights@mweb.com.za

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

UNITED KINGDOM

Benefits of Holistic Management Facilitation Include:

*

NAMIBIA Usiel Kandjii P.O. Box 23319, Windhoek 264-61-205-2324 • kandjiiu@gmail.com 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) pjbubb99@gmail.com

,

To learn more • Elicits key motivators and values contact Frank Aragona from the group for more effective at 505/842-5252 group decision making or by email at • Improves communication franka@ • Improves conflict resolution holisticmanagement.org.

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

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.

THE MARKETPLACE

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

BUY THE DVD TODAY! Runs 80 minutes and covers the following topics:

$30

• Feeding and Balancing the Soil • The Albrecht System • Soil Testing • Considering Soil Test Results • Sulfur • Calcium, pH, and Liming • Potassium and Sodium • Nitrogen • Manures, Green Manures

(postpaid to US addresses)

For consulting or educational services contact:

Kinsey Agricultural Services, Inc. $30 (plus shipping) (PAL orders add $5)

297 County Highway 357, Charleston, Missouri 63834 Phone: 573/683-3880; Fax: 573/683-6227, neal@kinseyag.com WE ACCEPT CREDIT CARD ORDERS (VISA, MC)

Number 147

IN PRACTICE 21

THE MARKETPLACE

.!4)/.7)$% . !4)/.7)$% $ ) 3 4 2 )"5 4 )/ . $)342)"54)/.

2013 Holistic Management Trainings

CORRAL DESIGNS

February 4-9 Albuquerque, New Mexico with instructor Kirk Gadzia

Introduction to Holistic Management Feb. 4-6: $495

We improve the way you manage your land, human and financial resources.

Advanced Training Session (Requires prior attendance at intro session.)

Feb. 7-9: $495 Comprehensive Holistic Management Training Feb. 4-9: $895

5HPHPEHU SURĹ? WDEOH DJULFXOWXUH LV QRW DERXW KDUGHU ZRUN ,WÄłV DERXW PDNLQJ EHWWHU GHFLVLRQV For more information and registration, visit our website: www.rmsgadzia.com

Kirk L. Gadzia, Certified Educator PO Box 1100 Pasture Bernalillo, NM 87004 Scene 505-263-8677 Investigation kirk@rmsgadzia.com

22 IN PRACTICE

On-site Introductory HM Course

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

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

27 corral layouts. $55.

Low Stress Cattle Handling Video $59.

Send checks/money order to:

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

January / February 2013

970/229-0703 www.grandin.com

Durham Ranch, Wright, WY

Feb. 4-7, 2013 March 12-15, 2013 Register for this dynamic-participatory course involving the Durham Ranch staff and Roland Kroos, HMI certified educator.

(Limited to 15, register NOW!) Contact

Roland or Brenda Kroos (406) 522.3862 s kroosing@msn.com

www.hminmotion.com

THE MARKETPLACE

Western Canadian Holistic Management Conference

SPEAKERS INCLUDE:

Hold the Date!

Pierrette Desrosiers • Susie Oberdahlhoff Martin Entz • Troy Stozek and Jo-Lene Gardiner Blain Hjertaas • Gary Martens • Peter Holter Don Campbell • Ralph & Linda Corcoran And, a panel of Canadian Producers EARLY BIRD REGISTRATION

$150

Feb. 12-13, 2013 ntre Russell Community Ce n In l el ss & Ru RUSSELL, MANITOBA

To register online go to: www.mbforagecouncil.mb.ca

See the Big Picture ~ Respond to Change ~ Be Sustainable

The Web of Life: HOW BEHAVIOR LINKS HUMANS, ANIMALS AND LANDSCAPES FEBRUARY 19-21, 2013 Paicines Ranch • Paicines, California Taught by Fred Provenza, Emeritus Professor (Animal Behavior & Management), Utah State University

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!

EARLY REGISTRATION FEE:

$250 if you register by JANUARY 31, 2013 $300 after EARLY REGISTRATION CUTOFF

Workshop fees include breakfast and lunch.

Classroom and field instruction provided. Lodging and camping are available for an extra cost.

To register, contact leticia@paicinesranch.com or call 831-628-0288.

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 Number 147

IN PRACTICE 23

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

a publication of Holistic Management International 5941 Jefferson St. NE, Suite B Albuquerque, NM 87109 USA return service requested

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

Holistic Management Mail Order Emporium Subscribe to IN PRACTICE, a bimonthly journal for Holistic Management practicioners

Software

___ One-year Subscription . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $35 U.S. ($40 International)

___ Grazing Planning Software (single-user license) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $100

___ Two-year Subscription . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $65 U.S. ($70 International)

___ Upgrade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . electronic $30, hardcopy $45

___ Three-year Subscription. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $95 U.S. ($105 International)

Pocket Cards

___ Gift Subscription . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (Same Prices As Above) ___ Special Edition: An Introduction to Holistic Management . . . . . . . . $5 FREE DOWNLOADS of many of HMI’s educational materials are now available on HMI’s website, http://www.holisticmanagement.org.

Click on the Free Downloads link on the homepage to learn more.

___ Holistic Management® Framework and Testing Questions, March 2000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $4

Planning and Monitoring Guides ___ Introduction to Holistic Management, August 2012, 128 pages . . . . $25 ___ Holistic Financial Planning, August 2012, 58 pages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $17 ___ Holistic Grazing Planning, August 2012, 63 pages. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $17

Books and Multimedia ___ Holistic Management: A New Framework for Decision-Making, Second Edition, by Allan Savory with Jody Butterfield . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $60

___ Holistic Biological Monitoring—Croplands August 2012, 26 pages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $15

___ Spanish Version (soft) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $40

___ Holistic Biological Monitoring— Rangelands and Grasslands, August 2012, 59 pages. . . . . . . . . . . . . $17

___ Holistic Management Handbook, by Butterfield, Bingham, Savory . . . $40

___ Holistic Land Planning, August 2012, 31 pages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $15

___ At Home With Holistic Management, by Ann Adams . . . . . . . . . . . . . $20 ___ Holistic Management: A New Environmental Intelligence . . . . . . . . $10

Planning Forms

___ How to Not Grow Broke Ranching

by Walt Davis. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $30

___ Annual Income & Expense Plan, padded, 25 sheets/pad . . . . . . . . . . $17 ___ Worksheet, padded, 25 sheets/pad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $7

___ Video: Creating a Sustainable Civilization—An Introduction to Holistic Decision-Making, based on a lecture given by Allan Savory (DVD) . . . $30

___ Livestock Production Worksheet, padded, 25 sheets/pad . . . . . . . . . $17

___ Stockmanship, by Steve Cote . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $35

___ Grazing Plan & Control Chart, padded, 25 sheets/pad . . . . . . . . . . . . $17

___ Comeback Farms, by Greg Judy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $32 ___ The Oglin, by Dick Richardson & Rio de la Vista. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $15 ___ Gardeners of Eden, by Dan Dagget . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $25

I would like to make a Tax Deductible Donation

___ Video: Healing the Land Through Multi-Species Grazing (DVD) . . . $30 ___ PBS Video: The First Millimeter: Healing the Earth (DVD) . . . . . . . . $25 ___ Wise Money Game. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $35

TO ORDER:

In the amount of $_____________. Please designate the program you would like us to apply contribution toward ________________________________________

Questions? 505/842-5252 or hmi@holisticmanagement.org

■

Indicate quantity on line next to item, make sure your shipping address is correct, mail this page (or a copy) and your check or money order payable in U.S. funds from a U.S. bank, OR your credit card number and expiration date to: Holistic Management International, 5941 Jefferson St. NE, Suite B, Albuquerque, NM 87109.

■

You can also call in or fax credit card orders. Place phone calls to 505/842-5252, or fax to 505/843-7900.

For online ordering, visit our secure website at: www.holisticmanagement.org.

Printed On Recycled Paper

Shipping and handling costs are for U.S. media mail only.

Call 505/842-5252 for all other shipping rates.

Shipping & Handling up to $15: $16 to $35: $36 to $50: $51 to $70: $71 to $90: over $91:

add add add add add add

$5 $6 $8 $9 $10 $12