Healthy Land. Healthy Food. Healthy Lives.
®
SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2022
Surviving and Thriving in Challenging Times with Holistic Management BY WAYNE KNIGHT
H
MI’s Certified Educator Training Program has had a huge impact on many aspects of my life. As a young person I started out opinionated and critical of the family business. At 26 years old, having worked and traveled, I had seen and learned a lot from ranchers and farmers I had worked for in the US and the UK. I had been an
Community Power INSIDE THIS ISSUE The power of Holistic Management is understanding how to develop symbiotic relationships socially and environmentally in a way that moves you toward your holistic goal. Read how focusing on what you want has helped Oxheart Farm on page 3, Lynbreck Croft on page 5, and Open Book Farm on page 8.
In Practice a publication of Holistic Management International
NUMBER 205
employee, and the management looked easy. When I arrived home, the family business looked antiquated, and I had lots of ideas on how to “fix” things. While my father was a wonderful person, he was set in his ways. He purchased the family place from his family. He was king of his domain. He deserved to be. I just knew better, or so I thought. My dad and I respected each other but disagreed on just about everything. It was during this time that he signed my fiancé and me up for a Holistic Management program with HMI Certified Educator, Dick Richardson. I had grown up with Allan Savory’s ideas—the need for animals, particularly animal density and plant recovery, but what I learned with Dick opened my eyes to a whole set of opportunities and possibilities. During the training it was so evident that our family business lacked the goal so needed to focus our attention and enable us to communicate and enable more effective decision making, to enable us to collaborate and function on a very different level from our daily disagreements. What followed that first training was a lot of very tough and awkward discussions around our shared goal. Hilary, then my fiancé, played a crucial role at “enabling” the conversations to move forward, suggesting “time-out” and ensuring that we re-engaged on the thorny issues. By the end we had a holistic goal that transformed our discussions and enabled us to test decisions. We were working together in a collaborative way, no longer defending territory or our own ideas. Now we were working together to bring our shared goal to life. We had a better idea of our “effectiveness areas” and responsibilities. We created areas of responsibility and autonomy, but we still had the opportunity to collaborate and discuss. Shortly after the holistic goal breakthrough our business hit a massive financial challenge. South Africa was an infant democracy, and with that came economic shocks and challenges. In 1997 interest rates hit 28%, and we were heavily leveraged. My father had purchased
W W W. H O L I S T I C M A N A G E M E N T. O R G
a farm, and we were understocked and struggling to meet the interest obligations. At this point we had just attended the Holistic Financial Planning program with Dick. We spent hours using the planning process to work through the scenarios and options we had. Understanding the figures was a critical step in clarifying our options. The unique planning process allowed us to bring clarity to the outcomes we wanted with our recently formed holistic goal. We did not plan a profit; we were in survival mode. But we did slash costs. It was a breakthrough to radically cut costs and be able to optimize our expenditure. We made it through the crisis.
Wayne Knight Holistic Management had enabled breakthroughs in two significant areas of the business in a very short time. I had to know more. There was so much I didn’t know. I discovered that HMI offered the Certified Educator program. This was a deep dive into Holistic Management I wanted to take to learn more about this “different” approach to management and business planning. Dick Richardson and his then wife, Judy, became mentors to me and Hilary. I joined Community Dynamics, an organization of Southern Africa educators, as a trainee Certified Educator. This experience enabled me to rub shoulders with others passionate CONTINUED ON PAGE 2
Surviving and Thriving
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Healthy Land. Healthy Food. Healthy Lives.
®
In Practice a publication of Hollistic Management International
HMI’s mission is to envision and realize healthy, resilient lands and thriving communities by serving people in the practice of Holistic Decision Making & Management. STAFF
Wayne Knight. . . . . . . . . . . . . Executive Director Ann Adams. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Education Director Carrie Stearns . . . . . . . . . . . . Director of Communications & Outreach Marie Von Ancken . . . . . . . . . Program Manager Dana Bonham. . . . . . . . . . . . . Program & Grants Manager Oris Salazar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Program Assistant
BOARD OF DIRECTORS Walter Lynn, Chair Breanna Owens, Vice-Chair Jim Shelton, Secretary Delane Atcitty Alejandro Carrillo Jonathan Cobb Ariel Greenwood Jozua Lambrechts Daniel Nuckols Brad Schmidt Kelly Sidoryk Casey Wade Brian Wehlburg Seth Wilner
HOLISTIC MANAGEMENT® IN PRACTICE (ISSN: 1098-8157) is published six times a year by: Holistic Management International 2425 San Pedro Dr. NE, Ste A Albuquerque, NM 87110 505/842-5252, fax: 505/843-7900; email: hmi@holisticmanagement.org.; website: www.holisticmanagement.org Copyright © 2022
about Holistic Management. Ian MitchellInnes, Sheldon Barnes, Wiebke Volkmann, Colin Nott, Jozua Lambrechts, Johan Blom and Usiel Kandjii were all part of the group creating training material, discussing training opportunities, arranging events and discussing Holistic Management. Dick and Judy were the hub of the energy and momentum. From this group I learnt so much about the various aspects that make up the whole. These were all people practicing and teaching Holistic Management. Theory and practice were integrally married. Theory and practical examples were constantly part of the discussion. In developing training materials, a lot of disagreement and discussion came from personal experience against theory. There are few better learning opportunities than this. My intention when I started the journey was to be the best land manager that I could be. Over time I was hosting field days, education events and visits. Part of the motivation was to gain personal access to experts and educators and part was to introduce neighbors to what is possible when using Holistic Management. Later still, I presented training events and was invited to speak at events. Looking back, it is clear that the people who are attracted to Holistic Management appreciate that humans are part of the
ecosystem. We strive to live in harmony with nature. There is abundance and a beauty in living this way. There is little that could be more rewarding that to watch a piece of land that was degraded flourish again. Helping people work better to together is extremely rewarding. With Holistic Planned Grazing the reduction in stress and the improved quality of life is massively valuable. Enabling this for families is wonderfully rewarding. Every land owner and manager I know has a reverence for the land and the outdoors. Too few know the latent potential that exists to help that land flourish again. Being a Certified Educator has enabled me to help these good people realize that they have the power and the means to do this, too – to allow nature to do what is so “natural” given the recovery time, the animal density and the care. This journey has introduced me to incredible people who have achieved amazing results in many aspects of their lives. The Certified Educator Training Program certainly helped me learn Holistic Management at a far deeper level than I had before, but it also brought me contact with and support from a whole community of like-minded people who continue to shape and support my learning path—an outcome that is priceless.
To learn more about HMI’s Certified Educator Training Program visit: https:// holisticmanagement.org/ce-training-program/
Whole Farm/Ranch Trainer Program HMI is excited to announce our new one-year Whole Farm/Ranch Trainer Program. Given the need for more Holistic Management Educators to serve agricultural communities, we are working with our Holistic Management alumni who are interested in learning how to effectively facilitate and coach others in the practice of Holistic Management. This program provides educator mentoring and peer-to-peer learning with other educators-in-training. HMI provides a comprehensive curriculum of templates and powerpoints to assist our educators. Full and partial scholarships are available for candidates needing financial assistance.
Holistic Management® is a registered trademark of Holistic Management International
FEATURE STORIES
LAND & LIVESTOCK
Small, Complex & Focused— Not Doing Everything Makes Minding the Little Things Even More Crucial
Grazing Days Meat Production— A New Generation of Holistic Management Practitioners
Lynbreck Croft— Regenerative Wilder Farming
Hodgins Farm—The Power of Community
BRIAN DEVORE........................................................................... 3
ANN ADAMS................................................................................. 5
Open Book Farm— Keeping the Chesapeake Bay Healthy
HEATHER SMITH THOMAS.......................................................10 HEATHER SMITH THOMAS.......................................................12
Low-Cost, Low-Risk Ranching
ANN ADAMS & WAYNE KNIGHT................................................15
ANN ADAMS................................................................................. 8
2 IN PRACTICE
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NEWS & NETWORK Program Round Up................................................... 17 Grapevine................................................................. 19 Board Chair.............................................................. 19 Certified Educators................................................... 20 Market Place............................................................. 21 Development Corner................................................ 24
Small, Complex & Focused—
Not Doing Everything Makes Minding the Little Things Even More Crucial BY BRIAN DEVORE
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maller doesn’t always mean simpler. Consider Cella Langer and Emmet Fisher’s foray into being a Grade A micro-dairy—one that produces, processes, packages, markets, and sells pasteurized milk and yogurt. In a state that has lost 40,000 dairy farms in the past four decades, they are a tiny push in the opposite direction. How tiny? This year, Langer and Fisher are milking three Ayrshire cows on a seasonal basis in a small parlor on their 35-acre farm in western Wisconsin’s Pierce County. Their bulk tank could fit into a walk-in closet, and the creamery is designed to handle 50 gallons of milk a week; a typical 100-cow dairy can churn out roughly 4,900 gallons of milk weekly. But when it comes to marketing milk and yogurt straight off the farm, complexities remain, whether it involves three cows, or 3,000. Langer and Fisher’s Oxheart Farm (oxheartfarm.com) even has a milk haulers license, even though the distance between the cows and the processing plant is measured in footsteps, not road miles. “I need to learn to drive a truck,” Langer says with a laugh while sitting in the March sun near the processing plant and milking parlor. It hasn’t only been the milking enterprise that has made for some complications. Besides the dairy, this farm is now home to a 75-member vegetable CSA as well as a direct marketing egg and meat business. During the past five years, Langer and Fisher have been able to cut through the complexity thanks to the business planning and goal setting foundation they received through the Land Stewardship Project’s Farm Beginnings and Journeyperson courses (farmbeginnings.org). Do the farmers, who are in their early 30s, have plans to add more enterprises? “No,” Langer says without hesitation. “I think Farm Beginnings was the first place we realized we literally couldn’t do everything.”
A Whole Picture Approach
The couple could be forgiven for taking on a bushel basket of enterprises. After graduating with environmental education degrees from North Carolina’s Warren Wilson College, they set out to gain as much hands-on farming experience as possible, and during that time they saw how small operations were making a living utilizing a variety of enterprises, including vegetable and dairy production. Both had a good base to work from: Langer grew up on a farmstead where her mother grew a big garden, milked goats, kept chickens, and raised fruit. Fisher’s parents own and operate A–Z Produce and Bakery, a vegetable CSA in Stockholm, Wis. Besides raising vegetables, A–Z has a “pizza night” where the food served is made
sessions, on-farm tours, and an extensive farmer network. During their time in Farm Beginnings, as well as the follow-up course, Journeyperson, Langer and Fisher learned not only how to manage their financials better, but how to set up a five-year plan of where they wanted to be and how they were going to get there. That planning allowed them to take into consideration the importance of attaining a good work-life balance and the role sustainable goal-setting plays in that. “Five years sounded like such a long time when we were 22, you know?” says Fisher, adding that their own timeline eventually included goals that covered not only financial and production milestones, but family life
Cella, Emmet, and Otis in the Oxheart high tunnel. from numerous ingredients produced right on the farm, including the flour and meat. While working on farms on the East Coast and in the Midwest, Langer and Fisher became enamored of the idea of providing eaters a “whole diet CSA” experience. That sparked their interest in producing not just vegetables for subscribers, but products like milk, meat, and eggs. “ ‘Whoa—what if we grew everything on the farm?’ ” Langer recalls thinking when they started seriously considering farming as a career. “It was tempting,” adds Fisher. Fortunately, during the winter of 2012–2013, the young couple took LSP’s Farm Beginnings course, which was being offered in Roberts, Wis. Farm Beginnings is a 12-month training session that helps students clarify their goals and strengths, establish a strong enterprise plan, and start building their operation. The course uses a mix of farmer-led classroom
desires. “If we quit farming and went into another career, I’d say 80% of it is very helpful in another line of work,” he says of the Farm Beginnings training. “And half of the Journeyperson course is like marital counseling. It’s life skills.” The Journeyperson course, which is for farmers who have a few years of experience under their belt, emphasizes the use of Holistic Management, which focuses on “big picture” decision-making and goal setting processes. Holistic Management helps farmers work on achieving a “triple bottom line” of sustainable economic, environmental, and social benefits. In a Holistic Management system, a farmer’s quality of life is put on the same level as the health of the soil or the operation’s economic viability. Holistic Management relies on constantly monitoring whether a particular CONTINUED ON PAGE 4
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Small, Complex & Focused
recalls Langer. “They basically said, ‘We’ll wait for you until you’re ready.’ ”
enterprise or use of a tool on the farm is helping meet long-term overall goals, or is a distraction. That’s why Fisher and Langer spend each winter combing through their enterprises, pinpointing weak links, and looking for ways to make them more viable from a financial, family, and environmental standpoint. For example, the couple recently decided to take a break from producing pasture-raised pork for direct sale as their family obligations grew; they have a 3-yearold, Hugo, and in January, Otis was born. When the young farmers went looking for land, they knew enough from past experience that they needed access to consistent markets
“Questions for Francis”
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While enrolled in Farm Beginnings and Journeyperson, Emmet and Cella learned the value of networking with established farmers who were carrying out the kind of enterprises they wanted to pursue. Through the Marbleseed (formerly known as the Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Service, or MOSES) Farmer-to-Farmer Mentorship Program, they were able to connect with different established farmers and tap them for knowledge. The Marbleseed program pays the established farmers to be available to field questions from beginners like Emmet and Cella.
The Oxheart crew in their garage turned creamery for $50,000. as well as some infrastructure. The 35 acres, which is mostly planted to pine trees (a former owner had plans to access the wood market), is a few minutes’ drive from Red Wing, Minnesota, as well as other markets. As far as infrastructure, it doesn’t have as many outbuildings as they’d like. Besides a house, it has a garage, which was re-purposed into the creamery. Langer and Fisher have added three high tunnels for the vegetables. They used a USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) Beginning Farmer Loan to finance the purchase of the farm. The FSA process can be lengthy, and in fact, deals on four other farms they attempted to purchase fell through as a result of the drawn out FSA loan period. The farm Oxheart landed on was the result of a longterm relationship developed with the owners, who were willing to not put the land on the market and wait for financing to come through for the young couple. “They sort of courted us for the summer,” 4 IN PRACTICE
Through Journeyperson and Marbleseed the couple connected with vegetable producers Kat Becker and Tony Schultz, in north-central Wisconsin. Through that connection, they learned of a micro-dairy in the area that was similar to what they were aspiring to. They were also able to rely on input from other farmers— including Farm Beginnings grads, in the western Wisconsin region. But when it came time to actually launch the dairy, Langer and Fisher reached a point where the questions were so specific that they needed to find somebody who was actually doing Grade A on-farm processing of grass-based milk that was being marketed in a relatively rural area. It cost them around $50,000 to convert the garage into a pasteurization and bottling plant. Some of the equipment they needed was used, but because of their size, much of it was of a specialty type that had to be purchased new. There were endless issues to deal with, down to what kind of containers to market their product in.
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“We wanted to do yogurt in glass, but there is no glass container and not only that there’s only one printed plastic container in the U.S. All those yogurt containers by all the different brands are manufactured by one company and they have a 10,000-unit minimum,” says Fisher. “That’s just one example of things like that—there’s a million things.” One of the Marbelseed mentors they relied heavily on was Francis Thicke, who operates Radiance Dairy, a small Grade A milking operation and bottling plant in Fairfield, Iowa. Thicke was able to guide them through some of the million little details required to legally and safely produce dairy products on-farm. The Iowa farmer was on Oxheart’s speed dial, and at one point, they had a notebook page titled “Questions for Francis.” “I’d carry it around with me and whenever something came up I’d write it down and then when we’d have our phone call to check in—I’d just run down the list with him,” says Langer. “Being able to do that without feeling burdensome to somebody was very important.” Learning the proper way to do drug residue screening was particularly tricky, she recalls; one of the requirements is that Oxheart has its own drug residue screening laboratory. “We definitely want to do everything by the books,” Langer says. “We want to do it so it’s easy for our inspectors to check us off. Since their systems aren’t set up necessarily for someone our size, we need to figure out how to sort of fit into their box.”
Fine-Tuning What’s There
Oxheart’s dairy was launched in the spring of 2021. Demand for the whole milk and yogurt the farm markets through its CSA and via a few local retail outlets has been strong, creating a revenue stream that complements their 3-acre vegetable enterprise. Currently, cash flow is good enough that neither Cella or Emmet are working off the farm. That’s good news, but they are waiting to see if the current strong demand for local food will taper off once the COVID-19 pandemic is completely in the rearview mirror. Meanwhile, the farmers will continue to monitor each of their enterprises to make sure they are tracking with their goals. “We just want to spend the rest of our energy improving all of our farm enterprises and making them more financially viable, more efficient, and more ecologically sound,” says Langer. “Everything the same, but better.”
Originally published in the No. 1, 2022, Land Stewardship Project Letter (landstewardshipproject.org).
Lynbreck Croft—
Association Scotland and they brought Tony to Scotland in 2019 so we both could go together to that training. “I came away from the first training with the thought of how much everything Tony talked BY ANN ADAMS about made sense. It wasn’t oversimplified. The first core thing that made sense to me was that ynn Cassells and Sandra Baer did before getting into farming you have to have not come from farming backgrounds. own personal context, since it’s going to affect Lynn grew up in Ireland and Sandra everything going forward. From the farming side grew up in Switzerland with summer of things, we had only been here a year and holidays in Scotland. They met in 2012 when new to everything about farming. So, when Tony they worked in southeast England as apprentice wrote on a flip chart ‘You are the expert on your Park Rangers for the National Trust. There they farm,’ it was so great to see that. Farmers are learned not only basic ecology and the chance never told they are the experts. They don’t get to develop practical skills, but also that they had that kind of reassurance and praise. We can get a shared vision of living close to the land. input and thoughts, but we know the most about They moved to Scotland and worked planting this place. The third thing I got from the course native trees for rewilding projects as they looked was the financial side. Tony talked about how for their land. In 2015 they became serious about you decide how much money you make. That finding that land and began looking at various idea gets you thinking about how much money properties. In August they found the 150-acre can you save or avoid spending. It affects the Lynbreck Croft located in the Cairngorms triple bottom line. There is empowerment in National Park. They moved to the property in getting to know yourself and that you are the March 2016 and came to the sudden realization expert and you control the finance side. that they would need to be farmers in order to “I also got another key learning from another manage this land in a way that held true to their farmer at the training who told us to work with vision of caring for the land and raising food what you got. He asked what are your assets for themselves in what they have come to call without spending more money or learning Regenerative Wilder Farming. anything new? We have a great small farm, a great location with local market, and our own Starting a Regenerative skills. Sandra is good with working with animals Journey and very intuitive. We have our holistic planned Luckily, in 2017 they saw an advertisement grazing and mixed species as part of our set on Facebook about a Holistic Management up. I have skills talking to and engaging with training with HMI Certified Educator Tony people so I do the sales and marketing side McQuail from Canada. Lynn went to the course of the business. I believe open and honest communication is marketing, so we build the business from there. “We started working on our holistic goal from the beginning. The first day of the training was context setting and learning about Tony’s journey and figuring out our own context. Then we looked at the grazing chart and learned how to understand the science and the biology behind it, and then learned the figures. The last day was the financials. There are so Sandra providing some animal welfare to Lynbreck’s many farmers running at a Oxford Sandy and Black pigs. loss even with government and immediately wished that Sandra could have subsidies. We took away that we are in charge of come. “I knew how much value we could get our finances. out of the training if we both went,” says Lynn. “The 2019 training was great to go to as a “We started to get to know people with Soil couple. It was so valuable and truly life changing
Regenerative Wilder Farming
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Lynn Cassells and Sandra Baers Photo credit: Sandra Angers-Blondin to work through everything together. It has given us a foundation that has never really shifted. It’s really reassuring to know why are we doing this as a couple. “We have so many situations that Holistic Management has helped us with our decisions. Two years ago we had breeding female cows and we would bring cows off the farm to the bull. We’d wait nine months and calve and work to breed a cow that would be super resilient in our system. But, because we are such a small set up, it took more time and money and stress to follow that model than what we were getting out of it; we weren’t delivering holistically. So we decided to simply buy one-year- old steers because there are plenty of good farms that had good animals. Have we failed by changing our action? We feel like we tried one strategy and now we feel empowered to change to another strategy. Our context gave us the strength to change. “We also used to keep sheep to run with cattle. After one year we knew sheep were not for us. They took too much time. We asked ‘Why are we doing this?’ Again, the training empowered us to make the decision to not run sheep. “The first time we sold our produce, it didn’t make a profit. This was in 2017 and we were very new to farming. We knew this business model wouldn’t allow us to both work full-time on the farm. We looked at figures we were getting to CONTINUED ON PAGE 6
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Lynbreck Croft
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operating at a loss. Looking at your profit margin is key.”
see how to make it profitable. We knew we either Partnering with Nature The community response to Lynn and had to take on more animals (which we knew Sandra’s focused efforts on improving their land from our Holistic Management and regenerative agriculture training would degenerate the land) or and building a viable business operation in a relatively short amount of time has been telling. make more money on our product. We know our They have won numerous awards including: land is our most valuable asset. So, we thought ‘How can we add value to our produce to get more value?’ We developed our customer base by sharing our story, developing Youtube videos, etc. We focused entirely on direct sales, and we developed a small butchery to save butchery cost, but also add value to our product. Pork belly might sell for £1/kg, but if we smoked it and sliced it we could get £15/kg. Highland cattle are docile and hearty animals “Developing our bred to do well in Lynbreck’s climate. business model took Newbie UK – Best UK New four years, but we now are both full-time on the Entrant Farm Business farm. Our business is built on diversification. All 2018; Cairngorms National the benefits we want for nature and feeding our Park – Cairngorms Nature local community and feeding us is dependent on Farm Award 2018; Scottish that. It also gives us a variety of jobs to do. Our Crofting Federation – Best challenge right now is managing our own time. Crofting Newcomer 2018; We have put ourselves last for those four years, Farm Woodland Award so we are trying to work on that now. We are for Young People – 2019 improving all the time, and we have done a lot in just a few years. We are fast tracking the concept Winner; RSPB Scotland Nature of Scotland Food of ‘working smarter.’ We can have a holiday and Farming Award in the future. We talk about the importance December 2019; and Compassion in World of resting the land, but we need to work at Farming – Sustainable Food & Farming Award. resting ourselves. They planted over 30,000 trees and “In the last two years our gross income has doubled. The first three years we were running at became members of the Pasture Fed Livestock Association, participating in numerous a loss as we invested in infrastructure because educational videos developed by Soil Association the infrastructure had been in a semi-derelict Scotland as well as filming their own videos state and the land hadn’t been managed. as part of their educational outreach from their Now we are paying bills and putting money website. They also wrote a book Our Wild aside. I am really proud, that we don’t take a Farming Life: Adventures on a Scottish Highland government subsidy. The diversification stream Croft published by Chelsea Green and have is what is keeping us going. It makes us feel appeared on BBC’s “This Farming Life.” They less at risk of outside influences with different have a “How to Farm” course and regularly lead market fluctuating or subsidies changing. Business savvy is what the Holistic Management tours of their farm. But all this attention doesn’t distract Lynn training teaches you. It taught us that size is and Sandra from their focus on the land and not important, it is what you do with what you their desire to partner with Nature. Their team have that counts. There are massive farms here 6 IN PRACTICE
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members include Highland cattle, Oxford Sandy and Black pigs, chickens, bees, trees for forage and shelter, as well as the soil microbes in their produce garden. Holistic grazing planning is key to Lynn and Sandra’s work with their animals and they are seeing their efforts pay off. “Our Animal Units/ Hectare are still in flux,” acknowledges Lynn. “We are noticing much more forage through our visual observations than when we first started. We also are noticing we may have less hay to buy in for the winter but it depends on when the snows start. We are targeting moss with bale grazing, and now the sward has a lot more diversity. With the bale grazing we are getting more productivity where the moss used to be. “Our vision with the chickens was that they would follow the cows, but because of the terrain with our hills, our egg mobile can only be used in the flatter areas. With spring growth, the cattle move through first and then we target areas with the chickens. We move the fence down the hills and leave the egg mobile on the top so we can cover more area that way. The egg mobile stays in one area for 5 days and might only come back to that spot one more time in a year. “ Currently Lynbreck carries seven steers getting ready for finishing, two one-year-old steers, and one matriarch cow that settles the steers. They stagger the buying in of animals as they carry the animals until they are 24 months. Although they have 150 acres, they only have 70 acres of grazing. 40 acres of that grazeable area is bog so they can only graze that certain times of the year. They also have 10 acres of woodland which leaves 20 acres of pasture. The bog is used for summer cattle grazing with grazings of three to four days at a time. In the winter, the pigs graze the bog while the cattle bale graze the pasture and are moved once a week. The last three weeks of the winter the cattle are held in
about agriculture with no farming background. “At first, we thought that lack of knowledge was a disadvantage,” says Lynn. “But, now we see that lack of knowledge as a big advantage because we had no preconception. It’s been a financial challenge. We were The microbutchery that Lynn and Sandra invested in has helped them able to buy the farm, increase the value of their product by as much as 1500%. but there was no agricultural structure here when we moved and and have eggs by subscription. In the summer we didn’t have the money to invest. So, again, we sell extra eggs through an honesty box at the key principle of Holistic Management was the end of the lane. The less stock we have to so important—work with what you have. We hold, the less risk for us. Our selling model is needed to pick the fairly efficient. With our box releases, we have right animals and a delivery route and it’s all done in a handful of enterprises for the days and the finances are all handled through land. the website which allows us to stay focused on “It’s just the the farm. two of us and we “Our vision for the future is to really focus on don’t have any our quality of life. We focused on building up the surplus money. business, earning the money, and developing the We’ve purposefully diversification. Everything is running really well. stayed the size we After November 2022 we have no plans and we are because we are at a comfortable point to see what happens. enjoy the tasks we We need a bit more time. We are going to carry do and we don’t a few less animals and get more time. We had a want to grow. You five-year plan and we achieved it. We don’t have feel the pressure to a new five-year plan because we are remaining continue to expand open to what we might learn when we slow and grow. We’ve down. It feels good to not know what we will Lynbreck Croft offers “How to Farm” courses and tours as another enterreally had to buck be doing.” prise and way to engage with their community. the trend because To learn more about Lynbreck Croft get smaller cuts that they can process further this size works for us. We are content with what visit: https://www.lynbreckcroft.co.uk/. All on farm and market as tree fodder and grass we have and we are really focusing on the photos unless otherwise marked provided by finished meat. They use the trimmings from the quality of life elements. We are very community Lynbreck Croft trees to feed the leaves to the cattle who can focused in what we do. Our commitment and take up to 12% of their diet from trees. contribution to the community is our way to They have planted a variety of trees such as contributing to mental willow, alder, and rowan specifically for animal health and well-being. feed and shelter. They have also planted oak, We see people every aspen, and hazel and eventually cattle will go week and we build into these areas for fresh browse and shelter. our community. They are planning for a long-term future as these “We’ve really trees grow slowly because Lynbreck is on the worked hard at the eastern side of Scotland. Even with an enviable story element and 38 inches (950 mm) per year, this region has engaging people with harsh winds and temperatures that can slow what we are doing. tree growth. That has helped us be able to charge What the Future Holds what we charge. Lynn acknowledges that there were many We announce our challenges for her and Sandra as they learned meat box releases Lynn moving the portable eggmobile. the bog before the grass flushes in the pasture. The cattle are managed based on a 30-day recovery. Moves are slowed down in the summer to allow for 55–60 days of recovery. The hens move into grazed area in a few days after the grazing to scatter pats and work large patches of moss. Lynbreck purchases Oxford Sandy and Black pigs in at the end of summer and the beginning of the spring when the pigs are eight weeks old. There are lots of people raising rare breed pigs so sourcing them is not a problem. Lynn and Sandra want the pigs for working the woodlands and the bogs in the winter as well as being an income stream. Lynn and Sandra work to build up stockpile to extend the grazing season which goes from mid to late May to early to mid December. They harvest the animals in October and buy the new cattle in May. They work with a local butcher to
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Open Book Farm—
own farm. In fact, when she recently looked at her holistic goal she had written she was pleased to see how much her farm reflects those values today. After their year at Misty Brook, the couple went to Virginia where they met a lot of people focused on sustainable agriculture and they got connected to that area. In 2011 MK and Andrew founded Open Book Farm on rented land in Myersville, Maryland where they operated their farm for the next four years. They started with a winter CSA because that concept was relatively new for that area and they quickly picked up 53 customers interested in fresh produce during
we still had all our customers for the winter CSA. “It was also close to the summer farmer’s market in Washington D.C. We also added a pop up farm stand on Friday nights and they were surprisingly well attended from the beginning of May through Thanksgiving.” Open Book Farm offers winter and summer CSA shares and year BY ANN ADAMS round online ordering from their 190-acre farm; ary Kathryn (MK) Barnet grew up they also maintain a winter CSA pick up in Chevy concerned about the environment Chase, MD. and passionate about recycling A summer CSA currently costs $500 which and spending time outdoors. means they can order online and have a running She attended Davidson College in North tab from their credit with a 10% discount. They Carolina and earned a degree in English and currently have 65 people enrolled in that program then went to graduate with an additional 50-120 customers that come school in anthropology and to the farm stand or their farmer’s market. All of international development their vegetables are certified organic. with a focus on agriculture. The Barnets buy all the animals they finish “That work made me aware for market. They purchase their pigs and grain of the kind of farming I from the Ernst Farm in Clear Spring, Maryland. was interested in,” says They purchase their baby chicks from a hatchery MK. “I had some academic in Pennsylvania and their stockers from Lakota knowledge but wanted Ranch or neighboring Holistic Grazers Spring practical knowledge so I Pastures Farm and raise them entirely on grass. apprenticed at Serenbe Currently they have 200 laying hens and 2,500 Farms near Atlanta, Georgia. meat chickens (down from 5,000), 30 pigs, and I thought, ‘I can learn this 14 cows. farming thing in one or two As the Barnets tried to figure out where they years.’ But, I came out of could reduce labor demand in the middle of the that season recognizing summer and still make the money they needed, The Barnets (left to right): Andrew, Alice, MK, Leo and Sylvan. I had a lot to learn and they decided to also that this type of work really spoke to me. I the winter. decrease their realized I was better suited to working on farms They also meat chicken because international development work can be experimented production. They emotionally difficult and I didn’t know if I wanted with raising had been selling or could do that kind of work, but I loved working pigs, picking half of their meat with the land.” up their chickens through first piglets someone else’s Growing a Farm with their CSA as they could MK met Andrew at Serenbe Farms when Volvo station move a lot of their Andrew came to volunteer. After that experience, wagon. product easily. But MK went to Caretaker Farm in Massachusetts to In 2013, that wholesale focus on growing produce while Andrew went to the Barnets market was also Polyface Farm in Virginia to learn about livestock had their first the easiest way grazing. They then met back up at Misty Brook child. They to reduce labor Farm in Massachusetts in 2010 where Andrew had wanted given the reduced Open Book Farm booth at the Petworth Community Market. got a chance to work at a raw milk dairy and to do an all income they were manage other livestock and MK had her own vegetable CSA but because that was so labor getting from the wholesale market. So they business growing produce for the farm. This was intensive they pivoted to increase their animal took out the middle part of their meat chicken an incubator opportunity for both of them as MK numbers and sell at a farmer’s market. They production, eliminating 2,500 birds and the need got an opportunity to plan out a cropping season found that while there are more input costs for for additional staff at that time when vegetable on her own and get ready to take the next step a meat business, such a business is better for a production and harvesting requires so much with actually leasing land. Likewise, Andrew got limited labor base. “We found a farmer’s market labor. the experience he needed to convince him that that was a solid market and got overconfident They have also changed the way they are he didn’t want to dairy. about our ability to make money and started hiring. Instead of having two apprentices and one While at Misty Brook MK also participated in looking for our farm,” says MK. “Luckily we had part-time employee, they now have one full-time HMI’s Beginning Women Farmer (BWF) program help from family members in purchasing the farm and one part-time employee who knows how to in 2010. She found the goal setting particularly we found which was about 20 minutes away from use the equipment and a livestock guardian dog helpful as she was thinking about starting her where we had been leasing [in Middletown] so that protects the small stock from predators and
Keeping the Chesapeake Bay Healthy
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more grass than cattle, so we into two days done over two weeks, processing lease some of our pasture 230 birds/day. On processing days, they usually to Ron. That way we are bring in one or two additional people, for a total managing pastures together. crew of four or five. They start by catching the Now Ron has a section for his birds at dawn, then break for breakfast. They cattle and we have a section process from 8:30 a.m. and finish by noon. They for ours.” let the birds chill and then package them in the The Chesapeake Bay walk-in cooler by 3:30 p.m. They charge $5/lb for Foundation started The the whole birds unless they have to have them Million Acre Challenge which USDA processed for the market. They take them “helps Maryland farmers to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania and charge $6/lb at build soil health, increase the market. farm profitability, and improve The Barnets then compost all the chicken water quality – while making offal. In previous years the Barnets used a low farms resilient and active in management composting system, mixing the the face of climate change.” offal with lots of free wood chips and letting it As part of this program they passively compost over time. The downsides have a goal to implement of this system were that the finished product One of the Barnets’ livestock guardian dogs rotational grazing on 19,500 was still very wood-chippy, and according to the protecting the chickens. acres by 2025. The focus organic regulations, it had to be treated as raw the vegetables from the deer. The Barnets also on perennial grasses average 60 hours/wk between the two of them, and improved grazing but now their parents are helping with childcare helps reduce the amount the Barnets may be able to increase their of excess nitrogen and farming hours more. phosphorus going into the The Barnets have apex predators like Chesapeake Bay. Prior to coyotes, hawks, and bald eagles which can the Barnets purchasing the be a challenge on a farm with small stock. But land in Middleton, the farm the Barnets believe these large predators keep had been 140 acres of corn at bay smaller prey species like moles, voles, and soybeans being grown and groundhogs which can be a challenge for a conventional dairy. from the cropping side of the operation. So the That land is now mostly Barnets use predator-friendly farming practices perennial pasture today. like their livestock guardian dog to help protect Such management changes their domestic small stock from the larger have been shown to reduce Herding turkeys out to pasture. predators. They also use electric netting and sediment pollution by 87%. secure portable chicken coops as further safety When the Barnets measures, thus fostering biodiversity wherever purchased their land, they they can. got connected with the NRCS as MK was interested Restoring the Chesapeake Bay in getting a grant for building Besides having a passion for raising healthy food a high tunnel. The NRCS for their community, the Barnets are also focused staff was very helpful both on improving the healthy functioning of their land regarding the high tunnel but as part of the Chesapeake Bay watershed. They also putting the Barnets in participate in the Maryland Grazers Network, touch with the Chesapeake where they were mentored by long-time Holistic Bay Foundation who would Management practitioner Ron Holter. help match the funding they Andrew was partnered with Ron because got from the Environmental he wanted to improve his grazing knowledge Quality Improvement further when they moved to their Middletown Program (EQIP) so they location. “Andrew felt really solid about grazing could do more water and The old dairy room is now a processing facility for poultry on chickens and pigs after apprenticing at Polyface, fencing infrastructure Open Book Farm. but needed more help with managed grazing,” development. says MK. “When we started raising cattle, he Additional infrastructure improvements manure rather than as compost. In an effort to connected with Ron. Ron was always available include retrofitting the old dairy room on the farm produce a higher quality finished product which to answer questions and offer suggestions. so they now use it as a processing facility for can be used anywhere in the gardens at any Andrew would ask him what he thought about a their poultry. The Barnets raise a batch of 500 time, they are experimenting with an aerated CONTINUED ON PAGE 21 fencing plan or grazing strategy. We also have chickens at a time and divide the processing N um ber 2 05
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Grazing Days Meat Production—
A New Generation of Holistic Management Practitioners BY HEATHER SMITH THOMAS
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olistic Management has always been a part of life for Paul Slomp; his parents began practicing Holistic Management with their grass-based dairy farm on the Canadian prairies near Rimbey, Alberta. “My parents farmed in Alberta from 1989 until 2018. Slightly before the Mad Cow crisis there was a big push by the Alberta government toward grazing and grass land, to try to support farmers in producing beef as cheaply as possible. Through that, many of the farms in our neighborhood were introduced to Holistic Management, and grazing, to cut their costs. My parents’ grassbased dairy was focused on that, too. Compared to the average dairy farms in the province, my parents were able to produce milk for 40 cents a gallon less than everyone else,” Paul says. “I grew up around cattle and grass, and wanted to farm. My parents, in their wisdom, early on told me that if I wanted to farm, I couldn’t come back to their farm to take over until I was Paul and Josee with two of their children. at least 30 years old and after I had lived elsewhere, learning other things. So I went to school and studied engineering and became involved with an organization called Engineers Without Borders. I worked in sub-Saharan Africa (the African countries and territories south of the Sahara) for four years as a volunteer, working with subsistence agricultural farmers. They were mainly doing vegetable gardening.” This experience introduced him to global food systems and how subsistence farms were being pushed into production agriculture in the 10
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developing world. “When I came back to Canada I wanted to point out to the Canadian government that there are different forms of agriculture that are all meaningful, and that all of agriculture doesn’t need to be exportoriented like it is right now in Canada. It might look good on the Canadian Government export sheet but it is not very good for farmers,” he explains.
Local Meat
Paul decided to start his own farm after a short interlude doing some food policy work in Ottawa. While he was living in Ottawa he met many people who became his friends and who bought locally-grown organic vegetables. “But when it came to meat, very few of them bought any locallygrown meat. This was primarily because they lived in small apartments or they were small households, and it wasn’t feasible for them to buy a half or quarter of a beef,” Paul says. “I had made some good friends here, and soon saw a potential market for doing this sort of thing, and one thing led to another. I developed a business model in which I could sell 10-pound boxes of mixed beef cuts, to make it available to people who were not able to access local meat directly from farmers.” He started out on rented land in 2010, pasturing yearlings, and called his beef operation Grazing Days. The first year, he had 14 Angus beef yearlings. The rented land was just 65 acres of grass, and he used portable electric fences to graze it rotationally. He rode his bike out to that pasture daily, to move the herd. Meanwhile, he met his future life partner, Josee, in the winter between 2010 and 2011. “We met through mutual friends; it was a blind date. Looking back at it, we realize we could have met through seven different other connections, so we feel it was meant to be!” Paul says. Josee grew up in suburbia, as a kid who loved to ride bikes and write books. She attended several universities to study sociology and feminism. She currently does the social media for their farm and also enjoys her vegetable patch and working with the laying hens, as well as taking care of their three children. In 2013, after the birth of their first child, they decided that if Paul was going to continue farming, they should invest in some land of their own, so he wouldn’t have to keep riding his bike along dangerous roads to go out to take care of the cattle and move them to new grass. “In 2014 we found the farm where we are now, and we have 370 acres—and graze every inch of it with cattle. In 2015 we added some feeder pigs to the mix, and this year we are adding meat birds as well,” he says. Grazing different species of animals gives their customers more options and a variety of meat to choose from, and also provides a chance to try multi-species grazing on their land. “I am still struggling to find a purpose for the pigs, in that scheme of things,” says Paul. “We do graze them, but we move the cattle herd too fast; the pigs can’t really keep up, so we graze them separately. With the cattle, it’s easy to see what they contribute to the management and health
of grassland, but I am still trying to find the real purpose for the pigs in our system. We don’t have a forest to put them in. “I am sure they add some fertility to the soil but I am not 100% convinced that I am doing a very good job with them. We are excited about the chickens, however, because we can quickly add fertility without doing much damage to the land.” When Paul was renting land, he was simply running yearling stocker cattle, since he didn’t have the infrastructure to manage cattle during winter. He bought young stockers in the spring and sold everything in the fall, to be slaughtered and processed. He rented freezer space in a big warehouse for the meat.
Paul with his herd of cattle and stockers. He has run as many as 100 cow-calf pairs and 60 stockers on his 370 acres. He started out with 40 pairs. When he got his own place and bought cows in 2014, he started with 40 pairs, and slowly started building the herd. “We hit our peak in 2017 with 100 cow-calf pairs,” say Paul. “At that point we were finishing about 60 stockers as well. That was a very bad weather year, however. We had rain every day and cloud cover, so there was lots of grass but it contained a lot of moisture and no energy. Our cattle were thin, and this really hit our bottom line. “We started to ask questions about what is actually the strength of this farm, and how can we collaborate with other farms to get what we need. At that point in time we cut back the cow-calf numbers. We are very good at the marketing side—focused on getting meat from a carcass and distributed into people’s freezers—with home delivery. We realized that too much of our energy was going into the marketing side to really do the cow-calf side justice. “Since then, we started a relationship with another farmer who is keeping our cow-calf herd at her place. She custom grazes them for us in both summer and winter. We get the weaned calves from her each spring, to graze here on our place, and finish them in the fall. We are also still buying additional stockers from other farms,” he says. Currently he has 40 cow-calf pairs and purchases between 60 and 70 stockers in addition, to graze and finish with his own calves. Paul wants cattle that are efficient, grass-based genetics, since no growth hormones are used, and no antibiotics. “Most of the stockers I purchase are vaccinated, but my own are not and they all do equally well,” says Paul. “They graze on the best grass we can give them and they thrive. When selecting stockers, I basically look at what kind of operation they are coming from, to see if that operation is similar in practices and management to what we are looking to do.” It doesn’t need to be perfect, but he wants to buy stockers that were raised on grass, and not cattle that have been fed grain. When he finds farms that just utilize grass, he makes arrangements to purchase their stockers. Currently he has two farms that are supplying him with stockers.
A Common Language
Even though Paul grew up with Holistic Management on his parents’ grass-based dairy farm, he and Josee took a six-day starter course with Tony and Fran McQuail in Ontario. “We always make an annual plan. Josee did not grow up on a farm, and the reason Holistic Management was attractive to me was because my parents had already taken a course when I was young, and I wanted to take a course with Josee so that she and I could have a common language when making business decisions. She has very little interest in being a part of this business, but she is a co-owner, so Holistic Management gave us a framework and common language to talk about things and make decisions,” Paul says. He started Grazing Days in 2010 and met Josee that winter. “We took the course together, sort of like our 5th date! We did that together, and now in our annual planning—especially our financial planning—the Holistic Management really helps in the structure of how we make decisions,” he says. “We also put a lot of focus on the weak link analysis, or what we might call the logjam analysis. We try to identify the logjam every year—whatever is the biggest challenge—and put a lot of resources toward that to remedy the problems. We are still learning how to use Holistic Management more on day-to-day decision-making. Where we struggle most is in allowing ourselves to take the time to go through all of the steps, and in making sure we have up-to-date information. “Unfortunately our accounting is always about two months behind! This doesn’t lend itself well for holistic decision-making!” Most people have
Paul started running pigs and meat birds as well as the cattle to provide more variety for his customers. some things they prefer doing and some things they like less (and tend to put off), and holistic planning helps keep things in balance. Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses, and the holistic planning can help address those weaknesses or weak links. Having grown up with Holistic Management, Paul had a bit of an advantage in continuing with it later on his own farm. “I am of the generation that never struggled along without Holistic Management, and this has been a big help!” The main direction he and Josee want to go now with the farm is to holistically put a lot of emphasis on the financial management. “I have a habit of taking on a lot of projects because they are interesting, so we are trying to learn how we can more effectively time manage, with Holistic Management, and use the same kind of financial planning management with our time management. I have 40 working hours a week to give to the farm and I need to determine what I need to spend it on, rather than CONTINUED ON PAGE 12
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thinking that we need to accomplish certain tasks (no matter how much time it takes). “The biology on this farm was very neglected when we took it over. We’ve farmed here for eight years and are entering our ninth year. We are starting to see the biology come back. This has been a big focus for us in our grazing techniques—to try to breathe life back into the farm. “I think our cattle are starting to look healthier and we can probably start stocking a few more animals on the farm. We don’t really know where this side of things will go, but we are glad to see some progress! If someone had asked me two years ago if I was seeing a difference, I would have been hard up to show it, but now it is starting to come. “We are definitely outliers in terms of what our neighbors are doing, or what the Ministry of Agriculture recommends, in how we do things. Most neighbors write us off as crazy just because they don’t understand it. In terms of the Ministry of Agriculture, it’s been a real battle to convince the Ministry that this is a way of agriculture that can work. A number of Ministry people have come to the farm and find it very interesting, what we are doing there, but they have no interest in helping us bring acceptance for this type of farming. We have not found anyone yet who is willing to do that.” It has been a struggle sometimes to farm in this environment (both politically and biologically) but Paul has also been some benefits. “In contrast, the region in Alberta where my parents farmed, the oil and gas development was ever encroaching. Those companies were fracking within a quarter mile of our well. To be so dependent on fresh water for your livelihood, this was becoming a concern,” he says. “I really appreciate my parents and probably could farm with them, but I just didn’t trust what was happening there. “If I had gone back to my parents’ farm, that place was thriving; there was an abundance of everything on that farm, versus what I am farming now. I hope to create that abundance here, and I am sure it will come, but we’re not there yet.”
The plus side is the abundance of potential meat customers. “We are only 1½ hour drive away from nearly five million people who could eat from our farm,” says Paul. “It’s a readily available customer base, though there is a lot of work associated with finding those people. In Alberta, by contrast there are only two major cities, and a lot of people grazing cattle. From a marketing standpoint—the way we market our meat—this is a better place to be.”
Quality of Life is Key
Paul and Josee have three children, ages 9, 6, and 9 weeks. The oldest two are busy going to school. “I’m not sure if they will want to have anything to do with the farm as they grow up, but the way we are holistically planning is that the farm is my occupation,” says Paul. “I also have many geopolitical reasons why farming is important, but at the end of the day we are just trying to be a normal family and not have our lives dictated by the farm.” The kids can grow up knowing that they can do whatever they want with their lives—whatever interests them. They can be a part of the farm, or not. “Our eldest likes the farm at this point and is also very outgoing, and loves giving farm tours. They are each involved, in their own ways, but I don’t want to push them. They are welcome to join us if they want, but my expectations are low. “One of the things that we’ve realized with Holistic Management, and we’ve had some good conversations about what our expectations are from the farm, is that the financial reward of the farm is not the main driver of why we farm. We don’t want to live in poverty, but at the same time we are not slaves to the farm. We have enough, and we will have enough, for perpetuity, and this allows us to have a lot of freedom on the farm also.” When Paul isn’t with the herd moving fences or engineering a new winch system for feeding whey to the pigs, he might be planning new play structures for their kids. “I really appreciate that my family allows me to challenge myself with the farm. In reality the farm is my dream and my puzzle, but there is no way I could do it without their support and tolerance.”
Hodgins Farm—
The Power of Community BY HEATHER SMITH THOMAS
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isa and Cameron Hodgins and their four young children are farming holistically in southwestern Manitoba, near Lenore. Their children (Carrie, Chase, Cole, and Conner) enjoy helping with the animals on this mixed enterprise farm where they direct market to their community. Through numerous professional development activities, the Hodgins continue to learn from the farming community, connecting with all those who support the transition to regenerative agriculture.
Beyond Grazing
Lisa notes that their farm is mainly a cow-calf and yearling operation, but they also direct market a variety of products from their farm—including beef, pork, chicken, turkey, lamb, honey and eggs. This variety provides a one-stop shopping experience for their customers, something the Hodgins are proud of. “We are guided by our values, and the principles of holistic and 12
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Lisa and Cameron Hodgins in back. regenerative agriculture, focusing on farming within the natural ecosystem,” says Lisa. “We try to farm with Nature and not against it. In all the things we do and the decisions we make, we try to look at the big picture and the whole picture: healthy land, healthy animals, healthy food, and healthy people.”
Cameron says they started practicing Holistic Management in 2008. “My dad and I went through the course here locally in our small town of Lenore. This really opened my eyes, very early in my farming career—as we were discussing different things and goals. I started by wanting to learn how to grow more grass, but it ended up being much more than just growing grass. We are still using some of those decision-making processes today.” After they were married, Cameron and Lisa took the course together in 2015. “That helped us evolve in this process with our own family. By that time, we had a couple of young kids, and it helped us grow and manage the farm as a family,” Cameron says.
year you can give those pastures more rest, or leave more residual forage. “This is what got us into Holistic Management and it’s grown from there. When Lisa and I took the course, we were at a transition point in our lives, with more kids coming—and we had to figure out what we were going to do, to make it all work.” Lisa says that as their family was growing, their goals were also growing and changing. “We were looking at what we were doing and ways to integrate everything. We were both working off the farm but had more kids and were looking at ways the kids and I could do more on the farm, allowing me to stay home with the kids while they were young—and take a break from the off-farm job,” she says. “We did a few different things. We opened up our farm for Manitoba open farm days with different tours and groups. We started additional enterprises like the chickens and honey, and focusing on direct marking our products.” The Hodgins sold their products at farmers’ markets and little trade shows, building from there. A website and social media, along with word of mouth, helped people become aware of what they were offering.
Connecting with Community
While their direct marketing was a challenge during the pandemic, the Hodgins have figured out a direct marketing strategy that works for them and connects them to their community. “We offer
The Hodgins run 500 yearlings using daily moves to improve the land health. “My dad had been farming organic for about 20 years and we’d followed some of those principles. Lisa and I both worked off the farm, but then wanted to see if we could raise our family here, working with Dad. I was lucky in that my parents were willing to let me try new things, with freedom to either fail or succeed.” Cameron’s parents had already been direct-marketing some meat which meant that Lisa and Cameron didn’t need to reinvent the wheel. “My parents were direct-marketing organic meat into various regions of the province,” says Cameron. “We took over that part of it, which worked very well. My parents were looking to start transitioning out of it and step away from it, and we stepped into it.” Grazing management is what got them into Holistic Management, The Hodgins have seen diversity of plants, insects, and animals increase but it became a much broader concept as they looked at different on their farm as a result of their management practices. things. “We learn through our failures and our successes. With the the various products and take the orders, put them together and deliver grazing we learned to be flexible and determine whether we grazed too them,” says Lisa. “This adds a personal touch; when I drop them off to our hard and what we had to do to get the pastures back into good shape,” customers they like to have a chat and ask about the farm. Cameron says. “This is a big part of what we do and it is important to us. Our “What works on my place, with my goals and what I am trying to do, customers understand what’s going on with our farm and how we look after may not work next year, or on a different place. The big thing is that we the land and our animals, while producing good food for people to enjoy. become better observers of what is going on around us. We notice little “The interaction means more to our customers, and to us. We are things, like the different insects that may or may not have been here before finding more people who want that personal touch or to become more because we weren’t paying attention. aware of the importance of where their food is coming from and how it “Through the grazing management I’ve also discovered that there are various agencies in our area that are interested in beef production because is being raised. They want to contribute to helping the land by buying products from a farmer who is a good steward of the land. This is how they of the benefits it provides to the ecosystem. We’ve been fortunate to be contribute to this goal and can feel they are part of the process. able to work with some of these agencies and get assistance to grow our “Direct marketing became a good way to diversify our farm and make grazing. more profit. It allowed me to be at home and this was a way that I could “In our habitat and ecosystem here, everything evolved with ruminant contribute to the farm as well. As the kids are getting older, everything grazing animals. These landscapes were always grazed. A person might CONTINUED ON PAGE 14 need to graze a little harder this year to keep the cows fed, but maybe next N um ber 2 05
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keeps growing and changing, and the whole family pitches in to do the work. We all enjoy working together. Cameron’s parents live just down the road, so there are many times we are farming and working together with them, too. We have our own enterprises, but lots of times we are doing things with them, as a team effort. “It’s great to see it all working. I’ve seen Cameron and his dad work together when we first started out—and that whole relationship. But it’s a really neat relationship with multiple generations and seeing his parents farming with their grandchildren, sharing knowledge and skills. They can ask the kids to help out, whether it’s doing some fencing or moving cows, or processing some cattle. It’s a unique experience for them and for the kids, working together.”
Ongoing Learning
Lisa and Cameron continue to look for new opportunities and things they can do to increase profit, learn, and support their community. “We are always learning and trying to do better as well as something different,” says Lisa. “We continue to use the tools that we’ve gained and things we’ve learned through Holistic Management. It helps us to look at the big picture and make better decisions and more informed decisions because we are looking at different aspects of what is going on. “These decisions about our farm, and the directions we want to go—to move forward in relation to our goal—have been greatly aided with Holistic Management. It’s exciting that this is leading to some opportunities to open some more doors, and some education opportunities for us and the kids.” The Hodgins’ children are also wanting to take on new ventures of their own. “It’s fun to see those things evolve, too, as the kids get older,” says Lisa. “They have some interests they’d like to pursue. Our daughter is making videos that offer some education and insight into some of the things going on around the farm. She and Cameron would also like to grow some different things on the farm. The kids keep coming up with different ideas, and we can take what we’ve learned and can help them walk through some steps and evaluate what that might look like. “I grew up on a farm but wasn’t that involved with it as I grew up; I was busy doing other things. But I definitely enjoyed the whole experience of living on a farm and in a small town.” Lisa and Cameron met in high school. After they were married, when the opportunity arose for them to move back to the farm, close to Cameron’s parents, they both wanted to do this. Lisa likes the small town atmosphere and wanted the chance to raise their kids out here. “After taking Holistic Management in 2008, we created a Holistic Management club here in our area,” Cameron says. “It really opened our eyes, and we did a pretty good job of meeting regularly for the first few years. We still meet annually, and talk to the people in our group. It’s great to share experiences and discuss different ideas. “It’s valuable for us when like-minded people get together. Even at the local level, it’s been helpful. Our region is mainly medium-sized mixed farms and we have a really great community. A lot of things go on in it, for a small community. One of the big things is the local grazing club supported by Ducks Unlimited; we get together as producers and it doesn’t matter whether you are into Holistic Management or the complete opposite; everyone gets together and tours around various farms within about a 20-mile radius. We get to look at different ideas and innovations and see what other people are doing or trying. I’ve seen a lot of innovations come from these little tours, where we might see our neighbor or friend trying something new. 14
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“We’ve been lucky to have this grazing club continue locally. There are folks from my parents’ generation as well as some younger ones, and some of us less-experienced people, but we are all helping out in the club and moving it forward. It’s exciting to see it continuing. We have lots of kids in our area, too, and it’s not uncommon to see three generations and sometimes four generations together at the Lenore Hall at a Christmas supper or some other occasion. “We’ve also been lucky to experience the General Mills program [supporting regenerative agriculture] . This has opened up a whole different set of people for us to talk to that we normally don’t encounter because we are not grain farmers. The majority of folks in that program are grain producers and some of them are very innovative and have some great ideas. I wouldn’t meet them at a grazing event, so it’s been really interesting to have some of those connections and gain insight from them, to also help grow our own farm. “The power of community is huge, and it’s so invigorating to get together with a diverse group of people and discuss ideas and thoughts on various topics. Each person looks at things a bit differently. You go to a conference and listen to a keynote speaker, but often it’s the chatting with people afterward that you learn even more from and come away with a broader picture. “We need to open our doors to different ideas beyond our current beliefs. We are all trying to make a living from farming or some type of local agriculture and we have more in common with our neighbors than with most people in cities. Here in our rural community we are all trying to make money in agriculture whether it be cattle, chickens or canola. “The power of community is huge, but we want it to last for more than one generation. There are many issues out there that concern us— whether its drought or input prices going up. Consumers right now are worried about food prices and the quality and health of their food. Issues with government are also coming to light; there are many challenges for farmers. “We don’t need to be perfect in what we do but we just want to be better than yesterday. If we can just keep improving, making progress, a little bit better than what we did last week or last year—that will allow us to keep moving in the right direction.” The Hodgins believe Holistic Management While Hodgins Farm is primarily a cow-calf and has played a big role in yearling operation, the Hodgins have diversithe way they manage fied their farm and sell meat chickens, turkey, their land and are able to lamb, pork, honey and eggs, as well as beef. make a profit and raise a family—and how they interact with their community. It helps to have similar goals and be able to make it work, with the land, and your business, and try to leave everything better than you found it.
Holistic Planned Grazing—
Low-Cost, Low-Risk Ranching BY ANN ADAMS & WAYNE KNIGHT
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Key Holistic Grazing Planning Considerations
1. Your stocking rate must be set by the carrying capacity of the land. Inventory your forage and estimate conservatively what you will grow to determine the number of animals you will carry. If you are aggressive in your estimation, be prepared to destock quickly. 2. Allow for at least 4-leaf stage recovery of grasses, whatever time that takes, especially in drought-prone areas to help increase root depth and reserves. 3. Decide on a grazing strategy that works for you to get at least some litter, especially if you have a lot of bare ground. There should be enough litter to keep rain from compacting the soil surface and to reduce evaporation from soil and keep the soil cooler. 4. In drought-prone areas, err toward longer recovery to grow carbon (plant material) and ideally get it on the soil surface while the rains
OUTCOMES
MANAGE
PROBLEM
olistic Planned Grazing has evolved from the early years of its development as ranchers and educators from different backgrounds have explored how to push the various guidelines such as stock density, grazing intensity, and recovery. They have gone back to the original texts of Voisin as well as gleaned additional insights from scientist-researchers such as Aubrey Venter and Rob Drewes, David Tongway, and Richard Teague to see how various techniques can help improve land productivity and resilience. Because there are so many different grazing environments with their own host of opportunities and challenges, no one grazing “system” will necessarily meet the need of the various graziers with their unique mix of size, types of livestock, markets, additional enterprises, etc. That’s why Generate Profit with Low Risk, Low Cost Grazing Holistic Planned Grazing encourages each grazing operation to look at all the social, environmental, and An ever present problem for a rancher is that you never know when it is going to RAIN! economic factors as they explore how We also know that we have to be PROFITABLE, despite all the variables in these disruptive times. to determine the appropriate stock density, grazing intensity, and recovery periods they want to use in any Learn to read what your animals can tell you about their given year. interaction with the land so you can plan and manage to What Holistic Planned Grazing reduce your risk and stress and make a profit. has always focused on is helping graziers make progress toward land We do this by understanding: health within the context of social Animal Performance and financial considerations of social Grass Utilization sustainability, succession and business Environmental Health profitability. Where it has been particularly helpful is to allow producers Animal Performance 6 Steps to NOT run out of Grass Environmental Health to create low-cost, low-risk ranching 1. Animal Density systems that allow families to survive 1. Rumen Fill 1. Measure Available Grazing (STAC) 2. Plant Recovery 2. Dung 2. Determine Green Date challenging years by investing in land 3. Appropriate utilization 3. Body Condition Score 3. Determine current and future animal resilience and getting more profit out of forage by animals grazing needs 4. Balance animal numbers to needs to of good weather years with adaptive availability grazing. Those holistic managers 5. Sell excess animals ASAP 6. Monitor your planned vs. that have learned how to adapt their actual usage grazing to the various challenges they face within the context of their holistic goal and a holistic financial plan are better able to know the risks they face How How How and have greater clarity regarding Balancing available forage with Safe to Fail Trial how much they can risk of their social, Animal Performance Goals animal numbers natural, and economic capital. Bunch Grass Monitoring Daily Rumen & Dung Monitoring But this kind of nuanced analysis Results can take years to learn. Certainly Safe to Fail Trials and training can help reduce the length and steepness of this learning curve, but for beginners, HMI offers the following list of key Less Risk Greater Resilience Greater Profitability Less Stress factors to consider when developing any grazing plan, especially if you are attempting to create a low-cost, lowCONTINUED ON PAGE 16 risk grazing model. N um ber 2 05
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Holistic Planned Grazing
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are there through grazing and trampling. 5. Grazing periods should be as short as possible to eliminate/reduce overgrazing of desired plants. 6. Stock density or grazing strategies should ideally be providing even utilization of forages so that desirable plants are not unduly pressured and less desirable plants are grazed or trampled. 7. Recovery periods should be set to enhance desired grass species health. Extended recovery periods can turn to rest (the absence of disturbance), which can create negative effects for the soil and the plants if prolonged. 8. All grazing planning and implementation must be adaptive to changing circumstances to create desired outcomes.
Monitoring Is Key
Obviously, there are many decisions to make within these considerations and what works well in one year or month may not do so well in another year or month. Observation and monitoring are crucial to learn what works well on your land in different seasons and years. Your two helpers on this journey are your animals and your land. They will let you know when you are doing things well and when you need to adapt your grazing. In particular, you should look at animal performance and environmental health, including forage inventory. Animal Performance Nothing will tell you as quickly whether you have a healthy pasture or sward than the animals eating from it. If you look at their rumen fill, you can tell if they are getting adequate amounts of forage or if they are hunting for food. Likewise, the consistency of their dung will quickly tell you if they are getting enough protein or getting too much fiber that will affect their plan of nutrition. Lastly, their Body Condition Score will tell you if the feed they are getting will make them capable of reproducing and producing offspring that will thrive and reproduce well. These critical monitoring tools will keep you on course especially if you practice your observation of these criteria daily or weekly. Your Animal Performance is managed through a written Holistic Grazing Plan that helps you: 1. Adjust grazing periods to increase animal performance 2. Adjust animal density 3. Optimize the plane of nutrition available 4. Adapt your production cycle to achieve target Body Condition Score at critical times (calving/breeding) 5. By planning animal moves for animal condition and monitoring moves against planned grazing moves you will know if you have too many animals or if your animals are not performing as planned, which would require supplementation (with associated feed cost analysis) or immediate destocking. 6. Develop selection criteria that help you identify the individual animals in your herd that least fit your production goals; for example: lower fertility, higher nutritional requirements, higher disease susceptibility, over or under providing for their offspring, and more. Environmental Health Likewise, the land will also tell you if you need to adapt your grazing practices that determine animal density, plant recovery periods, and stocking rate. Through your written Holistic Grazing plan and pre- and post-graze monitoring, you will determine appropriate utilization of 16 IN PRACTICE
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forage by animals. You will also monitor ground cover through standard rangeland plant and soil cover monitoring or bunch grass monitoring as well as determining how recovered your plants are and what kind of plant diversity you have. To make sure you have the right amount of forage for the animals you are planning on carrying, you must perform a forage inventory by measuring current available forage and recording that as part of our written Holistic Grazing Plan. Then you will need to determine your “Green Date” and your “Drought Safe Date” so that you can then determine how much feed you will have through your growing season for your animal grazing needs and balance animal numbers with forage availability. If you have excess animals, you will need to sell them ASAP to increase profit and maintain/increase value of retained animals. Continued monitoring and adaptation will improve the outcome of grazing implementation.
Flexibility is Key
You will be making decisions about adapting your grazing plan throughout the year based on many factors. For example, if you are in an arid environment where growth retains its nutritional value, and animals’ condition can remain relatively uniform, as the quality of feed remains relatively high over time, you may want to take a low-risk approach and stockpile forage. If you are in a wetter environment, where the quality of forage declines much more rapidly over time and lignifies, you will likely take a very different approach to grazing and recovery periods. Certainly you will also need to factor in animal genetics to successfully partner with the landscape you are managing in a low-cost, low-risk way. You may decide to dump or skip paddocks in wet years to keep animal production levels high, when there is little chance of running out of feed. You may choose lower stock density to increase animal performance. In wetter years, you will likely favor animals’ condition in your management—because food quality will be lower. In dry years, you may want to concentrate on growing more feed because the quality will be better for longer. In drier years, you may also want to increase stock density and extend recovery periods. Many holistic graziers have experimented with density and seen huge benefits. The challenge is building in the flexibility that makes these different density approaches “attainable” at the different levels of grazing management. Flexibility is key as no plan goes to plan. That is why Safe to Fail Trials are so powerful. They help people see the impacts of density and recovery time for themselves on a small area of their property, which motivates them to explore how to further expand the use of that density over more of their landscape. But experimenting with high density can have a negative effect on animal performance unless a protein supplement or stimulating microbes in the rumen is used or animal genetics becomes a key focus. Ultimately, graziers must choose among these options based on what they want to achieve and their most restricting resource. Knowing what you are monitoring and why, as well as understanding what the land and animals are telling you creates a Low-Cost, Low-Risk Ranching model that will reduce stress and increase profit and land productivity.
If you would like to learn more about Low-Cost, Low-Risk Ranching, come to HMI’s Advanced Grazing Workshop at the Dixon Water Foundation’s Mimm’s Ranch workshop near Marfa, Texas on September 20-21, 2022 or participate in HMI’s Low-Cost, LowRisk Grazing course coming in January. Look for announcements in our e-letter.
PROGRAM ROUND UP Chico Basin Ranching with Nature Workshop Celebrates Diversity
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n exhilarating spring storm greeted attendees at the Ranching with Nature Workshop at Chico Basin Ranch southeast of Colorado Springs, Colorado on May 4–5, 2022. In collaboration with Ranchlands, Chico Basin Ranch, Audubon Conservation Ranching, and Bird Conservancy of the Rockies, HMI held this first of three workshops dedicated to providing training on the interrelation between positive grazing management and the support
Katie Merewether, Private Lands Wildlife Biologist, and Colin Woolley, Banding Manager, from Bird Conservancy of the Rockies (BCR) talked about their experiences with Chico Basin Ranch and the bird banding and conservation that is conducted there. Aaron Maier, a Range Ecologist from Audubon’s Conservation Ranching Program presented Audubon’s efforts at developing the “Bird Friendly Beef” program and how it rewards land stewards who participate in the program by adding value to their products. 95% of the participants were satisfied with the workshop and 100% would recommend it to others. Thank you to our partners Ranchlands, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Audubon Conservation Ranching, and Bird Conservancy of the Rockies. Special thanks to scholarship sponsors L&L Nippert Charitable Foundation and ISA Tantec.
Breakthrough Ranching Workshop in Tucumcari, New Mexico
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om and Mimi Sidwell operate a direct-to-consumer, beef operation near Tucumcari, New Mexico. On the roughly 7,000acre JX Ranch, they raise all-natural beef on native pastures using regenerative, holistic grazing methods. On June 15-16, 30 ranchers, farmers, educators, land stewards, researchers and students participated in HMI’s Breakthrough Ranching: Managing for Profit, Nature, and Drought Resilience Workshop.
Participants at Chico Basin Ranch learning about creating biodiversity and bird and pollinator habitat. of birds, pollinators, and wildlife and their habitats on holisticallymanaged ranches. There was a balanced mix of participants from ranchers, to students, to conservationists, with over 75% of the group under the age of 45 years old. Their backgrounds included consumers, research/educators, backyard gardening enthusiasts, farmers, and ranchers overseeing ranches of 87,000 acres. The total number of acres influenced by the group was 516,300. Tess Leach, Jonathan Tullar, Brandon Sickel, and the team from Ranchlands shared their knowledge on managing the Chico Basin and other Ranchlands properties and entities. The Chico Basin Ranch is a working cattle ranch southeast of Colorado Springs, Colorado, owned by the Colorado State Land Board, and managed by Ranchlands. For the last 20 years, Ranchlands has partnered with Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory to band migratory birds as the cornerstone of their education program. Grazing and monitoring training sessions were led by Wayne Knight, Executive Director at HMI, including how to determine key livestock production milestones and how to determine the quantity of forage in a pasture. Ben Berlinger, a recently retired Rangeland Management Specialist for the NRCS, and Victoria Crowe with the NRCS Canon City Field Office conducted a rainwater simulation demonstration.
Tom Sidwell explaining about the JX Ranch grazing strategies and results. After introductions Tom Sidwell shared his story about the results he’s had at JX Ranch and his previous ranches around New Mexico. Tom explained how water is his most precious resource and how making every drop of precipitation count in his herd management, plant growth and livestock watering system all contribute to getting his animal density as high as possible, his plant recovery sufficiently long to cater for variable rainfall and growing conditions. He also explained how important maintaining animal performance is to achieving profit goals in a harsh environment, and how he uses protein supplements to enable his livestock to more effectively utilize poor quality food when there is limited selection for the animals. CONTINUED ON PAGE 18
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Program Round Up
successfully mimicked natural herd movements to increase productivity and drought resilience through a profusion of forbs and a huge diversity of grass species. Wayne Knight spoke about rumen digestion and how it is a This diversity feeds the entire ecosystem, both above and below function of rumen microbial activity. He explained how to observe ground. With the profusion of forbs there is diverse habitat for pollinator how well animals are faring and how to translate these observations insects and animals. The plant diversity sustains a complex and diverse into management strategies to ensure that animals are reaching population of soil microbes and organisms. Long recovery periods, key condition and production milestones at critical points in the timed to optimize forage production and nutritional value translate production cycle. into abundant food for the entire ecosystem, from pollinators, to birds Linda Pechin-Long, rancher and educator from the Kansas Flinthills, and animals. explained how to safely and inexpensively determine the interaction Wayne Knight also introduced participants to understanding ruminant of the 3 low-cost, high potential tools available to grazing managers: digestion and how to observe and balance animal performance with animal density, plant recovery time and depth of graze to observe how planned versus actual grazing moves. Other areas discussed were these interact and influence each other. measurement and planning for available forage relative to key calendar Tom also guided a ranch tour showing how all available wells are dates to reduce risk and stress when rainfall and growth produce less linked to provide water to any point on the ranch. Even in a drought than anticipated forage. year, Tom and Mimi’s ranch is carrying the equivalent of the official Amanda Gobeli from Texas Wildlife Association covered management government stocking rate, having destocked substantially to make and monitoring to promote quail habitat on ranch lands. She discussed provision for a drop in forage production due to drought. concepts like analyzing the environment to determine what the weakest Shaun McCoshum, a wildlife biologist, pollinator expert and link in the life cycle of quail might be, and then addressing that weak habitat conservationist presented on the relationship between grazing spot, to enhance the habitat and survivability of quail fledging, food management and pollinator health. He explained how poor grazing availability, and shelter. management can suspend plant and habitat succession while intentional Thomas Schroeder from Audubon Conservation Ranching Bird grazing management can increase it. Amy Erikson of the Audubon Friendly Beef program introduced the audience to this program. Core Society and Tuda Libby Crews of the Ute Cattle Co. presented together to his message is that consumers are more aware of environmental on the benefits of creating wildbird habitat and how wild bird populations issues, and that developing a market awareness and being involved in a can be used as a key indicator to ecosystem health. product branding initiative is an important niche market creation process. 100% of participants were satisfied with the workshop, would Thomas explained that Audubon really helps ranchers by sponsoring the recommend this workshop to others, and intend to change management monitoring and verification process. practices or apply ideas they learned during the workshop. NRCS’s Corban Hemphill utilized a rain simulator to demonstrate how Thank you to the speakers who shared their knowledge and soil management influences water infiltration. Various samples of local experience. And a special thank you to Tom and Mimi Sidwell for hosting Henrietta soil management practices were used in the rainfall simulator us and for all the incredible work you’ve done over the years. to demonstrate how tillage, no-till, heavy continuous grazing and planned grazing influence water infiltration into similar soil types. The results were telling of the impacts of erosion and how poorly water infiltrates impacted and bare soils. 63 people attended this workshop which included two rangeland outings. There were significant n May 11–12, 2022 numbers of students, young Emry Birdwell and farm managers and NRCS Deborah Clark agents at the event. 31 of the hosted HMI’s two-day attendees were under the age workshop on their ranch near of 55. Overall satisfaction with Henrietta, Texas. Even in the dry the event was very positive with conditions during the workshop 98% expressing that the day was the grass and forbs were growing either good or excellent. 100% very fast, so fast that Emry said they would recommend the explained that he needed to move day to others. their herd of 4,000 cattle faster HMI gives special thanks to to prevent the grass’s nutritional our incredible hosts Deborah value from declining as it becomes Clark and Emry Birdwell of reproductive. Birdwell-Clark Ranch and to our The implications are clear, by sponsors. We would also like to The Birdwell-Clark 4,000-head herd. managing with nature, Emry and thank our collaborators Amanda Deborah have increased their Gobeli from Texas Wildlife land’s ability to grow reliable volumes of forage even in dry conditions. Association, Corban Hemphill from NRCS, and Thomas Schroeder of By planning the grazing densities and recovery periods, they have Audubon Conservation Ranching. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 17
Birdwell Clark Whole System Health Workshop
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GRAPEVINE The
mastery over their finances. In communities where money and conventional employment are less abundant, Rhoby believes creativity, diversification, and good decisionmaking can help people make good lives in line with their values. It is an honor for Rhoby to hear your stories and be of assistance. Rhoby is a wife, mother, grandmother, and community member on the Hoopa Valley Indian Reservation in northern California. She loves social science and making things, and is good at details. She also has a partnership with some sheep to create sweaters out of sunlight and grass. Rhoby has a small flock of 20 head, more or less, of California Heritage breed Romeldale CVM sheep in variegated natural colors of cream, tan, brown and gray. She doesn’t raise market lambs. Most of the sheep live out lives of 10–15 years and are humanely put down when they can no longer function well to walk and graze. As a student of Holistic Management, Rhoby is constantly learning to apply the principles and practices of managed grazing to 3 acres of irrigated permanent pasture. The animals divide their time between pasture by day and a predator-proof barn by night. They receive supplemental alfalfa and grass hay from mid November to mid February when the grass is dormant. Rhoby sells her wool products through Rhoby’s Ranch. Congratulations, Rhoby!
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
HMI Welcomes Newest Certified Educator
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MI is excited to announce our newest Certified Educator, Rhoby Cook from Hoopa, California. Rhoby has experience with community gardening and supporting family food farms as Director of the Klamath Trinity Resource Conservation District, and has practiced Holistic Financial Planning and Rhoby Cook. Holistic Grazing Planning on her property for the past decade. She is also a producer-member of the organization Fibershed and is working toward Climate Beneficial Wool verification by increasing carbon sequestration in their pastures. As a Certified Educator, Rhoby especially enjoys working with Native Americans and other families and individuals to empower them to gain
From the Board Chair BY WALTER LYNN
In this month’s column, I would like to reflect by example how Holistic Management practices raised regionally are tied to our HMI purpose. I will use cover crops and soil function in Illinois to augment the examples. Some Upper Midwestern Mississippi River basin states have adopted individual states’ Nutrient Loss Reduction Strategies. Illinois is one of those states. There are four goals with the strategies. The focus is reducing nitrogen and phosphorus in our lakes, rivers, and the Gulf of Mexico. The goals for nitrate-nitrogen are a 45% and 15% reduction by 2035 and 2025, respectively; phosphorous goals are 45% by 2035 and 25% reduction for the same periods. Agriculture contributes to 80% of the nitrogen runoff issues and 48% of the phosphorus issues. Farm groups, universities, and governmental agencies formalized the strategies in 2015. Despite the outreach events, many of the watersheds are still above historical baselines, as reported in 2021. The Dead Zone in the Gulf of Mexico in 2016 was 5,898 square miles and in 2021 it was 6,334 square miles or up 7.4%. I know we understand cover crops help to increase water infiltration, reduce nutrient runoff, increase water holding capacity, help to increase soil organic matter, enhance nutrient cycling, and promote better fungi to bacteria ratios. These are all great qualitative soil health measures, awesome for any land resource and is applicable to many different landscapes and contexts. When we focus on the I - states (Indiana, Iowa, and Illinois) in the upper Midwest, the rate of adoption is
increasing when we compare the 2012 US Census of Agriculture to the 2017 census. The 2017 census reflects 4.12% adoption versus 2.07% in the 2012 census on the cropland acres in the 3 states. There are major differences, however, between the 3 states in cover crop adoption rates on the crop land. Indiana leads at 7.25% coverage in cover crops, then Iowa at 3.67%, and lastly Illinois coming in at 2.95%. It is very interesting, for example in Illinois, to delve into some of the why on the states’ adoption rates. In my travels in my home state of Illinois, I will briefly discuss 2 geographic locations--Clinton County, East of St. Louis—it is the number one livestock county (dairy, beef, and hogs) in the state; it has smaller farms and does not have the rich soils created by the glaciers in central Illinois. JoDaviess County—it is a very rolling county in northwest Illinois with livestock more prevalent. The topography and the livestock in both counties bring the producers together around a common purpose, better soils. Both counties have cover crop champions leading and active in the local movement or revolution, and it helps that cash rent competition is less in these 2 counties. Social and economic context makes a difference for adoption rates. HMI understands the necessity and how critical the social component is in a county, watershed, or community to attain the economic and ecological goals with the required critical management. Our educational courses and events help create the transformation for a better land resource for future generations. Our network are the role models to help other agricultural producers see the possibilities for changing land management practices.
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Certified
Cliff Montagne
Educators
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.
Tim McGaffic
Cave Creek 808/936-5749 tim@timmcgaffic.com CALIFORNIA
Lee Altier
College of Agriculture, CSU Chico 530/636-2525 laltier@csuchico.edu
Rhoby Cook
KANSAS
Linda Pechin-Long
Latham 316/322-0536 info@grazetheprairie.com MARYLAND
Christine C. Jost
Silver Springs 773/706-2705 christinejost42@gmail.com
Petoskey 231/881-2784 (c) dyer3913@gmail.com
Owen Hablutzel
Los Angeles 310/567-6862 go2owen@gmail.com
MISSISSIPPI
Preston Sullivan
Meadville 601/384-5310 (h) preston.sullivan@hughes.net
Richard King
Petaluma 707/217-2308 (c) rking1675@gmail.com
MONTANA
Roland Kroos (retired)
Doniga Markegard
Half Moon Bay 650/670-7984 doniga@markegardfamily.com
Bozeman 406/581-3038 (c) kroosing@msn.com
Paicines 707/431-8060 kmulville@gmail.com
Judi Earl
Don Nelson
Red Bluff 208/301-5066 nelson-don1@hotmail.com
Rob Rutherford
San Luis Obispo 805/550-4858 (c) robtrutherford@gmail.com COLORADO
Joel Benson
Cindy Dvergsten
Dolores 970/739-2445 cadwnc@gmail.com
Graeme Hand
Mt Coolum, QLD 61-4-1853-2130 graemehand9@gmail.com
Helen Lewis
Warwick, QLD 61-4-1878-5285 hello@decisiondesignhub.com.au
IDAHO
Moyie Springs 541/890-4014 angelaboudro@gmail.com
Deborah Clark
Seth Wilner
Newport 603/863-9200 (w) seth.wilner@unh.edu NEW MEXICO
Ann Adams
Holistic Management International Albuquerque 505/842-5252 ext 5 anna@holisticmanagement.org
Kirk Gadzia
Bernalillo 505/263-8677 (c) kirk@rmsgadzia.com
Jeff Goebel
Belen 541/610-7084 goebel@aboutlistening.com NEW YORK
Mitchell 605/730-0550 randy@heartlandtanks.com TEXAS
Henrietta 940/328-5542 deborah@birdwellandclarkranch.com
Wayne Knight
Holistic Management International Van Alstyne 940/626-9820 waynek@holisticmanagement.org
Tracy Litle
Orange Grove 361/537-3417 (c) tjlitle@hotmail.com
Peggy Maddox
Hermleigh 325/226-3042 (c) peggy@kidsontheland.org VERMONT
John Thurgood
Stowe (1/2 year in Oneonta NY) 802/760-7799 thurgood246@gmail.com WISCONSIN
Elizabeth Marks
Larry Johnson
Phillip Metzger
Laura Paine
Ralph Corcoran
Philipp Mayer
Chatham 518/567-9476 (c) elizabeth_marks@hotmail.com Norwich 607/316-4182 pmetzger17@gmail.com
Langbank, SK 306/434-9772 rlcorcoran@sasktel.net
Blain Hjertaas
Redvers, SK 306/452-7723 bhjer@sasktel.net
Brian Luce
Ponoka, AB 403/783-6518 lucends@cciwireless.ca
Mt. Pleasant, SA 61-4-2906-9001 dick@naturesequity.com.au
Noel McNaughton
Jason Virtue
Tony McQuail
Brian Wehlburg
Dolores 808/936-5749 tim@timmcgaffic.com
20 IN PRACTICE
Coolatai, NSW 61-409-151-969 judi_earl@bigpond.com
Cooran QLD 61-4-27 199 766 jason@spiderweb.com.au
Tim McGaffic
Ralph Tate
Hastings 402/463-8507 402/705-1241 (c) pswanson3@unl.edu
Madison 608/665-3835 larrystillpointfarm@gmail.com Columbus 608/338-9039 (c) lkpaine@gmail.com
AUSTRALIA
Dick Richardson
Buena Vista 719/221-1547 joel@paratuinstitute.com
SOUTH DAKOTA
I N T E R N AT I O N A L
Kelly Mulville
Angela Boudro
MICHIGAN
Hazen 701/870-1184 joshua_dukart@yahoo.com
Randal Holmquist
NEW HAMPSHIRE
Larry Dyer
Hoopa 530/625-4222 RCook.ktrcd@gmail.com
NEBRASKA
NORTH DAKOTA
Joshua Dukart
Paul Swanson
Papillion • 402/250-8981 (c) tateralph74@gmail.com
U N I T E D S TAT E S ARIZONA
Montana State University Bozeman 406/599-7755 (c) montagne@montana.edu
Mid North Coast, NSW 61-0408-704-431 brian@insideoutsidemgt.com.au CANADA
Don Campbell
Meadow Lake, SK 306/236-6088 • doncampbell@sasktel.net
h September / October 2022
Edmonton, AB 780/432-5492 • noel@mcnaughton.ca Lucknow, ON 519/440-2511 • tonymcquail@gmail.com
Kelly Sidoryk
Blackroot, AB 780/872-2585 (c) kelly.sidoryk@gmail.com FINLAND
Tuomas Mattila
Pusula 358-407432412 tuomas.j.mattila@gmail.com
Pirkanmaa 358-409306406 mayer_philipp@gmx.at NAMIBIA
Usiel Seuakouje Kandjii Windhoek 264-812840426 kandjiiu@gmail.com
Wiebke Volkmann Windhoek 264-81-127-0081 wiebke@afol.com.na
NEW ZEALAND
John King
Christchurch 64-276-737-885 john@succession.co.nz SOUTH AFRICA
Jozua Lambrechts
Somerset West, Western Cape +27-83-310-1940 jozua@websurf.co.za
Ian Mitchell-Innes
Ladysmith, Kwa-Zulu Natal +27-83-262-9030 ian@mitchell-innes.co.za
Open Book Farm
t Hand e rototill M toAgetRthings KetPLACe
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static pile system. The offal and feathers are mixed with wood shavings (for greater surface area and a faster breakdown) and the pile is aerated from below with a bounce-house fan running intermittently on a timer. They have successfully used this system to compost their brooder bedding (manure, peat moss and wood shavings), and they are hopeful that the offal composting will soon add another soil building strategy to their farm. The Barnets continue to evolve and innovate on their farm. “We are more on top of things than we have ever been,” says MK. “We are expanding the vegetable area and addressing some of our water issues. We have had problems with the yield of bad wells. When we bought the farm there were three drilled wells, only one of which was operational. We’ve got all three running now, with various roles. We also have a pond which we use to irrigate the vegetables. “We also started no-till about four or five years ago. We started out with no-till in all of the tunnels and low-till outside. We cover crop half of the outdoor growing space every year
started in new areas. We are also experimenting with the outdoor spaces. It’s easy to overwork a high tunnel so diverse cover crops are necessary for soil health. We built a third tunnel so I could rest portions of the tunnels for a season. We find the right niches for different crops for that timing. “We harvest a crop in MK uses a variety of cover crops in her high tunnels November and we might to improve soil fertility. not use it again until May for a cash crop so I’ll plant Sudan grass, cowpeas, Sunn hemp, or millet.” a cover crop in between. I have a BCS sickle MK has also seen a reduction in the weed bank bar mower to cut the cover crops. I will plant in their high tunnels as a result of the cover Italian rye in the summer to help bring down crops and no-till practices. the phosphorus levels. Then I rake up what “I’m 37 years old and I love growing food. I I’ve mown and feed it to the cows and let it love what I do. It was really good to be asked to regrow. We don’t bring animals directly into the sit down and articulate what was important to us rotation because of the food risk when we first developed our holistic goal. We’ve 7from )$ % . !safety 4)/. .!4)/.7)$% $ )3that 42rotation )"54)with /. $)342)"54)/. raw manure. We have done created a farm that reflects those values.” the outdoor crop space, especially when we are To learn more about the Barnets visit starting a new area. In the winter we use oats, https://www.openbookfarm.com/ rye, vetch, and peas. In the summer we plant
THE MARKETPLACE Resource Management Services, LLC Kirk L. Gadzia, Certified Educator PO Box 1100 Bernalillo, NM 87004 Pasture Scene 505-263-8677 kirk@rmsgadzia.com Investigation www.rmsgadzia.com
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Rangeland can provide an abundance of plant varieties for livestock nutrition. But By measuring the needs of what about the more “developed” pastures thehayland, basedSoilontestsoptimum and meadows? from all types contentshow as shown ofmineral livestock producers 95+% of all such soils do not have correct nutrient levels to through soilthe chemistry, provide the best nutrition for livestock. optimum feed value can be You can change that! Choose an area, split it achieved and measured. This and soil test both sides separately. Test your is accomplished hay or forage from bothby sidescorrectly too. Treat one measuring andtheproviding eachthe side as normal. On other side, correct fertility basedmineral on soil testsnutrient using the for required Kinsey/Albrecht fertility program. meeting the needs of nutrient Test feed quality from both sides again next differences from soil to soil. year. Take soil tests again and treat accordThisDepending can be measured by ingly. on nutrients requirements use of soil testing specifically it may take two or three years to achieve the top potential. Test and, as fertility designed foreach thatyear purpose in needs are met, feed value and yield tend to combination with feed testing increase for all three years. to show the value this method Increased yields will more than pay for the can provide. investment with increased feed quality as a bonus. Prove it for yourself!
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DEVELOPMENT CORNER Making the Unconscious Conscious BY ARIEL GREENWOOD
I
first learned about Holistic Management in an Agroecology course I took back in college. I was impressed by the concept of a planning approach that helped managers to incorporate all of the important factors so often externalized in agriculture. As I began to work more with livestock I kept bumping into concepts and people central to Holistic Management, and I finally took a series of Holistic Management courses with Spencer Smith in California. I was managing a couple of herds of cattle for a grassfed operation at the time, and the job paired with the formal training and mentorship from practitioners was a fertile learning period for me. Some challenges I have run into in using Holistic Management include the discipline to return to and revise my holistic goal, and the challenge of communicating important concepts within holistic planned grazing to the “uninitiated.” I’ve also had to adjust my impressions of what Holistic Management is in practice now that I work predominantly in semi-arid regions, where rainfall is not a given and single pastures can be over 10,000 acres. Holistic Management is all the more important in times of stress, and, like most ranchers and land managers, my husband and I have experienced plenty, from water issues to grizzly bears to drought and wildfires. In these periods it’s easy to let go of the principles of Holistic Management, yet this is when they are all the more valuable. Still, having a holistic goal written down has many times served as a north star for me in times of uncertainty. Having it articulated has helped keep myself and my husband accountable to the life and values we share, and clarified where we want to invest our time and energy. In November 2018 I joined the HMI board. That seems like it was very recently, but I’m coming up on the end of my four-year term. I’m proud of HMI’s practical, results-oriented focus, and its more recent successes in engaging more diverse land-managers and stakeholders
from a variety of backgrounds across the US and abroad. Some of the efforts of engaging stakeholders in the southeast and working with Tribal land managers stand out to me Ariel Greenwood has found Holistic Management as important a valuable tool for her business where she works expansions of with her husband, Sam Ryerson, as they herd HMI’s work. cattle on large semi-arid landscapes. It’s important that land and resource-oriented organizations like HMI have a diverse board that includes Holistic Management practitioners working on a variety of scales. As a young practitioner working in large, semi-arid ranches, I see the value of HMI daily and feel my experience and perspective is valuable to the organization. But more fundamentally I believe in the mission of HMI and see countless examples of the difference HMI is making in increasingly diverse landbases and communities globally. I once heard a Carl Jung quote that I feel captures the importance of having a written and dynamic holistic goal and using it to inform decision making and management planning: “Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate.” To me, the good and the bad of the world is often a function of where we place our attention. Holistic Management is a process that helps individuals, companies, and communities discover tremendous agency to consciously direct their lives and decisions.
Ariel Greenwood tweets about her work. It’s helped connect her with a broad range of interesting people in different disciplines (fire, forestry, wildlife management, climate) adjacent to ranching. Ariel helps people understand what can be possible at the intersection of agriculture, ecology, and people systems. Her twitter handle is @greenwoodae
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