#090, In Practice, July/Aug 2003

HOLISTIC MANAGEMENT

IN PRACTICE

Providing the link between a healthy environment and a sound economy JULY / AUGUST 2003 NUMBER 90

Planning for the Future

by Karl North and Donn He wes

M

uch of Holistic Management is bent on improving and ensuring resources for the future. The soils, the minerals, and the water cycle are treated with care to improve land health indefinitely. But who will be the next managers? How are they prepared and nurtured? Will they be able to afford to continue pursuing the holistic goal that has been established?

Often expressed in a landowner’s holistic goal is the desire to develop our enterprise so that our children will “want to” and be “able to” continue it. In the best case this connotes giving something valuable to someone you love. But, in reverse, it could become passing on your burden or cross to bear to someone you hope loves you enough to continue it.

Perhaps a better, more challenging quality of life statement for a sustainable farm transition might be: We have a farm for which any number of people are lining up, able and eager to move the farm toward its holistic goal.

In doing so, this may well lead to questioning parts of the holistic goal and future plans in a new light.

A Question of Economy?

A first question in a farm economy where farmers have been leaving agriculture in droves for decades is: Can any farm be made that attractive? Few investors expecting a return on investment give agriculture serious consideration. Occasionally farmers or other investors have successfully exploited a lucrative new agricultural niche until big capital buys or forces them out. Or the few well capitalized farmers profit temporarily from early adoption of new technology until buyers who monopolize most sectors of the farm economy lower farm commodity prices so as to absorb these profits themselves.

These are the historical tendencies in all sectors of our peculiar political economy.

However, full time farmers are especially in

need of a return on investment since that is often their only potential source of retirement funds, if they want to keep their farms intact.

What does that leave? Recreational farmers with money to burn, people willing to split their lives between town and farm jobs, and the really hard bitten wannabe farmers, like we were when we began farming over 20 years ago.

Attractive Incentives At Northland Sheep Dairy, as Karl and Jane aged into sixty-somethings, we looked for partners who would become replacements, not in our children who were happily settled 3,000 miles away from our New York farm in California in Silicon Valley-related careers, but first in recruits to our own summer internship program. But none of our former interns hav e gone into farming anywhere. For several years we sought recruits via formal programs like Land Link (a program helping farmers transfer farms to interested parties through sale, rental, lease, or other options) and Appropriate Technology Transfer for Rural Areas (ATTRA) listings. The process netted no serious candidates.

This experience raises the question: how attractive is our farm to next generation wouldbe farmers? Is that the problem? We were among the first to try Holistic Management in the Northeast, and the farm has benefited in various ways from its practice. We were among the founders of the sheep dairy niche in this country, and have developed a stable clientele and a national reputation.

True, net income from our current production would not provide a middle class standard of consumerism. But, there is solid demand for at least twice our current cheese production, had we the energy to fill it. Also, with careful financial planning we often come close to netting 50 percent of gross, a benchmark we learned to aim for by studying Amish agriculture. continued on page tw o

in this Issue Keeping a ranch or farm sustainable or working to keep agriculture as a viable long-term option in your community can take a lot of creativity. Taylor Hyde (pictured here with son, Jack) and his wife, Becky, have decided to develop Yanix Ranch as a learning site to explore how more people can work with their communities to produce healthy land, healthy food and a way for urban populations to be a part of a sustainable agricultural experience. Read more about their story on page 4.

Savory Center Photo Contest . . . . . . 3 Exploring Long-term Profitablility Steve Dorrance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Investing in a Sustainable Future Ann Adams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Beyond Nickel flipping—reed Ranch Estate Planning Jim and Judy Reed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

LAND & LIVESTOCK— A special section of IN PRACTICE The Whitten Ranch— Creating More With Less Jim Howell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Parasite Poisoning Kills More than Bugs— Losing biodiversity with Chemicals Ian Mitchell-Innes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13

Savory Center Bulletin Board Readying for a Rendezvous

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Certified Educators . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17 Marketplace

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The Allan Savory Center for Holistic Management Ad definitum finem

The ALLAN SAVORY CENTER FOR HOLISTIC MANAGEMENT is a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization. The center works to restore the vitality of communities and the natural resources on which they depend by advancing the practice of Holistic Management and coordinating its development worldwide.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Rio de la Vista, Chair Allan Savory, Vice-Chair Leslie Christian, Secretary Gary Rodgers, Treasurer Richard Smith Manuel Casas ADVISORY BOARD Robert Anderson, Chair, Corrales, NM Sam Brown, Austin, TX Leslie Christian, Portland, OR Gretel Ehrlich, Gaviota, CA Cynthia & Leo Harris, Albuquerque, NM Trudy Healy, Taos, NM Clint Josey, Dallas, TX Dianne Law, Laveta, CO Doug McDaniel, Lostine, OR Guillermo Osuna, Coahuila, Mexico Jim Parker, Montrose, CO Dean William Rudoy, Cedar Crest, NM York Schueller, El Segundo, CA Jim Shelton, Vinita, OK Richard Smith, Houston, TX FOUNDERS Allan Savory Jody Butterfield

STAFF Tim LaSalle, Executive Director; Shannon Horst, Senior Director, Strategic Projects Kate Bradshaw, Director of Finance and Administration; Kelly Pasztor, Director of Educational Services; Lee Dueringer, Director of Development; Ann Adams, Managing Editor, IN PRACTICE and Membership and Educator Support Coordinator , Craig Leggett, Special Projects Manager; Mary Child, U.S. Education Program and Case Study Development Coordinator; Constance Neely, Director of International Training Programs Development; Jessica Stolz, Finance Coordinator.

Africa Centre for Holistic Management Private Bag 5950, Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe tel: (263) (11) 213529; email: rogpachm@africaonline.co.zw Huggins Matanga, Director; Roger Parry, Manager, Regional Training Centre; Elias Ncube, Hwange Project Manager/Training Coordinator HOLISTIC MANAGEMENT IN PRACTICE (ISSN: 1098-8157) is published six times a year by The Allan Savory Center for Holistic Management, 1010 Tijeras NW, Albuquerque, NM 87102, 505/8425252, fax: 505/843-7900; email: savorycenter@holisticmanagement. org.; website: www. holisticmanagement.org Copyright © 2003.

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Planning for the Future continued from page one We offered a couple of appealing financial options to prospective new managers including a conservation easement and a long-term buyout plan where the new farmers could accumulate buyout capital in more profitable investments than farming until they could pay cash. At the least, they could avoid most of the initial debt financing that has caused so many transitions to fail.

As we plan to remain on the farm for the rest of our lives, we offered to work along with them as long as we are able and to pay the new farmers for their labor at over twice the minimum farm wage until they felt able to run the business at a profit. Finally, to help them escape the grip of the credit industry in another way, we offered to pay initially for materials of any new buildings they constructed including a residence and barns and other facilities for expansion of milk and cheese production. This agreement has the added advantage of simplifying the settlement of financial matters if the partnership were to dissolve in the early years of the transition.

A Match Made in Heaven None of these economic enticements met with success. What finally fetched a couple of serious candidates were the quality of our product, the sustainable practices we use to create it, and the educational function our farm had begun to fill in the region. In other words, a couple of idealists like Karl and Jane.

The moral of this story so far, or at least the conclusion that the experience seems to indicate regarding farming transition in general, is that the oppressive, predatory nature of the farm economy at this time in this country makes it almost impossible “to make your farm so attractive that any number of people will be lining up, able and eager to move the farm toward its holistic goal.”

It was idealism that motivated the pioneers in sustainable agriculture, but there are not enough idealists out there to drive a transition for all of agriculture. What this suggests is that we Holistic Management practitioners must concentrate more on trying to manage the larger wholes beyond our farms, to create a food economy that will make a farming vocation attractive to the next generation. This will mean getting more involved in the politics of food, locally and nationally.

The happy ending to our particular

transition story is that we are in our second year of what promises to be a successful evolution of the farm to new management, and eventually, to new owners. This year, Donn and Maryrose will build themselves a straw bale farmhouse designed to carry on the desire for energy efficiency that has been in our (now joint) holistic goal.

Donn has a stable town job as a fire fighter that allows plenty of time for farm work and provides income and capital for as long as the acquisition process and development of the farm requires. We have leased enough adjacent land to double our open acreage and make possible a gradual expansion of dairy production and other grass-based livestock husbandry.

Early on we researched the formal aspects of transition, seeking legal counsel and advice from a farm accountant. Donn and Maryrose have embraced the Holistic Management ® decision-making framework and have become active participants in Karl’s learning community.

Although the business end remains Karl and Jane’s responsibility for now, Holistic Management has provided a common structure moving the transition more rapidly toward a true partnership than might have happened with another approach.

While much effort was put into finding “the next generation” this time around, in many ways the holistic planning that is going on today should, with time, help make it easier to find future generations to run the farm. The concept of a goal that includes attention to the future resource base has had a significant impact on planning the farm until now and in providing continuity in the transition process so far. Examples of this are the plans for a conservation easement and the two residences in the style of the Amish that allow one family to “start up” while the other winds down.

Donn and Maryrose’s continued work toward power and water independence will be valuable in the future when all aspects of farming can no longer be designed to run on cheap oil, and water will be more scarce all over the planet. Much like the slow process of building soil, planning and preparing in this way for future transitions should continue throughout our tenure and into the next.

Karl North is in the Holistic Management ® Certified Educator Training Program and resides in Marathon, New York. He can be reached at northsheep@juno.com. Donn He wes and Maryrose Livingston can be reached at tripletree@flare.net.

Savory Center Photo Contest

I

t’s time to pull out your photo albums or try out that new digital camera.

Participate in the Savory Center’s Photo contest as part of our 20th anniversary celebration starting in 2004.

The contest rules are simple. We will be accepting photo submissions from July 1, 2003 until September 30, 2003. You can submit up to five photos that demonstrate how Holistic Management has influenced your life. These can be pictures that reflect improved quality of life (i.e. family holidays, infrastructure, etc.) or focus on Land/Animals (i.e. before & after pictures, improved habitat, livestock, pets, etc.)

You can participate in one or both of these categories.

With each submission, include a written paragraph explaining the context of the photo (names and places) and how the photograph is a result of managing holistically. Winning entries and honorable mentions will be printed in the January issue of IN PRACTICE in a special 4-color insert and will be posted on the Savory Center website.

Mexico covering all food and lodging

• A self-catering holiday for four at Aspen,

Electronic photographs should be taken at a minimum of 300 dpi and sent at 100% size to savorycenter@holisticmanagement.org. If you want to scan the photo, please scan at the same resolution. If you send photos in the mail, please include a self-addressed envelope if you would like it returned to you. Photos should be mailed to: Savory Center Photo Contest, 1010 Tijeras Ave. NW, Albuquerque, NM 87102.

This contest is open to anyone. The judging committee consists of numerous Savory Center members, Holistic Management practitioners, Certified Educators, Board of Directors, and Advisory Board members from around the world. First, second, and third place winners in both divisions will select from a list of available prizes. Winners will be notified by October 31, 2003.

The current prize list includes: • A one-week stay at Dimbangombe Ranch in Zimbabwe covering all food and lodging • A one-week stay at Ivan & Martha Aguirre’s Rancho La Inmaculada in Sonora,

David & Samuel Edge’s El Pabellon retreat in the Sierra Nevadas in southern Spain • A doe hunt (in deer season) or a hog hunt (outside of deer season) at the Reed Ranch in Corsciana, Texas • One free night (or two nights at half-price) lodging at Peter& Judy Howarth’s Jenkin Street Guest House in Nundle, NSW Australia.

(Not a Saturday night).

• A weekend for 6 at John & Charlotte Hackley’s Richards Ranch Retreat in Jacksboro, Texas (includes continental breakfast on Saturday & Sunday mornings and Saturday dinner) • The 15-CD or tape collection of the text book, Holistic Management • One copy of the Holistic Management® Financial Planning Software • A mesquite wood cutting board from Mexico by Ivan & Martha Aguirre • A fine weave basket from Zimbabwe donated by Allan Savory & Jody Butterfield • A hand-made mirror from recycled car parts created by Wiebke Volkmann from Namibia

Exploring Long-term Profitability

by Steve Dorrance

S

ince being demoted to bookkeeper for our ranch in 1979, I’ve spent a lot of time trying to keep our operation viable here in the central coast of California where land prices are rising exponentially. From where I sit, agricultural production as the sole source of income for a ranch hasn’t been viable since the 1970s. That’s one of the reasons I aggressively went after communication tower leases which has brought in 80 percent of the ranch’s income over recent years.

But, that income stream has peaked and the time to look ahead is here again. I’ve been looking at conservation easements and still have some reservations about that tool, although I am extremely grateful to have it as an option.

When my family decided to explore a conservation easement, we wanted to address fragmentation of our ranch lands. We are fully aware that ranchlands are purchased in our area for their open space/recreational

values. The land’s agricultural value is probably less than $100 per acre, but would average $25,000 per acre in ranchettes.

Fragmentation is a pretty big deal when you live off the annual income from the ranchlands. Long term profitability, being able to live and work here is important, as well as being able to hunt and have a bit of leisure time. It is taking a bit of work to address these needs.

A local land trust wants to purchase the continuation of our present landscape. We have agreed in concept, but are still working out the details of how the relationship will continue as the people involved change. How do you measure biodiversity? Do indicators such as residual dry matter, trees left unharvested, no hunting of lions, bears, coyotes or raptors ensure healthy grasslands, oak woodlands, or the habitat needed for lions, bears, coyotes or raptors to flourish?

We’d prefer an easement that pays us for improving the health of the landscape, not

just maintaining it, but we haven’t figured out how to do that yet.

As we have proceeded up the path of profitability, we’ve learned that: • Most conservation easements are not funded for their full amount, so you will probably end up donating part of the easement; • Some of the easement terms can be changed with the consent of the landowner and easement holder; • Your landscape plan can be a part of the easement; and • It is very important to refer to your holisticgoal often.

With the conservation easement we are considering, we can recapitalize our operation and be better able to handle estate transition and current income needs. I don’t think we would have been here when my dad died in 1999 if it hadn’t been for Holistic Management.

It’s time to use that process so we can do the right thing for the next generation.

Steve Dorrance lives in Salinas, California and can be reached at sdorr@redshift.com.

HOLISTIC MANAGEMENT IN PRACTICE • JULY / AUGUST 2003 3

Investing in a Sustainable Future—

The Yainix Ranch

by Ann Adams

T

he Yainix Ranch in the Upper Klamath Basin in Oregon has a typical history for the Western U.S. Between agricultural producers and environmentalists, the Klamath Basin has been a bone of contention for years and conflict has run high around the issue of water rights and land use.

It is home to dozens of endangered species and a long history of Native American heritage and agricultural use. Like other land in this basin, the Yainix was worn out from chronic overgrazing, and it looked like it was one more lost ranch in a basin where viable agricultural production was highly in question.

Until Taylor and Becky Hyde came along.

Creating New Opportunity In February 2002, Taylor and Becky purchased the 480-acre (192-ha) Yainix Ranch at the confluence of the Sprague and Sycan Rivers. Currently the Sprague waters flow into Upper Klamath Lake in low volume, high temperatures, overloaded with nutrients, and poorly oxygenated due at least in part to such land practices as poorly timed grazing, control levies, damaging irrigation practices, and a generally poorly functioning water cycle.

While the Yainix was about 25 miles from the Yamsi Ranch near Chiloquin, Oregon where Taylor and Becky were living with Taylor’s mother, Gerda, and brother, John, Becky had never seen the property until approximately four years ago. She has been involved in watershed issues in the region for many years and was representing the Upper Klamath Basin ranching community as part of an educational bus tour of watershed partners. When they happened upon the property that was to be Yainix Ranch, Becky was appalled. “It was the most devastated property I’ve ever seen. There were yearlings in the stream, and no willows growing because of the chronic grazing. The sight of it continued to haunt me.”

Her first step was to contact Martin Goebel of Sustainable Northwest, a non-profit whose vision is to develop partnerships to promote environmentally compatible economic development in the communities of the Pacific

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Northwest. The Hydes and Becky’s parents, Doc and Connie Hatfield (all long-time Holistic Management practitioners), had worked with Sustainable Northwest before on other projects. Becky thought that perhaps they could help them with this project.

She also approached U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service to get more information about the wildlife value of that corridor. She found out just how special that property was with two miles of river, 15 springs, and numerous potential wetlands. The Hydes realized that the potential outcome for restoring this property was huge and wanted to engage all those who had a vested interest in healthy land in the Basin as part of the process.

With visions of fish spawning in regenerated springs, waterfowl and wildlife flocking to restored wetlands, and increased plant biodiversity along riparian corridors, the Hydes took over the lease option on the land as part of a purchase agreement in February 2002. They also began some planned grazing with less than half the stocking rate of the previous owner.

The land is already responding to this treatment with thousands of willows coming up in spring areas. “The comeback has been amazing,” notes Becky. “There’s a lot of nesting because there is finally some cover where there hadn’t been any cover before.” In fact, James Honey, a program officer for Sustainable Northwest (SNW) who works with the Hydes, notes that there haven’t been baby willows along the riparian areas for 20 years. “The Hydes are already bringing the Yainix back to life in one season,” says James.

Getting Creative When Taylor and Becky reduced the number of cattle on the property to bring it closer to the sustainable carrying capacity, they reduced the income they could produce to service debt. The conservation easement is expected to make up that difference, but it was going to take time to design, sell and implement it. SNW worked with the Hydes to develop the concept—it was a joint idea, and untested at that time.

It wasn’t that the Hydes were poor financial planners, it was that they needed a short term remedy to get over the next payment. What the Hydes and SNW discovered through this need was an opportunity that could serve other ranchers who need “bridge” capital to move toward more sustainable operations.

So the first step was for SNW to set up a portion of the Yainix Ranch as an investment opportunity. After initially investigating potential response from philanthropic investors, Sustainable Northwest developed a prospectus for the Yainix Ranch Holdings LLC and agreed to be the investment broker. They also agreed to approach those potential investors.

The Yainix prospectus educates potential investors about the financial barriers that arise when a rancher wants to regenerate degraded land and remain economically viable as a business. For this reason, the Yainix “requires supplementary sources of patient capital to bride the gap in income created by the shift to more sustainable grazing practices. Thus, LLC Members will be essential partners in making sustainability a reality on the Yainix.” They will also benefit from gains in real estate values.

James Honey notes that this investment prospectus was a modest idea that could be tweaked to work for other ranches. “We sent that prospectus out to a very focused audience, and we’ve really been surprised by the interest generated and how quickly that prospectus spread. We got responses from people we hadn’t sent it to. There is a real desire from an urban population to be involved with the rural restoration. We are working to tie urban capital to that rural change.

“We think that the next step might be to engage some of the socially responsible investment funds with this kind of work.

As far as I our ongoing role with the Yainix Ranch, we need to ‘manage’ the investors through organizing field days and responding to their requests so the Hydes can spend their time managing the ranch and working with the Yainix Partnership. The base of that management and the changes we have already seen in one year is the Hydes’ Holistic Management practices.”

The LLC Operating Agreement plans for a 10- or 20-year investment period at which point the Hydes will purchase Members’ shares of the LLC to become outright owners of the ranch. A full appraisal of the value will determine share value and any gain on the Members investment from the appreciation

due to restoration activity. While agricultural In the first year of operation, the Hydes land values are fairly flat, the “beauty” or will also be working with Sustainable “recreational” value of land (how it looks) Northwest and some members of the can increase ranch value. partnership on developing a “working lands” The combined value of the two parcels conservation easement for the Yainix that of land that make up the LLC’s holding is can serve as a model for other ranchers. Such $828,000 (the 480-acre Yainix Ranch and the a conservation easement would be different 320-acre Yainix Annex). The current LLC than the more typical conservation easements offering is for $50,000 with a minimum in that it would recognize the important $5,000 investment for Membership. Within two role of livestock and agricultural production, months of public offering, the LLC already has but pay ranch families to restrict their $40,000 in investments with several additional investors interested.

The prospectus consistently points out that investors should see such investment as philanthropic, patient capital and that all operating decisions for use of the real estate will be in the Hydes’ hands. However, there are opportunities for the Members to participate in annual “Open Ranch” weekends where they can visit the ranch and learn about the changes The Yainix Ranch had all the signs of “liquidation ranching” (i.e. trash, loss of and innovations at the ranch biodiversity and eroded river banks), so with other members and the Taylor & Becky Hyde will work to improve Hyde family. The weekend will the land as all the Hydes have done on the feature speakers, tours, and an Yamsi Ranch where Becky and children “appreciation barbeque.” They play in a stream at right. Abo ve: will also receive an annual report, Volunteers from the Yainix Partnership as well as regular, informal help clear out a tire dump the Hydes communications and updates and inherited. priority participation in public events or natural resource-based businesses (such as guided flyfishing) that may operate on the ranch. management practices In turn, the LLC will lease the ranch to to environmentally the Hyde family for their livestock business compatible grazing. and any other businesses that may be Payments would give compatible with the Yainix Vision and the ranchers incentives for goals of sustainability. changing management practices, and assure buyers of permanent protection of wildlife Partnering for Results and increased restoration of habitat. They hope to have a prototype by fall, and have Yainix Ranch now hosts regular meetings gone slowly in creating the easement of the “Yainix Partnership” as they seek to document because it is such a specific legal collaboratively develop and test new methods tool. They really want to look at what is and tools to support private lands stewardship viable, how the easement is monitored and across the Upper Basin. Besides the Hydes and enforced so the easement supports the Sustainable Northwest, this partnership work without being overwhelming. Above includes the Klamath Tribe, federal and state all, the key monitoring criteria for this government agency employees, environmental easement is an upward trend toward the groups, and interested ranchers. The ranch will future landscape description that everyone also be a learning site to share best practices has agreed upon. for sustainability with their neighbors as all these groups can be involved in the ongoing Exponential Factoring monitoring of the ranch’s ecological and ecomomic health (and culturally sensitive sites At the Yainix Ranch, Becky and Taylor important to the Klamath Tribes). bring with them a legacy of holistically

managed ranches. Defenders of Wildlife has called the Hatfields “pioneers of proper land stewardship” and “proof that ranching can be both environmentally beneficial and economically positive.” The Conservation Fund has noted that “every private landowner in American can benefit from the example set

by Gerda Hyde and her family.”

Becky Hyde says, “We are very excited about the wonderful possibilities presented by the Yainix. Taylor and I come from two innovative ranches, and we can use that background to develop new opportunities for ranching through this project.

“Holistic Management plays a part in everything we do. We were both raised with it, so it’s really hard to define how we integrate it in our lives because it is such a part of us. We’ve spent hours and hours talking about our own personal holistic goal, and those discussions shaped our decision to buy this ranch and how to go about engaging with the larger community.

We have been very deliberate about defining our whole, and how we build relationships. There’s no government process driving us, so we really do have a lot of opportunity to see what can work.

“It’s been an enormous time commitment to work with this partnership, really a full-time job, but we’ve been having fun and are committed to this process. We wanted to start small so that we had a greater chance at real, workable solutions to the problems facing our neighbors in the Upper Klamath Basin and throughout the West. We want to make it replicable. Our idea is to keep it a low-key, open door approach so anyone can ‘look over our fence,’ and begin to figure out how they can make changes in their management to improve their circumstances. We couldn’t have done this alone.”

Becky and Taylor Hyde can be reached at yainix@cdsnet.net. James Honey can be reached at jhoney@sustainablenorthwest.org.

HOLISTIC MANAGEMENT IN PRACTICE • JULY / AUGUST 2003 5

Beyond Nickel Flipping—

Reed Ranch Estate Planning

by Jim and Judy Reed

S

everal years ago in a small community in Texas, a mere flip of a coin determined much of what consumed our time for years to come. It’s hard to think of a nickel being flipped as an estate planning tool, but it was about the only tool Jim and his brother had at the time.

At the time of Tillman Reed’s death (Jim’s father), a revocable living trust was in operation. This revocable trust contained all the assets of Jim’s parents and was being used to operate things up until the death of the first parent. When Tillman died, the assets were to be split among Jim, his brother (Lary), and his mother (Ora Anna).

Most of the task of deciding how the individual assets were divided fell on Jim and his brother. Yikes!

This was a crucial test for the Reed family, since we had read and heard of the many horror stories of family conflict, misunderstandings and miscommunications, and tales of close family members not speaking to one another for the rest of their lives. We already understood the possibility of close family members being forced into difficult and emotional decisions, which might have been best made by the deceased.

Both Jim and his brother agreed that it was best for this not to happen to them.

After most of the interest-bearing assets were separated out for the benefit of Ora Anna’s care and immediate income needs, work began on dividing the remainder of the assets into two equal parts.

After both Lary and Jim agreed that the appropriate level of equity was achieved, they flipped a nickel to see which brother would receive which set of assets. The ranch was part of one set of assets, and Jim received the ranch and other assets by virtue of the coin toss.

Since that coin toss, we’ve had the opportunity to experience Holistic Management and how it affects our happiness, peace of mind, and quality of life.

We felt like it made sense to apply these same principles to the planning of our estate rather than rely on a coin toss the next time around. This article explains the direction

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we’re heading in our estate planning.

Key Points Before we get into our specifics, here’s what we think is the best advice we can offer you in terms of your own estate planning:

Lottie and James Lawrence Reed, Jim Reed's paternal grandparents, in 1890 before coming to Texas in 1893. James died in 1913 after falling from a horse and breaking his neck while working cattle.

• Estate planning is important for your own peace of mind and for the generations that follow. We owe it to the people coming after us!

• Your estate plan has to be customized to your own set of circumstances. Like ranches, everybody’s situation is different!

• It’s very important to keep up-to-date on your net worth. If you don’t know this, you’re flyin’ by the seat of your pants!

• GET A WILL, if you don’t have one. Or, make sure the one you have is UP-TO-DATE! The size of your estate doesn’t matter.

There’s no excuse for not having a will!

• You should to be prepared to search hard

for quality legal, tax, and financial planning advice. Just like finding good ranch hands, good estate planning help is hard to find!

Our Story We were fortunate to find a financial planner (who’s also an attorney), who’s willing to listen and learn about Holistic Management, and also has sufficient background to understand how important it is to set goals for yourself. We’ve found that many attorneys and tax accountants don’t have sufficient background in goal setting and many don’t understand its importance. It’s also tough to find a good fee-based financial planner, whose livelihood isn’t based on selling you a product or investment.

The big disadvantage of many financial planners is that they may not have the sufficient depth of knowledge or credentials required to work through all the tax and legal implications of estate planning. So, to find good help, you may find yourself gathering a team to help out; instead of choosing a single individual.

Once we were able to find someone to help us, we developed a basic framework from which we can continue to tweak our estate plan as we see fit. That framework includes: • A Will for both of us which creates bypass and marital trusts at either of our deaths. This is the strategy we’re using to eliminate or ease the blow of federal estate taxes if one of us should die.

• A special provision in our Will referencing special consideration for the ranch; its goals and Holistic Management principles. We hope that such focus will speak volumes to our kids and others about how a ranch can be run in a sustainable and profitable manner.

• Special treatment of our separate property (since there’s an extended family created by virtue of an earlier divorce). By the way, it’s important to know the laws within your own state or country as it can really influence the choices you make about your estate plan.

• The attachment of our holistic goal to our Wills, the support of Holistic Management and consensus building, and the use of the Holistic Management® testing questions to manage and resolve things. You can read our holistic goal at: http://www.reedfamilyranch.com/ ranchgoals.html.

• The naming of a third party trustee at both of our deaths.

Most of the estate planning we’ve read about appears to be driven largely by the size

of the estate to be settled and methods to avoid estate taxes. But we’ve planned our estate plan to integrate Holistic Management into because it will help future generations to improve their lives and this land.

Estate Taxes

merely passing things down through the use of a Will, without any regard to what our heirs will have to pay in estate taxes seems kind of unfair to the kids (especially if federal estate taxes can be avoided with a little bit of work and things are kept neat and tidy before they’re passed down).

We also wanted to make the execution of the estate as easy as possible emotionally, which is why it’s really important to pick the right executor or trustee if you are setting up a trust like we did. This is the person that pretty much calls the shots, and his/her responsibilities are spelled out in the Will.

These are listed underneath a section in our Wills called “trustee title, powers, duties, immunities, and discretions.”

At this time, none of our children are

Federal estate tax can be mean and ugly!

If not planned properly, estate taxes can take so much value from the estate that the kids will have to sell any property because they can’t afford the taxes. Of course, there are special provisions for a family-owned business deduction, so be sure to ask your tax and accounting expert about this very important provision. Again, the key is to plan so the most money can go to the people you want it to go to. Sure, there are lots of things beyond your control, and that’s all the more reason for planning what is in your control. So here’s some other things to consider: • You may not be a millionaire now, but just think how much your assets may be valued at in the future. It’s important to plan both for what’s now and for what’s in the future.

• Unless you have an up-to-date net worth statement, you may be worth more than you think you are.

• You don’t know who’s going to be in control of the government at the time of Four generations of Reeds left to right: Jim Reed with your death, or how badly they will his son, James, granddaughter, Kaylee, and mother, wants or need your money, so it’s best Ora Anna Reed. not to count on any government policies that might encourage you not to do your planning (i.e. potential repeal of estate taxes).

We found out that you don’t have to be a millionaire to be able to take the opportunities that’s afforded by doing good estate planning with all the family included.

It’s our belief that, if you work hard enough and are committed to it, there’s ways to have your cake and eat it, too.

Maximizing Your Estate By planning ahead, you may be able to: 1) Pass on your estate free of all federal estate taxes 2) Encourage your family in managing your estate holistically 3) Have little to no family conflict in settling your estate 4) Keep your property from being sold or divided to settle your estate We recognize that there are many other ways to look at an estate plan and how it can be influenced by Holistic Management. To us,

named as trustees. Although both of us are named as each other’s trustee in the case of each of our individual death, our trusted friend and financial planner/attorney is named as the alternate trustee and the eventual trustee in the case of both our deaths.

As each of our children mature and develop their own lifestyles and interests in the future, this method of trustee naming may eventually change if it becomes apparent a change is needed.

In other words, in consideration of our own particular situation for family peace and cooperation, we feel it’s best for the presumption to be that a third party (other than a family member) be named as the trustee, unless it becomes readily apparent that a single family member can be named, and there’s a level of confidence that peace and cooperation can be maintained.

The more you can spell things out in this section the easier it is on everyone. For

example, here’s what we put in our Wills regarding the desire for the ranch property to be managed holistically: “If agriculture ranch property is contained within any or all of the trusts named herein, the trustee of the trust(s) shall recognize the influence of the Holistic Management principals as promulgated by the Allan Savory Center for Holistic Management, and shall give due consideration to the ranch(s) holistic goal (attached herein). More specifically, the use of consensus building techniques (led by a Certified Holistic Educator), and the use of the seven testing guidelines (as documented by the Allan Savory Center for Holistic Management) shall be an integral portion of the management of any ranch(s) contained in the trust(s) named herein.”

Working for the Future Now Lastly, we believe that an integral part of estate planning has to include some meaningful financial planning for the ongoing operation of the ranch; and sticking to it. For us to keep the ranch in the family and for it to be something worthwhile in the future, it has to be both financially and operationally sustainable.

This means holistic financial planning in a responsible manner; in a way that suits our needs. More specifically for us, this means limiting our expenses to half of the ranch’s income (or planning 50 percent profit) and operating the ranch with little or no equipment. One of the most important things we’ll do in 2003 is to fulfill our current ranch motto of “equipment free by the end of 2003.” In doing so, we are better able to hit our 50 percent profit objective and add to the health of the land base.

For several years now, we’ve been posting all our income and expenses (both ranch and personal) in Quicken and running net worth and income/expense reports on a monthly basis so we can assess our estate on an ongoing basis.

We hope you found this article worthwhile and that it may be helpful to somebody. Holistic Management has helped us achieve what we want now, and we are working to make sure it continues to help the Reed Ranch for generations to come.

Jim and Judy Reed own and operate Reed Wildlife Ranch in Corsicana, Texas. They can be reached at: oljim@reedfamilyranch.com or mrsjudy@reedfamilyranch.com. Their website is www.reedfamilyranch.com.

HOLISTIC MANAGEMENT IN PRACTICE • JULY / AUGUST 2003 7

LAND&LIVESTOCK A Special Section of

IN PRACTICE JULY/AUGUST 2003

#90

The Whitten Ranch—

Creating More with Less

The Whitten women rest after working on a seeding project over a new pipeline on their summer Bureau of Land Management range.

From left to right: George's daughter Denise, granddaughter Elise, and wife Julie.

by Jim Howell

T

he tiny town of Saguache, nestled at the foot of the mountains at the north end of the San Luis Valley in south central Colorado, is rich in scenery but seemingly little else.

Abandoned buildings, sleepy little neighborhoods, and general untidiness create a picture that’s all-too-common across the West. The sign at the town’s edge reads “Gateway to the San Luis Valley.” Most passers-through are happy to get through the gate and keep right on going. The town’s decay mirrors that of its surrounding natural resources. It’s not the sort of place where one would expect to find any lasting solutions to the complex problems that bedevil our efforts to steward the earth.

It’s not the sort of place, that is, until you start talking to George Whitten. George’s family has ranched and farmed on the flats immediately south of Saguache, and far up into the mountains to the west, since 1906. He is one of those rare guys possessing a combination of practical grit, extreme humility, hands-on creativity, and high-minded idealism. It’s a marriage of traits that has led George down a path of discovery and learning, and to some realistically doable, holistically sound solutions to some of the world’s most complex problems. I recently called to find out if I could come pick his brain for a day.

George claimed he could tell me everything he knows “in about ten minutes.” I pulled up to his house at nine in the morning, and by five that afternoon we hadn’t stopped talking for more than about three seconds, and we could have gone on all night. I learned a lot about the crises currently facing the San Luis Valley, and about George’s efforts, not only on his own land, but in his community, to tackle these issues head on.

Water Weary out West Perceived resource scarcity is nearly always at the root of human conflict. In the western United States, water is the resource that garners much of the attention. Farmers, ranchers, wildlife, endangered species,

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and western towns all vie for their fair share. So do misplaced concentrations of humanity (with their thirsty urban landscaping and water guzzling golf courses) in places like Phoenix and Las Vegas. This competition grows especially fierce during times of extended drought.

As our desert cities continue their relentless sprawl, and as the water cycle across our landscapes continues to deteriorate, even “good” precipitation years will eventually seem like drought years. It’s a daunting and incredibly complex issue.

In the San Luis Valley, water issues have been debated, researched, and haggled over for years. Lying at an elevation of 7000 to 8000 feet (2130 to 2440 meters), surrounded by two of the West’s most dramatic mountain ranges (the San Juan and Sangre de Cristo ranges), and comprising the headwaters of the vast Rio Grande watershed, the San Luis Valley is a microcosm of everything that’s “complicated” about water. At the soil surface, a whopping 7 inches (180 mm) of precipitation settles in an average year. Under natural conditions, most of the valley is a high altitude, very cold semi-desert with about a 90-day growing season. Beneath the soil surface, a shallow, vast underground aquifer, made possible by a unique geology and underground flows from the surrounding mountain ranges, supports a state-of-the-art agricultural industry based on center pivot sprinkler irrigation and high dollar (and high input) potato farming. Surface flows from creeks that cascade out of the mountains, and from canals diverted out of the Rio Grande itself, are the backbone of the valley’s haying and cattle/sheep ranching industry.

In 2002, the valley floor received an annual deluge of 6 percent of its normal 7 inches (180 mm). That’s .42 inches (11 mm) of total moisture, all year. The surrounding mountains finished the winter with snowpacks below 10 percent of normal. So far, 2003 has been a little better, but not much—certainly not sufficient to make up for the shortfalls of 2002. As I write, snowpack is at 43 percent of normal and falling daily due to high winds and no new moisture. During last year’s

growing season, static water levels in irrigation wells dropped precipitously valley-wide, surface water flows dried up early in the season or never started flowing to begin with, artesian wells that hadn’t stopped flowing since being untapped suddenly ceased production, and native range grasses on the hills skirting the valley never greened up, preventing ranchers from going to their summer ranges and forcing many to severely destock. Suddenly, the gross unsustainability of the valley’s agricultural model hit everyone smack in the face.

Ready for Drought

right back up to another knob. We’re talking elevation differences of inches, not feet. When George floods this type of ground, he only lets the water run through the bottoms and part way up the slopes. The knobs never get inundated, but they do get water through sub-surface moisture that percolates over from the low areas.

Before, when the whole pasture was inundated for prolonged periods, the entire landscape was dominated by rushes and sedges.

Now, the knobs support a very high quality species of vetch (a leguminous forb) along with a diversity of native and introduced grasses. The slopes are dominated by high quality white clover. The bottoms still contain a high concentration of Baltic rush, but also support higher quality grasses such as timothy. Overall, biological productivity has increased dramatically. On satellite images that measure plant evapotranspiration rates (which is directly correlated to photosynthetic activity) George’s ranch stands out like a sore thumb. Inside George’s fence, evapotranspiration is double that of the neighbors, with roughly half the water usage.

But back on the Whitten Ranch, things were tough, but not grim.

George attended his first Holistic Management courses about 15 years ago, and could immediately see lots of room for improvement on his own place, coupled with some realistic means to get it done. Fifteen years later, he has figured out how to get by on a fraction of his former water use. He has increased the diversity and vigor of the plants Grazing Patterns in his irrigated meadows and hilly With the exception of last year’s native rangeland, and they can thrive drought, this irrigated ground (along even in dry years. He has selected with several hundred acres of dryland a herd of cows that can hold their George Whitten found that this 1946 Case Tractor and dump range down on the flats) has always condition and breed back on tight rake did the job when he needed to find a more economically , been used for winter feed. In 2002, rations through fierce winters, and in ecologically, and socially sound way to conserve forage quality .

George elected to stay off his summer dry summers when the pickin’s are range in the foothills southwest of slim. He has cultivated his creative, Saguache. He knew the extreme inventive side and makes, builds, and fixes just about everything with drought conditions would keep his native grasses (dominated by salvaged scraps that most of us would throw into the junk heap. His ground-hugging, sod-forming, warm season blue grama) from rare purchases are generally made at a steal, opportunely nabbing recovering from their previous season’s grazing, and even though “priceless” assets that others find useless. When the drought of 2002 the BLM (government agency that administers the public lands hit the San Luis Valley, George was ready for it. grazing permits throughout much of the West) gave him the green When you’ve got rights to water coming out of the ground in light to graze, George kept his cows home. Without his usual summer great natural gushes or in perennially flowing creeks and rivers, the grass, severe replanning was necessary. By having to graze the tendency of most humans is to use it all, assuming the wetter the flatland through the summer as well as the winter, his grazing ground the better. For many years, when flood irrigation ruled, this planning indicated a need to destock 30 percent and buy two was the case in the San Luis Valley. Today, all of the water is still used, months worth of hay. but most of it is pumped through center pivot sprinklers, and very In most years, and starting again this year, George’s typical pattern little of it reenters the aquifer. With heavy flood irrigation, a big chunk is to use the native hills for four months in the summer, beginning in of the water at least percolated back into the underground aquifer, so mid-June and coming off in mid-October, when the cattle return to the there was plenty of recharge. With the sprinklers, this vital recharge flat country and stay clear through the winter till late spring. Many of isn’t happening, which is at the root of the present crisis. Under heavy the species in the irrigated areas lose much of their quality after going flood irrigation (still in practice across much of the valley, especially on into dormancy. This is especially so for the coarser rushes and grasses hay and pasture ground), the plant communities that developed were that grow in the bottom areas. The quality drops off so much that it’s far from ideal. They progressed to hydrophytic, water-loving rushes hard to get cattle to even eat them. The higher quality clovers and and sedges. It looked good, but these plants are high in fiber and vetches also lose quality, but the bigger problem is that their more tough to digest, especially if not put up as hay while still green. They succulent form causes them to shrivel up to nothing in the dry, don’t tap the soil’s natural productive capacity either. Water-logged extreme cold of winter. To conserve this forage in a form that could conditions and poor aeration result in low levels of evapotranspiration be used by the cattle, George’s family used to spend all summer and thus photosynthesis. putting up close to 30,000 small bales of hay, much of which was sold.

George used to use all his water, but with a greater awareness of how plants grow and the ill effects of over-irrigation, now uses roughly Cut and Pile Hay half of his former use. Most of the irrigated ground has never been Beginning about 15 years ago, George and his brother, Donnie, plowed or worked in any way, so is still characterized by a true mosaic changed that whole ritual and began conserving forage quality in a of slightly undulating topography. Within a few feet, the ground can transition from a knob, to a gentle slope, to bottom ground, and then continued on page 10

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LAND & LIVESTOCK

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Creating More With Less continued from page 9

much more ecologically, economically, and socially sound way. Now, least triple that, not including the machinery, fuel, and labor expense the irrigated forage is left to grow throughout most of the 90-day to feed it all back out again. Because it requires so much less work, growing season. In late August/early September, when the grasses and and because they aren’t fretting constantly about rain falling on legumes are still green but have produced mature, viable seed, George drying windrows (which was the case back in the days of baling), sends out his 80+ year old dad (George Sr.) on an old windrower first the quality of life benefits are right up there with the financial and thing in the morning. After George Jr. gets done with morning chores, ecological benefits. he heads out with an old 24-foot (7.3 meter) -wide dump rake pulled Out on the Range by a 1946 Case tractor. Driving with the rake perpendicular to the freshly cut windrows, George gathers up two rows at a time into small Up on the summer range, called Tracy Canyon, which takes in piles. As the rake starts to ride up over the pile, he trips the rake, the about 20,000 acres (8,000 ha) of “dry, tough old country,” George has pile gets dumped, and the next pile begins to form. George Jr. (on the developed three permanent pastures, but strings portable fence “all rake) catches up to George Sr. (on the windrower) by mid-afternoon. over the place” to create dozens of smaller interior, temporary The forage has to be piled when paddocks. He uses high ridgelines and wet and green. If it’s left to dry before other topographical features, along being piled, there is a great risk that the with these strategically placed portable gale force winds that sweep the valley fences, to create these smaller divisions. floor could blow the whole season’s The temporary fences are typically crop over the Sangre de Cristos and wound through areas that have into Kansas. The piles are loose and sufficient brush to keep the wire off highly aerated, and because of the very the ground, so very few posts are dry, cold air, don’t grow any mold needed. Generally, he plans to vary the inside. We looked at the last few piles timing of grazing so that each patch of The forage is piled up green and wet to keep the gale winds of the season, cut 8 months prior, and ground gets grazed at different points that rip through the valley floor from blowing it to Kansas. they were still fresh and green under in the growing season in successive the weathered surface. The piles years. Most areas will only receive one typically test 9-11 percent crude protein, grazing per year, but sometimes which is about the same as when baled. I asked if snow cover ever exceptional moisture will generate enough recovery that the cattle can made them inaccessible, and George said they seldom if ever get return to some spots for a second grazing. Lots of effort has been put enough snow for that to be a problem. He actually prefers to get a into developing water points. Small springs at the tops of drainages nice layer of snow on the ground. The snow cover protects the piles (the largest produces only 1.3 gallons/5 liters per minute) are plumbed against the intense solar radiation of their dry, high climate, and less together with 1.5 inch (38 mm) black poly pipe to create water flows of the forage on or near the pile’s surface deteriorates in quality. capable of watering the 200+ head herd.

The piles are rationed out with portable electric fence, with just George admits that after 15 years of careful grazing planning on the enough piles allotted per day to meet the herds’ needs. This minimizes Tracy, grass species diversity hasn’t appreciably improved, but there has waste, maintains a constant plane of nutrition, and keeps the cattle been a great influx of valuable shrubs such as saltbush and winterfat. happy with a daily, predictable routine. If there is snow on the ground, Cottonwood trees have also begun to make a comeback along riparian daily rationing is even more important. As soon as the snow gets areas. Because he has minimized overgrazing of existing plants so compacted around the piles, the piles get frozen in place. More than effectively, those plants do show an increase in vigor, but George still one day of trampling results in excessive snow compaction and lots isn’t satisfied. He’s not sure if the grass community will ever really of wasted forage. take off as long as “every year grazing” during the growing season Waiting till September to cut and pile, after the seed is hard and continues. George feels plants in this low production, highly brittle mature, has great ecological benefits. Typically, hay is put up before country need the chance to periodically grow through an entire the seed is viable. Even if it is viable, a specific bale of hay is seldom growing season without being grazed, allowing them to build roots and fed exactly where it grew. Any viable seeds are therefore not accumulate significant above-ground material that can add to the litter necessarily dropped in the specific ecological microniche where bank. By grazing/impacting every year, even under well-timed, wellthey are most likely to germinate and grow. With cut-and-pile forage planned grazing, it’s tough for either of these things to happen. With conservation, the forage is piled in nearly the exact location where it new pipelines and water points developed this spring, George has grew, and all those viable seeds are right where nature would have opened up lots more country that previously was poorly utilized by naturally deposited them. A diversity of small mammals uses the hay cattle. He plans to use those areas (which are suffering from too much piles as winter cover, which in turn has drawn healthy populations of recovery, or overrest) more heavily in the near term, enabling the raptors. Economically, taking into account all costs, George estimates his planning of longer recovery periods on much of his historically more cost per ton of piled forage at about $10. The cost of making hay is at frequently grazed/impacted country.

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When he was growing up, the Whittens were sheep ranchers, and they used the Tracy for winter sheep grazing. George remembers knee high blue gramma blowing in the wind way back when he was little. The sheep would willingly graze right to the ridges, and as long as there was a little snow on the ground, the sheep didn’t need any other source of water. George thinks this well-distributed dormant season grazing and impacting (on predominantly warm season grasses) might be what the country is truly adapted to.

rights are only valid during the growing season. If water is trapped in a reservoir during the winter, or diverted into a gravel pit to run back into the aquifer, or even run out on the ground and stored as ice, it’s a different use of the water.

Now it’s “storage water,” and that use has to be filed on.

George thought he had the answer, but his neighbors all balked at the idea of filing on Come winter, the cattle can break through snow (in this case water that they already assumed 12 inches or 309 mm) to get to the forage. was theirs. After months of futile attempts to convince his neighbors that winter flows were indeed not theirs for the taking, George took desperate measures and filed Local Water Challenges on most of the water himself.

George has figured out how Suddenly he got everyone’s to make his own country work, attention. To make a long story but he’s intimately connected to short, now the ranchers along all of his neighbors via their Saguache Creek are working common water resource. Because together to get some of this winter of the way his neighbors are flow back into the ground via managing their water, sustainable diversion into large gravel pits. If production of high quality forage they can measure a rise in the and beef on the Whittens is water table as a result, that water under grave threat. Saguache will legally be theirs during the Creek runs down through or near growing season. North Star Farm Even after eight months of curing, this forage can still be fresh and most of the Whitten Ranch, and would not be able to use it, thus green, typically testing at 9-11 percent crude protein. historically they’ve relied on its ensuring the aquifer would not be flow during the growing season pumped dry. Hopefully, with a to irrigate roughly half of their higher water table, Saguache Creek flat country. The other half is would also provide surface flows watered by wells. For the past two years, no water has made it far longer into the growing season, and potentially all season. It’s a grand enough down Saguache Creek to use for irrigation. The same goes for and complicated scheme, but George is convinced it just might work. many of George’s neighbors. A massive haying operation, North Star Tough Country, Tough Critters Farm (formerly South Farm) just south of Saguache, is the likely culprit. Thirty-four center pivot sprinklers pull water from the aquifer Wintertime temperatures in the San Luis Valley are among the that obviously is directly tied to Saguache Creek. Last summer, for coldest in the U.S. Mid-winter lows can drop to -20 to -30 F (-30 to the first time ever, the static water level in the ranch’s ultra-reliable -35 C) for weeks at a time. Strong, whipping winds amplify the irrigation wells dropped down so low that the pumps started to surge. extreme cold even further. The high altitude can cause pulmonary George had to spend several thousand dollars to drop the pumps. hypertension (commonly called brisket disease) in cattle, which are A form of encroachment on another’s property? Absolutely. But how more adapted to lower elevation grasslands. The sparse, erratic, can it be proven, tracked, quantified? unpredictable precipitation creates a sparse forage resource on the George got to thinking. When North Star Farm’s center pivots shut native ranges, and on the valley floor, high soil alkalinity and down in the fall, Saguache Creek starts to run again, and it runs all molybdenum excesses can create bovine metabolic disorders. Despite winter. George figured that if only that winter flow could somehow the abundant ground water and dramatic scenery, the San Luis Valley be used to build up the aquifer during the non-growing season, they is a long ways from paradise, and it takes one heck of a tough cow could quantify that rise in the water table, and would then be entitled to make a living here. George’s selection criteria are pretty to its use the following growing season. But in Colorado, surface flow continued on page 12

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11

Creating More With Less continued from page 11 straightforward and practical—if a cow can hold enough condition to Each semester trip focuses on a particular geographic region of the U.S., breed back every year, she’s got a home. That’s it. Longer legged, bigger and students explore every aspect of the ecological, social, and framed cows have a tougher time pulling that off than moderate economic issues of the specific region. The Audubon Institute faculty framed, deep bodied animals. caught wind of this George Whitten guy out at the headwaters of the Calves are weaned in mid-November, steers are sold in December, Rio Grande, and thought he’d probably be an interesting character to and cull heifers go off the place in January. He weans with a fourlook up. It didn’t take long for George and Julie to realize they’d been strand electric fence, with mammas on one side and youngsters on the looking for each other for a long time, and by July of 2001 they were other. Replacement heifers stay out of the herd for about a month at married. Julie remains associated with the college, and they have weaning, then go back in with everybody else and never come out plans to develop a semester course that will be based out of the again. That places them under Whitten Ranch. strict selection pressure, and George has three George insists a heifer learns to children from a previous be a lot better cow if she grows marriage—Denise, Margo, up with her older relatives. The and Kirk. Denise and her herd started out as straight husband Marcos have Herefords, just like nearly every recently made the cow herd across Colorado. In decision to leave their the ‘70s, a switch to Angus bulls jobs (as a dental assistant added hybrid vigor and black and plumber) in Pagosa hides. In the mid ‘80s, George Springs, and have moved started crossing his black baldy back over the San Juans cows to Tarentaise bulls, a high and settled into their new altitude, very fertile, very tough lives back on the ranch. dual purpose breed from the They are taking over the French Alps. That put a little ranch’s alfalfa and grass more milk and hardiness in hay production enterprise them, but George was getting (on a separate property The calf in this picture is lying along yesterday’s temporary electric fenceline. T o concerned that they were from George’s grazing the left of the calf, you can see the area that has been grazed. To the right, the getting a little too milky for his properties), and are cattle are working on the pile du jour. tough country. For the past planning to bring several years, he’s been sourcing bulls from Kit Pharo. Out on the short grass prairie of eastern Colorado, Kit runs his cows tougher than most commercial cattlemen.

He offers a line of small to moderate framed forage tested bulls, mostly of English breeding.

Looking to the Future That’s the water, grass, and cow side to this story, but it’s the people side that’s really inspiring. In the fall of 2000, George found himself in the middle of building a new house, but with no partner to share it.

One of his best buddies told him that his potential mate was unlikely to come driving up his driveway; he had to get out and look a little.

Turned out that a search wasn’t necessary, because that mate, Julie Sullivan, pulled through the ranch gate without any prodding. Julie has had a remarkable career as an unconventional college professor. For 10 years, she taught full-time with the Audubon Expeditionary Institute, which offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in environmental studies and environmental education (accredited by Lesley University of Cambridge, Massachusetts).

For an entire semester, 15 to 20 students and two to three faculty travel hundreds to thousands of miles by school bus and sleep in tents.

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commercially viable sheep production back to the Whitten Ranch enterprise mix. Son, Kirk, and his wife, Caitlin, are also keen to return to the ranch, but they’re still working out the details. George, Julie, and Denise have a contagious enthusiasm and inspiring vision, and for good reason. They’re living their lives fully, consciously, and deliberately toward their deepest human values. They are in harmony with their soils and plants, their water, their animals, their wildlife, and their community. They are free of debt and, due to George’s selfsufficient, penny-pinching habits, the ranch has always turned a profit.

They humbly envision themselves as catalysts for change in the human race’s transition to a more holistically-grounded culture. Julie is passionate about erasing the “false polarity” that blocks constructive dialogue between well-meaning environmentalists and direct users of the land, between the urban masses and the rural minority. There is no polarity—we are all humans with the same essential needs living in the same ecosystem. As George puts it, “We came to America as Europeans, and we’re managing our resources like we’re still in Europe. We can’t make Europe out of this cold desert. We need to learn to be Americans.” Well said, George. Thanks again for taking the day off to show me around.

Parasite Poisoning Kills More than Bugs—

Losing Biodiversity with Chemicals

by Ian Mitchell-Innes

T

he tall grass veld (range) of the Natal region of South Africa dipping only once a year and spot treating the odd animal that had an is incredibly productive, beautiful country. In its natural state, overload of ticks. a diverse plant community and a favorable climate create By observing my wild game, I noted that they had very few ticks thousands of niches for many varieties of game and non-game while the cattle were heavily loaded. My conclusion was that by mammals, hundreds of bird species, and thousands of insects. It is dipping constantly I had destroyed the beef herd’s ability to shed ticks. paradise for many forms of life. Unfortunately, it’s paradise for many Over a period of time of reduced dipping, the cattle started to regain organisms that also make life challenging. For cattle ranchers, one of this natural ability, and the herd’s immunity has improved to the point these nagging forms of life is the tick—and not just one type of tick. where I have no sick cattle from tick-borne disease.

We have numerous species, many of which carry disease organisms In practicing Holistic Management, I started to become aware of that infect cattle, creating lethal tick-borne diseases. all the other benefits of not dipping. Dung beetles, which I had not Ten years ago, before my introduction to Holistic Management, I seen on the property since I was a small boy, started to return. Red was running my cattle as all good ranchers in this part of the world billed oxpeckers, which are birds that sit on the cattle and feed on do: plunge dipping my entire ticks, returned. The Guinea herd every second week (with fowl population has increased organophosphate and pyrethroid dramatically, as has the Shelley’s parasiticides). The dipping worked. partridge (game bird). It was My cattle were clean of ticks, and I obvious to me that the dip had been successful enough to buy chemical was not only killing another two ranches. But suddenly, ticks but all sorts of insects my cattle started to become infected on which the natural bird with tick-borne diseases and many population relied. of them died. I was frantic and In Allan Savory’s Holistic called in a vet. He claimed my cattle Management , he cites examples were too clean and had no where losing one specie leads to immunity. Some exposure to the the loss of many other species Once we stopped poisoning for ticks, many small organisms that tick-borne diseases is desirable, he because of their interdependence. we were unintentionally killing returned to our land. These said, as it enables the animals to The same principle must apply organisms—the food source for many other forms of life—allo wed build antibodies against the invading in the opposite direction: when Guinea f owl to return (among many others). organisms. If the cattle are so clean a specie returns, many others that this antibody production never are likely to return as well. takes place, then when they do inevitably acquire a dose of ticks, they This has happened here. are highly susceptible to the tick-borne diseases.

Thirty years ago, my uncle reintroduced warthog (not seen To avoid a total catastrophe, the vet suggested I “block” the entire here in my father’s lifetime) and failed; they simply disappeared. herd. This meant that each apparently healthy animal would receive Having practiced Holistic Management for five years and having had one-third the dose of antibiotics normally used to treat obviously success in introducing many other species of game, I put in an order infected animals. The theory is that if the disease organism is present for warthog. The day after I confirmed the order, I saw my first two in the apparently healthy animal, this lesser dose of medicine would warthogs on this ranch. They must have traveled miles to get here, kill the organism before it had the chance to multiply to lethal levels. and I must have created a desirable environment for them. I think that Of course, the down side to this was that I was destroying any because I have stopped using chemicals there are more ants. Because resistance that some of the animals may have been in the process there are more ants, there are more ant bears (aardvarks); and because of developing against the tick-borne diseases. there are more ant bears, there are more ant bear holes. Warthogs rely After negotiating this crisis, I decided I needed to take a more on ant bear holes as a haven from predators. We are now two years sustainable approach to battling this problem. After much consultation on, and the warthogs have more than quadrupled in numbers. with our veterinary institute, I decided to follow a route whereby I With the return of many species of insects, birds, and game to could lift the immunity of the whole herd. I planned to gradually the ranch, it has given me a better understanding of the power of reduce dipping, allowing the cattle to support minor levels of tick the testing guidelines when making a decision towards a future infestation. I had been warned this approach took great courage, as resource base. cattle would still die. It would take some time for the correct immunity levels to be reached. After seven years, I reached a stage where I was Ian Mitchell-Innes can be reached at blanerne@mweb.co.za

IN PRACTICE • JULY / AUGUST 2003

LAND & LIVESTOCK

13

Savory Center Bulletin Board New Financial Coordinator

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he Savory Center is pleased to introduce our new Financial Coordinator, Jessica Stolz.

A New Mexico native, Jessica graduated from New Mexico State University with a degree in Finance and a minor in Global Political Economy. While in Las Cruces, Jessica was active as the Secretary/ Jessica Stolz Treasurer for the Young Democrats and as Business Manager for the campus newspaper, The Round Up. As a volunteer she also participated in fundraising activities for the Student Association of Latin American Studies.

Jessica’s other volunteer interests have also included work as a literacy aide, and she is currently exploring a volunteer position for Westcorp, a local non-profit working with microlending for women. She is also beginning her studies for CPA credentials and then will begin work on a Masters in Finance.

Jessica was eager to join the Savory Center because of our global focus and the variety of tasks that she would be involved in as part of her employment. “I really wanted to work for a company that was working for more than just a profit. The Savory Center’s mix of profit and non-profit work around the world seemed very suited to my varied finance interests.”

Electronic Back Issues

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he Savory Center now has back issues #71-89 on sale, all on one CD. The price for all these issues is normally $60, but this CD is only $25 plus shipping and handling. To order, see the back page of this issue.

Recent West Ranch Activities

J

oe and Peggy Maddox, ranch managers for the West Ranch Cooperative Field Station, hosted an all-day field trip of hands-on activities for the Ozona, Texas third grade on May 2, 2003.

Students began the field trip with “How the Wind Helps Us” curriculum at a ranch windmill where they learned how the windmill pumps water from underground. Continuing on to the ranch headquarters for lunch, kite flying, and storytelling, the third graders returned to Ozona

14 HOLISTIC MANAGEMENT IN PRACTICE #90

Savory Given Major Environmental Award

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n May 30, Allan Savory was presented one of Allan Savory at the International Australia’s most prestigious environmental Banksia A ward Ceremony near awards, the International Banksia Award. The Brisbane, Australia.

Banksia Environmental Foundation gives the award each year to “individuals who have made, or are making, a significant contribution for the betterment of our environment on a global level.” Past winners include Rachel Carson, Sir David Attenborough and Dr. David Suzuki, among others.

The award was sponsored by DuPont and presented by its Vice President of Safety, Health and Environment, Paul Tebo. Dr. Tebo is the driving force behind efforts to steer DuPont’s global operations toward zero injuries, illnesses, incidents, wastes and emissions. And, he is eager to follow up with the Savory Center to learn more about Holistic Management and how it could benefit this initiative.

The Banksia Foundation’s Board selects the winner each year from a pool of nominees whose activities they have followed for several years. Their reasons for selecting Allan this year: Allan Savory has developed what is widely believed to be an entirely new decision-making framework through which all people, regardless of their location, industry or circumstances, can make decisions that are simultaneously environmentally, socially and financially sound in both the short and long term—Holistic Management.

In short, Holistic Management appears to be a way of putting people back in control of their destinies and restoring a sense of direction in tough times. Many thousands of families and businesses around the world are now successfully using the new framework to radically improve the quality of their lives while simultaneously regenerating the resource base that sustains them.

of Texas at Austin and Savory Center Board Member Dr. Manuel Casas at the Chapa de Mota Research Station in Mexico.

The other two interns are Julie Zimmerman and Nate Chisholm. Julie is The Ozona third grade class in Crockett County, Texas enjoying a break currently studying between kite flying and learning about the wind at the West Ranch.

Resource Management at Cal Poly in San Luis at the end of the day having learned more about Obispo, California and wants to get hands on their natural resources and the human resources experience at the West Ranch. Nate has just within their community. recently graduated from Montana State The Maddoxes are also busy orienting five University and wanted to be an intern to new interns at Ozona that will work and learn learn more about how to integrate human through the summer. Juan Carlos Garcia Avilez, communities into healthy ecosystems.

Odette Gomez Garcia, and Janice Ramirez Castro Correction are all interning on an exchange from Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico n our list of contributors from last year, the where they are all currently in the College of Savory Center inadvertently left out Jim & Veterinary Medicine. This exchange was made Carol Hutchinson. We regret this error, and possible with the help of Dr. Dick Richardson at greatly appreciate the contributions made by the University all our members.

I

Africa Centre Update—

A Splendid Partnership

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hree years ago, after visiting the Africa Centre for Holistic Management in Zimbabwe, Jeff Fadiman approached us with an idea. We had developed the beginnings of an ecotourism enterprise in an effort to make the Africa Centre less reliant on outside funding to further its educational programs. What Jeff was offering to do was to turn our amateurish efforts into an operation that would not only be profitable but also set the standard for what “ecotourism” should be.

Dr. Jeffrey Fadiman is Professor of Global Marketing, High Risk Regions at San Jose State University (Silicon Valley), California.

Educated at Stanford and elsewhere, he taught for the U.S. Peace Corps, was a twotime Fulbright Scholar (Kenya and South Africa), worked as a Kenya Safari guide, and learned to speak Swahili and Zulu along the way. He publishes in three disciplines (African History, Global Marketing, Foreign Relations), and has 4l publications, including five books.

Jeff got to work right away, renaming our enterprise, Dimbangombe Conservation Safaris (after the name of the property on which the Africa Center is located), revamping the activities we had to offer and molding them into highly desirable packages that proved irresistible to the clients he soon started sending our way. Each group would start their safari with a wilderness awareness course led by Africa Centre staff member Roger Parry. “Walk into the bush with us,” writes Jeff. “Then watch, touch, smell, taste and listen—by day and night. Learn to sense, smell and hear animals before they appear, as they sense, smell and hear you before you appear. Learn how dangerous animals, birds, reptiles and insects behave. Once you know, you can plan ahead, respond appropriately and even interact.”

These courses, and all the activities now offered are not only adventurous but educational. And as attractive as that has been to all visitors, the most meaningful part of their experience is the time they get to spend with villagers in the Wange Communal Lands that neighbor Dimbangombe. Jeff’s idea from the beginning was for visitors not to just

observe life in the villages, but to actively participate: “Enjoy children? Join us in primary school; expect to clap and sing and dance, since the children do. Or, tell us if you’d like to teach.

“Do you teach? Join us in secondary school.

What you say will be warmly received, just because you are someone new, from somewhere else.

“Sing/wish to worship? Join us, Sundays, in a village church.

“Work with women? Join our women’s micro-banking project, where entrepreneurs seek micro-loans and help in launching ventures.”

In every case visitors have been so moved by their experiences with the villagers that they have offered to help in any way they can. And they have.

The villagers in turn have Jeff Fadiman developed a new appreciation for what tourism can become.

“I take every eco-tourist safari to one primary school,” says Jeff. “Each visit is a joy—at the beginning. As our truck arrives, 200 kids pour out the doors (and windows), then surround us, dancing, shouting and shaking our hands.

“Then they lead us on a singing, dancing tour of their classrooms—and it is hard to conceal our shock. A normal classroom holds 58 kids, 6 chairs, no tables, 7 exercise books, 9 pencils, no magic markers, chalk, colored pencils, puzzles, games, paint, brushes, rulers, pens or anything else. The roof leaks and the children lie on the wet cement floor in neat disciplined rows, chanting lessons to the teacher’s beat—”A-B-C-D-E-F-”, etc. They write each letter on the floor—with their forefingers.

They have no books. Nor can they be bought in town.

“Recess: The kids do have one ball. They made it out of plastic shopping bags, handheld and melted together on a cook fire.”

Jeff has instigated partnerships between Dimbangombe Conservation Safaris (DCS) and the teachers/parents of several schools. DCS provides tools and expertise, the parents and

teachers agree to provide whatever skills and labor are needed to get every child up off cement floors, into chairs and at desks, and our ecotourists agree to become what Jeff calls “educationaries.” Each brings one daypack of educational supplies (and one ball) on safari.

As we said at the beginning, Jeff’s aim is to set a new standard for ecotourism. We’re just glad he chose us to be his example.

In addition to his efforts in the ecotourism department, Jeff has also launched an intern program to complement one we initiated two years ago with an organization in the U.K. Jeff recruits MBA students from San Jose State who pay their own costs to participate in a six-week internship at Dimbangombe in ecotourism, and wildlife and conservation marketing/management.

Jeff is also actively involved in the development of the wildlife management college we launched informally early this year with a game scout training course that included an introduction to Holistic Management. He is assisting us in developing the college curriculum and has also established contact with other wildlife colleges in East and Southern Africa with whom we hope to establish links.

We are indebted to Jeff for all of this.

His efforts have greatly enhanced the good will the Africa Centre staff have worked hard to earn in our local community over the years. Where we once reached out to the community and found only a modest number of takers, they now reach out to us and in far greater numbers.

So That All May Benefit

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n April the Africa Centre for Holistic Management received a grant from the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) for $15,000 (Canadian) that will give our staff additional resources for promoting gender equity/sensitivity in all their programs. The funds for this two-year project will cover the time of a “gender specialist” who will provide training to our staff and through them to the local chiefs who serve on the Africa Centre’s Board of Trustees, our village-based Holistic Management facilitators, and ultimately to the community at large.

HOLISTIC MANAGEMENT IN PRACTICE • JULY / AUGUST 2003 15

Readying for a Rendezvous

by Pat Q. Richardson

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for the ranch itself. In particular, they talked or those of you considering coming to about how the ranch’s holistic goal has lead the Rendezvous 2003 on September 26them to develop the ranch as a Holistic 28, 2003, I thought it would be helpful ® learning site.

Management to learn a little bit more about Clint Josey’s LO Clint notes that they’ve been thinking Ranch, so I went out to interview him this about making that kind of commitment with spring at the LO Ranch. the ranch, but it wasn’t until they revised their Petroleum engineering is Clint’s vocation, holistic goal, that they actually started taking but his avocation is ranching. He purchased action toward making it happen. “We’re now the LO Ranch piecemeal beginning in 1974, spending money on exclosures,” Clint says. with five tracts at Leo comprised of 1000 acres “We’ll also probably build a pavilion (for of bottomlands and upland prairie hills. classroom space), and we’re working with In 1982 Clint went to one of Allan Savory’s North Central Texas College to come more courses. Within a year he returned with his often.” son-in-law, Tom, and his ranch manager, One of the reasons that Clint and Robby Robby Tuggle, and all their wives.

Robby had experience working on other ranches. When he came back from the course he was excited about the possibilities. “It just made sense to me that on land that carries one animal per 14 acres, if you can run one animal per seven acres simply by changing how you manage them, you just bought yourself another ranch. You spend money on fencing, but not near the cost of another ranch.” In only a few years they were able to more than Participate in the Rendezvous 2003 near Leo, Texas at double their stocking rate, and their Clint Josey’s LO Ranch in a restored tall-grass prairie. monitoring shows no signs of deteriorating land..

Clint actually bought several ranches after want to formalize the ranch as a learning attending the course, but later sold them, and center is because neighbors have not been as with that money he bought the 800-acre eager to learn with them as they had hoped.

Pittman in 1986 and had enough money left to “Our neighbors vary from totally indifferent to put in the additional fencing and water points hostile,” says Clint. “Our community beyond to maximize production. He ran the decision the ranch boundaries is our grazing club, the through the testing guidelines and determined Red River Graziers. There are about 20 that, given the size of the ranch, it would ranchers in it, and we’ve gotten pretty close. make more money to put this infrastructure They all have the same experience of being in and get the ranch into full production considered the freaks in the neighborhood. We immediately. like to get together with people who don’t feel that way. We talk about mistakes more than Sharing the Learning anything.”

It is apparent as you listen to Clint and The Landscape as Canvas Robby that these two men are enjoying the collaborative process of running the L O Like many ranchers, Clint and Robby are Ranch and working with their particularly excited about the future resource consultant/advisor, long-time Savory Center base landscape description and their efforts to member, Bob Steger. manage their whole toward that landscape. In While Clint and Robby each have their describing that landscape, Clint notes, “The own personal/family holistic goal, the holistic tallgrass prairie restored is one of our current goal they discussed the day I visited them was focuses. However, with 80 to 90 percent of

16 HOLISTIC MANAGEMENT IN PRACTICE #90

forage coming from the big four tallgrass prairie species—little bluestem, big bluestem, Indian and switch—those tallgrass species are only 30 percent to 40 percent of the total. There are short and mid-grasses and high successional forbs that fill in to make a stable, healthy prairie community.” By monitoring, they know they are seeing less bare ground and an increase in the plant species they desire.

In their forms of production, they have to generate profit, so that they can afford to manage the land toward that future landscape description. One decision they made to accomplish that was to run sheep and cattle together. Clint says that took real persistence and patience on Robby’s part, because they have guard dogs that stay with the sheep.

When they combined the cattle and sheep, the dogs would try to chase the cattle off and the cattle would try to chase the dogs off. Robby started grazing them in adjacent pastures.

Then on horseback he would ease the sheep through the cattle or the cattle through the sheep until the dogs and the cattle relaxed.

Now they all hang together quite contentedly.

One benefit to combining the sheep and cattle is that they don’t need to reduce cow numbers in order to add sheep, because much of what they eat is complimentary, and they all eat the overabundant cool season grasses.

In addition to conflicts between cattle and dogs, Clint and Robby also struggled with horses and cattle. They used to have brood mares and sell weanling colts, but they found that the horses deliberately keep the cattle away from the water points. Because they wanted a single herd of animals for effective grazing management, they stopped raising horses.

When asked what they are most proud of accomplishing, Robby says, “being able to do as much as we do with as little help as we have.” Clint believes that Holistic Management has helped them do that and keep labor costs down because while it requires more planning, the result is that you don’t need as much overhead.

When we asked Clint why he has invested in such a long-standing and deep commitment to Holistic Management both with the Savory Center and with HRM of Texas, he thought for a moment, and replied, “It’s the only thing I’ve seen that works. It’s the way to save agriculture.”

For more information about the Rendezvous 2003, please see the enclosed flyer.

Certified Educators To our knowledge, Certified Educators are the best qualified individuals to help others learn to practice Holistic Management and to provide them with technical assistance when necessary. On a yearly basis, Certified Educators renew their agreement to be affiliated with the Center. This agreement requires their commitment to practice Holistic Management in their own lives, to seek out opportunities for staying current with the latest developments in Holistic Management and to maintain a high standard of ethical conduct in their work.

For more information about or application forms for the U.S., Africa, or International Certified Educator Training Programs, contact Kelly Pasztor at the Savory Center or visit our website at www.holisticmanagement.org/wwo_certed.cfm? ◆ These Educators provide Holistic Management instruction on behalf of the institutions they represent.

UNITED STATES ARIZONA Kitty Boice P.O. Box 745, Sonoita, AZ 85637 520/907-5574; KatieMackK@aol.com ARKANSAS Preston Sullivan P.O. Box 4483, Fayetteville, AR 72702 479/443-0609; 479/442-9824 (w) prestons@nwaisp.com CALIFORNIA Monte Bell 325 Meadowood Dr., Orland, CA 95963 530/865-3246; mbell@glenncounty.net Julie Bohannon 652 Milo Terrace, Los Angeles, CA 90042 323/257-1915 JoeBoCom@pacbell.net Bill Burrows 12250 Colyear Springs Rd. Red Bluff, CA 96080 530/529-1535; burrows@cwnet.com Jeff Goebel P.O. Box 1252, Willows, CA 95988 530/321-9855; 530/934-4601 x101 (w) goebel@palouse.net Richard King 1675 Adobe Rd., Petaluma, CA 94954 707/769-1490; 707/794-8692 (w) richard.king@ca.usda.gov Christopher Peck P.O. Box 2286, Sebastopol, CA 95472 707/758-0171 ctopherp@holistic-solutions.net COLORADO Cindy Dvergsten 17702 County Rd. 23, Dolores, CO 81323 970/882-4222 info@wholenewconcepts.com Rio de la Vista P.O. Box 777, Monte Vista, CO 81144 719/852-2211; riovista@rmi.net Daniela Howell 63066 Jordan Ct., Montrose, CO 81401 970/249-0353 howelljd@montrose.net Tim McGaffic P.O. Box 476, Ignacio, CO 81137 970/946-9957; tim@timmcgaffic.com

Chadwick McKellar 16775 Southwood Dr. Colorado Springs, CO 80908 719/495-4641; cmckellar@juno.com Chandler McLay P.O. Box 262, Dolores, CO 81323 970/882-8802 mcchand@msn.com Byron Shelton 33900 Surrey Lane, Buena Vista, CO 81211 719/395-8157 landmark@my.amigo.net GEORGIA Constance Neely

1160 Twelve Oaks Circle Watkinsville, GA 30677 706/310-0678 cneely@holisticmanagement.org IOWA Bill Casey

1800 Grand Ave. Keokuk, IA 52632-2944 319/524-5098; wpccasey@interl.net KENTUCKY Joel Benson 1180 Fords Mill Rd. Versailles, KY 40383 859/879-6365; joel@growgdp.com LOUISIANA Tina Pilione P.O. 923, Eunice, LA 70535 phone/fax: 337/580-0068 tinamp@charter.net MINNESOTA Terri Goodfellow-Heyer 4660 Cottonwood Lane N Plymouth, MN 55442 612/559-0099 tgheyer@attbi.com Larry Johnson RR 1, Box 93A, Winona, MN 55987-9738 507/457-9511; 507/523-2171 (w) lpjohn@rconnect.com MONTANA Wayne Burleson RT 1, Box 2780 Absarokee, MT 59001 406/328-6808; rutbuster@montana.net

Roland Kroos 4926 Itana Circle Bozeman, MT 59715 406/522-3862; KROOSING@earthlink.net ◆ Cliff Montagne Montana State University Department of Land Resources & Environmental Science Bozeman, MT 59717 406/994-5079; montagne@montana.edu NEW MEXICO ◆ Ann Adams The Savory Center 1010 Tijeras NW Albuquerque, NM 87102 505/842-5252 anna@holisticmanagement.org Amy Driggs 1131 Los Tomases NW Albuquerque, NM 87102 505/242-2787 adriggs@orbusinternational.com Kirk Gadzia P.O. Box 1100 Bernalillo, NM 87004 505/867-4685; fax: 505/867-0262 kgadzia@earthlink.net Ken Jacobson 12101 Menaul Blvd. NE, Ste A Albuquerque, NM 87112 505/293-7570 kbjacobson@orbusinternational.com ◆ Kelly Pasztor The Savory Center 1010 Tijeras NW, Albuquerque, NM 87102 505/842-5252 kellyp@holisticmanagement.org Sue Probart P.O. Box 81827 Albuquerque, NM 87198 505/265-4554 tnm@treenm.com Vicki Turpen 03 El Nido Amado SW Albuquerque, NM 87121 505/873-0473; mvt9357@aol.com Arne Vanderburg P.O. Box 904 Cedar Crest, NM 87008 505/286-6133 asvanderb@hotmail.com NORTH CAROLINA Sam Bingham 394 Vanderbilt Rd. Asheville, NC 28803 828/274-1309 sbingham@igc.org NORTH DAKOTA ◆ Wayne Berry University of North Dakota—Williston P.O. Box 1326 Williston, ND 58802 701/774-4269 or 701/774-4200 wayne.berry@wsc.nodak.edu

HOLISTIC MANAGEMENT IN PRACTICE • JULY / AUGUST 2 003 17

OHIO ◆ Deborah Stinner Department of Entomology OARDC 1680 Madison Hill Wooster, OH 44691 330/202-3534 (w); stinner.2@osu.edu OKLAHOMA Kim Barker RT 2, Box 67 Waynoka, OK 73860 580/824-9011; barker_k@hotmail.com OREGON Cindy Douglas 2795 McMillian St., Eugene, OR 97405 541/465-4882; cdouglas@omri.org

◆ R.H. (Dick) Richardson University of Texas at Austin Department of Integrative Biology Austin, TX 78712 512/471-4128; d.richardson@mail.utexas.edu Peggy Sechrist 25 Thunderbird Rd., Fredericksburg, TX 78624 830/990-2529; peggy@ fbg.net WASHINGTON Craig Madsen P.O. Box 107, Edwall, WA 99008 509/236-2451; madsen2fir@centurytel.net Sandra Matheson 228 E. Smith Rd., Bellingham, WA 98226 360/398-7866; smm1@gte.net

Lois Trevino P.O. Box 615, Nespelem, WA 99155 509/634-4410; 509/634-2430 (w) lois.trevino@colvilletribes.com Doug Warnock 151 Cedar Cove Rd., Ellensburg, WA 98926 509/925-9127 warnockd@ elltel.net WISCONSIN Elizabeth Bird Room 203 Hiram Smith Hall 1545 Obseratory Dr., Madison WI 53706 608/265-3727 eabird@facstaff.wisc.edu

TEXAS Christina Allday-Bondy 2703 Grennock Dr. Austin, TX 78745 512/441-2019; tododia@peoplepc.com

Don Nelson Washington State University P.O. Box 646310, Pullman, WA 99164 509/335-2922; nelsond@wsu.edu

WYOMING Miles Keogh 450 N. Adams Ave. Buffalo WY 82834 307/684-0532; mkeogh@trib.com

Guy Glosson 6717 Hwy 380, Snyder, TX 79549 806/237-2554; glosson@caprock-spur.com

Maurice Robinette S. 16102 Wolfe Rd., Cheney, WA 99004 509/299-4942; mlr@icehouse.net

Tim Morrison P.O. Box 536, Meeteese, WY 82433 307/868-2354; mcd@tctwest.net

INTERNATIONAL AUSTRALIA Helen Carrell “Hillside” 25 Weewondilla Rd. Glennie Heights, Warwick, QLD 4370 61-4-1878-5285; 61-7-4661-7383 helenc@upfrontoutback.com Steve Hailstone 5 Lampert Rd., Crafers, SA 5152 61-4-1882-2212 shailstone@internode.on.net Graeme Hand “Inverary” Caroona Lane; Branxholme, VIC 3302 61-3-5578-6272; 61-4-1853-2130 gshand@hotkey.net.au

Kelly Sidoryk Box 374, Lloydminster, AB, S9V 0Y4 403/875-4418 hi-gain@telusplanet.net CHINA/GERMANY Dieter Albrecht 2, Yuan Ming Yuan Xi Lu Beijing 10094 86-10-6289 1061 alialb@gmx.net (international) MEXICO

Mark Gardner P.O. Box 1395, Dubbo, NSW 2830 61-2-6882-0605 gardnerm@ozemail.com.au

Ivan Aguirre La Inmaculada Apdo. Postal 304 Hermosillo, Sonora 83000 tel/fax: 52-637-377-8929 rancho_inmaculada@yahoo.com

Brian Marshall “Lucella”; Nundle, NSW 2340 61-2-6769 8226; fax: 61-2-6769 8223 bkmrshl@northnet.com.au

Elco Blanco-Madrid Cristobal de Olid #307 Chihuahua Chih., 31240 52-614-415-3497; fax: 52-614-415-3175 elco_blanco@hotmail.com

Bruce Ward P.O. Box 103, Milsons Pt., NSW 1565 61-2-9929-5568; fax: 61-2-9929-5569 blward@holisticresults.com.au Brian Wehlburg c/o “Sunnyholt”, Injue, QLD 4454 61-7-4626-7187 ijapo2000@yahoo.com CANADA Don and Randee Halladay Box 2, Site 2, RR 1; Rocky Mountain House, AB T0M 1T0; 403/729-2472 donran@telusplanet.net Noel McNaughton 5704-144 St., Edmondton, AB, T6H 4H4 780/432-5492; noel@mcnaughton.ca Len Pigott Box 222, Dysart, SK SOH 1HO 306/432-4583 JLPigott@sk.sympatico.ca

18 HOLISTIC MANAGEMENT IN PRACTICE #90

Manuel Casas-Perez Calle Amarguva No. 61, Lomas Herradura Huixquilucan, Mexico City CP 52785 52-558-291-3934; 52-588-992-0220 (w) tolintepec@aol.com Jose Ramon “Moncho” Villar Av. Las Americas #1178 Fracc. Cumbres Saltillo, Coahuila 25270 52-844-415-1542 ffmh@prodigy.net.mx NAMIBIA Gero Diekmann P.O. Box 363, Okahandja 9000 264-62-518091 nam00132@mweb.com.na Wiebke Volkmann P.O. Box 182, Otavi, 067-23-44-48; wiebke@mweb.com.na

NEW ZEALAND John King P.O. Box 3440, Richmond, Nelson 64-3-547-6347 succession@clear.net.nz SOUTH AFRICA Johan Blom P.O. Box 568, Graaf-Reinet 6280 27-49-891-0163 johanblom@cybertrade.co.za Ian Mitchell-Innes P.O. Box 52, Elandslaagte 2900 27-36-421-1747 blanerne@mweb.co.za Norman Neave Box 141, Mtubatuba 3935 27-35-5504150 norboom@saol.com Dick Richardson P.O. Box 1806, Vryburg 8600 tel/fax: 27-53-927-4367 judyrich@cybertrade.co.za ZIMBABWE Mutizwa Mukute PELUM Association Regional Desk P.O. Box MP 1059, Mount Pleasant, Harare 263-4-74470/744117 fax: 263-4-744470 pelum@mail.pci.co.zw Liberty Mabhena Spring Cabinet P.O. Box 853, Harare 263-4-210021/2; 263-4-210577/8 fax: 263-4-210273 Sister Maria Chiedza Mutasa Bandolfi Convent P.O. Box 900, Masvingo 263-39-7699, 263-39-7530 Elias Ncube P. Bag 5950, Victoria Falls 263-3-454519 rogpachm@africaonline.co.zw

Local Networks There are several branch organizations or groups affiliated with the Center in the U.S. and abroad (some publish their own newsletters.) We encourage you to contact the group closest to you:

To order products inAustralia/New Zealand or southern Africa contact: Australia: Holistic Decision Making Association, Irene Dasey, P.O. Box 543, Inverell NSW 2360, tel: 61-2-6721-0123; idasey@hdma-anz.com South Africa: Whole Concepts cc, PO Box 1806, Vryburg 8600; tel/fax: 27-53-9274367; judyrich@cybertrade.co.za

United States CALIFORNIA Holistic Management of California Tom Walther, newsletter editor 5550 Griffin St. Oakland, CA 94605 510/530-6410 tagjag@ aol.com COLORADO Colorado Branch of the Center For Holistic Management Jim and Daniela Howell newletter editors 1661 Sonoma Court, Montrose, CO 81401 970/249-0353 howelljd@montrose.net GEORGIA Constance Neely 1160 Twelve Oaks Circle Watkinsville, GA 30677 706/310-0678 cneely@holisticmanagement.org MONTANA Beartooth Management Club Wayne Burleson RT 1, Box 2780, Absarokee, MT 59001 406/328-6808; rutbuster@montana.net

NEW YORK Regional Farm & Food Project Tracy Frisch, contact person 148 Central Ave., 2nd floor Albany, NY 12206 518/427-6537 USDA/NRCS - Central NY RC&D Phil Metzger, contact person 99 North Broad St. Norwich, NY 13815 607/334-3231, ext. 4 phil.metzger@ny.usda.gov NORTHWEST Managing Wholes Peter Donovan 501 South St. Enterprise, OR 97828-1345 541/426-2145 www.managingwholes.com OKLAHOMA Oklahoma Land Stewardship Alliance Charles Griffiths Route 5, Box E44, Ardmore, OK 73401 580/223-7471 cagriffith@brightok.net

Africa Centre for Holistic Management (A subsidiary of the Allan Savory Center for Holistic Management since 1992) Board of Trustees

Staff

Allan Savory, Chair Ignatius Ncube, Vice Chair Chief D. Shana II Chief A. J. Mvutu Chief B.W. Wange Chief D. Nelukoba Chief S.R. Nekatambe Councilor Ndubiwa Mary Ncube Lot Ndlovu Emeldah Nkomo (Staff Representative) Elias Ncube (Staff Representative) Osmond Mugweni - Masvingo Hendrik O’Neill - Harare Sam Brown, Austin, Texas, ex-officio

Huggins Matanga, Director Elias Ncube, Community Programmes Manager Emeldah Nkomo, Village Banking Coordinator Forgé Wilson, Office Manager Sylvia Nyakujawa, Bookkeeper Dimbangombe Ranch and Conservation Safaris: Roger Parry, Manager Trish Pullen, Assistant Manager, Catering Richard Nsinganu, Assistant Manager, Safaris Albert Chauke, Ranch Foreman

PENNSYLVANIA Northern Penn Network Jim Weaver, contact person RD #6, Box 205 Wellsboro, PA 16901 717/724-7788 jaweaver@epix.net

TEXAS HRM of Texas Peggy Jones, newsletter editor 101 Hill View Trail Dripping Springs, TX 78620 512/858-4251 hrmoftx@earthlink.net

International AUSTRALIA Holistic Decision Making Association (AUST+NZ) Irene Dasey, Executive Officer P.O. Box 543 Inverell NSW, 2360 tel: 61-2-6721-0123 idasey@hdma-anz.com CANADA Canadian Holistic Management Lee Pengilly Box 216, Stirling, AB, T0K 2E0 403/327-9262 MEXICO Fundación para Fomentar el Manejo Holístico, A.C. Jose Ramon Villar, President Ave. Las Americas #1178

Fracc. Cumbres Saltillo, Coahuila 25270 tel/fax: 52-844-415-1542 ffmh@prodigy.net.mx NAMIBIA Namibia Centre for Holistic Management Anja Denker, contact person P.O. Box 23600 Windhoek 9000 tel/fax: 264-61-230-515 unicorn@iafrica.com.na SOUTH AFRICA Community Dynamics Judy Richardson P.O. Box 1806 Vryburg 8600 tel/fax: 27-53-9274367 judyrich@cybertrade.co.za

Come Visit Us! AT DIMBANGOMBE

We Offer: • Guided Bush Walks • Horseback Tours • Game-Viewing Drives • Anti-Poaching Patrol Experience • And much more!

In an unforgettable setting with comfy lodging, memorable meals

Private Bag 5950 Victoria Falls Zimbabwe

Roger Parry Email: rogpachm@africaonline.co.zw Tel. (263)(11)213 529

www.africansojourn.com HOLISTIC MANAGEMENT IN PRACTICE • JULY / AUGUST 2003 19