20th Anniversary
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1984-2004
RACTICE P a publication of the savory center
March/April 2004 * Number 94
www.holisticmanagement.org
Twenty Years of Learning
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
by Ann Adams
S
ince The Savory Center’s inception, we’ve been a learning organization. We’ve worked with our practitioners and Certified Educators to better understand how people are using and teaching the Holistic Management® model so we can continue to pass this information along to others and improve our ability to achieve our mission. Historically, the two ways we’ve shared these learnings with our larger membership is through the second edition of Holistic Management: A New Framework for Decision-Making and this publication, IN PRACTICE. More recently, we’ve added our website, www.holisticmanagement.org, to that list as we continue to archive links about our members, articles from IN PRACTICE, publications and presentations, and information about The Savory Center’s programs and projects. We recently asked our readers to participate in a survey on how we could better serve your needs. We’d like to thank everyone who participated. Your responses will shape this publication as we strive to make it the best publication for our members. Our assumption that our readership was primarily interested in land-based operations, management, or issues was confirmed by an overwhelming response from readers who consistently told us they subscribed to IN PRACTICE or supported The Savory Center because of our land-based focus and articles that consistently helped them better manage their resource base and motivated and inspired them. And while the land is important, the focus on Holistic Management is paramount. There are plenty of excellent publications out there that tell you how to manage natural resources, but people
want to learn how other practitioners are using Holistic Management in combination with the tools and myriad management options available to all of us. They also wanted to learn more about how to teach and share Holistic Management so that others can be successful practitioners. One criticism that came up repeatedly was that we weren’t sharing enough of the struggles that people have gone through in learning to practice Holistic Management. Readers want to know more about the learning that comes from addressing those challenges and stumbling blocks that arise for all of us. We will work to do a better job of including that information in future articles. We will also work to include more stories on how people who are playing or experimenting with Holistic Management and different technologies to move toward their holistic goals. Some of you may notice that Jim Howell isn’t featured in this issue. He remains a Contributing Editor to this publication but his stories will be appearing less frequently. To fill the gap we are working with other writers in our membership who also have great stories to tell. This will enable us to respond to the request for more diversity in our stories, to include issues like agroforestry and farming, and to work toward more geographical and social diversity as well. Keep sending in those story leads, ideas, and suggestions. We want to hear from you and about you. You can contact me at: 505/842-5252 or anna@holisticmanagement.org. The bottom line is that we have a wealth of stories out there within our membership, and we will work harder than ever to share those stories with all of our members so we can continue to learn together for many more years to come.
Our appreciation to Dean William Rudoy, Ph.D. for his generous donation that has enabled us to redesign IN PRACTICE and print in color throughout 2004 in celebration of our 20th Anniversary.
Lifelong learning and Holistic Management go hand in hand. The Savory Center’s training opportunities have evolved over the years, including the Certified Educator Training Program. Read about the class of 2002 on page 16.
FEATURE STORIES Development of the Holistic Management® Model Allan Savory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Buying Time Aspen Edge
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LAND & LIVESTOCK Re-establishing The Herd Instinct Ian Middleton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
Surviving a Genuine Drought Jody Butterfield . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
Edible Forests Steven Dahlberg . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
Pastured Poultry—Nebraska Style Dennis Demmel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13
NEWS & NETWORK The Grapevine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 Savory Center Forum . . . . . . . . . . . .16 Certified Educators . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17 Affiliate Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19 Marketplace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20
The
Savory CENTER
AD DEFINITUM FINEM
THE SAVORY CENTER is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization. The Savory Center works to restore the vitality of communities and the natural resources on which they depend by advancing the practice of Holistic Management and coordinating its development worldwide. FOUNDERS Allan Savory
* Jody Butterfield STAFF
Tim LaSalle, Executive Director Shannon Horst, Senior Director, Strategic Projects; Kate Bradshaw, Director of Finance and Administration Kelly Pasztor, Director of Educational Services; Constance Neely, International Training Programs Director Lee Dueringer, Director of Development Ann Adams, Managing Editor, IN PRACTICE and Director of Publications and Outreach Jessica Stolz, Finance Coordinator Lee Johnson, Project Assistant Brooke Palmer, Executive Assistant
BOARD OF DIRECTORS Rio de la Vista, Chair Allan Savory, Vice-Chair Leslie Christian, Secretary Richard Smith, Treasurer Manuel Casas Judy Richardson Bruce Ward Terry Word
ADVISORY COUNCIL Jim Shelton, Chair, Vinita, OK Robert Anderson, Corrales, NM Michael Bowman,Wray, CO 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 Krystyna Jurzykowski, Glen Rose, 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 Richard Smith, Houston, TX Africa Centre for Holistic Management Private Bag 5950, Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe Tel: (263) (11) 213529; email: rogpachm@africaonline.co.zw Huggins Matanga, Director HOLISTIC MANAGEMENT IN PRACTICE (ISSN: 1098-8157) is published six times a year by The Savory Center, 1010 Tijeras NW, Albuquerque, NM 87102, 505/842-5252, fax: 505/843-7900; email: savorycenter@holisticmanagement.org.; website: www.holisticmanagement.org Copyright © 2004.
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Development of the Holistic Management® Model When we first published this article in the fall of 1993 in what was then the Holistic Management Quarterly (#41) it was an eye-opener for those new to Holistic Management. It may prove to be again for many of you. The changes in the model over the years reflect what we have learned and, because we keep on learning, it will keep evolving.
by Allan Savory
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amiliarity with the origins of an idea often helps one better understand it. That is my reason for choosing the development of the model as the subject of this article. The first version of the Holistic Management® model was not devised with the intention of creating a model, but as a response to a difficult question. I was living in San Angelo, Texas, at the time and had periodically been invited to visit some grazing trials conducted by Angelo State University. Each time as the researchers explained what they were doing, I predicted what would happen, and it did. One evening the professor in charge came by to see me. He was puzzled by my ability to predict results before the data was in and wanted to know how I did it. All I was doing was mentally assessing what the likely effects would be on the land of the various influences they were applying to it. But I found it nearly impossible to explain the process I went through until I sketched it out on a piece of paper. That rough sketch was a primitive version of today’s model. At the top I listed the four processes that serve as the foundation blocks of all life: water cycle, mineral cycle, succession and energy flow. Below that was a list of things that influenced those processes in a rangeland environment (because that’s what we were dealing with)—such as grazing and fire. And below that, factors to consider in using those influences to manipulate the four processes in any environment. Committing the structure to paper was a major step, but the resulting diagram was not yet a model that would aid decision-making, merely a tool for diagnosing what was happening on the land under many interrelated influences.
1980 – The Need for a Goal Toward the end of 1980, I’d added a goal to the model. I’d realized that you couldn’t work at influencing the ecosystem processes without
M a rc h / A p r i l 2 0 0 4
stating what you wanted to produce. In the courses I ran at the time, what I was teaching could best be described as integrated resource management. It included a healthy dose of conventional economic planning and management by objectives (MBO), the grazing planning procedure I’d developed some years earlier, and practical tips on fencing layouts. Those who were putting the ideas into practice were often successful, particularly in increasing land productivity, but the success was generally short lived. Goals tend to shift between “heal the land,” “increase production,” “remove brush,” and “stop erosion.”
1982 – The Importance of Interrelationships By 1982 experience had shown the need for determining a fixed goal at the outset, otherwise it kept changing depending on the problem addressed. We also realized that when a goal focused on a problem—brush encroachment was a common one—it provided no incentive to go beyond the problem to what people really wanted, such as a highly productive grassland. At this stage, the goal was still entirely production-oriented. Many people were having difficulty grasping the full extent of the interrelationships between goal, ecosystem processes, and the influences on them. If you were using animal impact to improve the water cycle, for instance, the mineral cycle, succession, and energy flow would also be affected. The 1982 model attempted to show the extent of these interrelationships.
The Mid-1980s - Tools and Guidelines By the mid-1980s the goal included a description of the landscape that would support whatever it was you wanted to produce. What had been referred to as “range influences” now became “tools”—the tools one used to build on the ecosystem foundation blocks. The role of
“man” as an influence on the ecosystem was clarified. People could only work on the ecosystem by picking up a tool—in most cases, the tool used was technology. Thus, people and the money required to purchase or use any tool were separated from the rest of the tools. “Wildlife” was surrounded by a dotted line to indicate its relationship to succession. Anytime you used wildlife as a tool, you were at the same time manipulating the successional process with a component of the process. Although we didn’t yet fully realize the role humans played in the whole or the degree to which they needed to collaborate in setting a goal, we did know that “people problems” lay behind our failure to sustain the successes we were seeing on the land. So we added a “social aspects” guideline that encouraged
1980
GOAL WATER CYCLE
SUCCESSION RANGE REST TIME
FIRE
SD/HE
GRAZING
LINK CE
MINERAL CYCLE ANIMAL IMPACT
ENERGY FLOW
WILDLIFE
1988 – Beginning to Get Consistent Results
MAN
EH* FLEX BURN ECONOMICS
*Ecosystem Health
1982
PREDETERMINED GOAL WATER CYCLE
SUCCESSION
RANGE REST
FIRE
TIME
MINERAL CYCLE ANIMAL IMPACT
GRAZING
ENERGY FLOW
WILDLIFE
MAN
STOCK HERD WEAK CAUSE WHOLE FLEXIBILITY ECONOMICS BURNING DENSITY EFFECT LINK & EFFECT ECOSYSTEM
Mid-1980’s
Goal Production—Landscape
Ecosystem Blocks Succession
$ Whole Ecosystem
(
Water Cycle
Range Fire Rest
Social Weak Aspects Link Human Cause & Resource Skills Effect Organization
Grazing
Mineral Cycle
TOOLS Animal Impact
Wildlife
GUIDELINES
$ Biological Marginal Plan Reaction & Gross Control Margin
1988
Time Growth Rate
Energy Flow Technology
Stock Burning Density Herd Effect
)P
Flexibility
$ Plan Monitor Control
Goal Quality of Life Production and Landscape Description
Ecosystem Blocks Succession
Human Creativity
(
Rest
Water Cycle Fire
Grazing
Mineral Cycle
TOOLS Animal Impact
Living Organisms
GUIDELINES
Energy Flow Technology
people to develop their leadership and organizational skills and began to provide courses to assist them. More guidelines were added by breaking them out from existing ones. “Biological plan & control” had been pulled out of “flexibility” to distinguish it from the land planning procedure also contained in that guideline. “Economics” had been broken out into “marginal reaction,” “gross margin analysis,” and “$ plan monitor control.” Up until 1983, we had taken a fairly sophisticated, but conventional approach to financial planning. But even when people followed it religiously, success was uneven. Far too many were increasing income, but failing to make profit; and far too often, the increased income came at the expense of the people or the land involved. The lack of profits was a matter of psychology—people were allowing expenses to rise to meet the anticipated income. The damage to the people and the land was due to our failure to link social and ecological concerns to economic ones. As a result, we made some fairly radical changes in the financial planning.
& ) Money Labor
Whole Weak Cause Marginal Energy/ Society Time Stock Herd Population Burning Flexibility Biological Organization/ $ EcoLink & Reaction Wealth & Denisty Effect Management -Strategic Plan Personal Plan System Gross Effect Source Culture -Tactical Monitor Growth Monitor & -Operational Control Control Margin Use Replan Replan Analysis TESTING MANAGEMENT
By 1988 we had made several major breakthroughs. Two were key, and they were initiated by people attending our courses. The first was the addition of “quality of life” to the goal. For some time people had been saying that “religion” needed to be in the model. But one rancher made the point in another way. What needs to be in there, he said, is a reflection of people’s values—spiritual and otherwise—the things people live for, the things that make them want to do anything. He was right, of course. I knew immediately that the place that had to be in the model was in the goal. What we valued in terms of quality of life was not a tool or a guideline, but the driving force behind every decision we made. Include that in the goal, and you would gain the personal commitment and ownership needed to achieve it. And once you had stated what you valued, you would begin to know what you had to produce to sustain it. Once you knew what to produce, you could begin to envision the sort of landscape that would have to support what you produced. Thus, an order was given to the formation of the three-part goal, which later became known as the holistic goal. The second major breakthrough came from a student who noted that the guidelines seemed to fall into two categories: those that told you whether or not to use a tool, and those that told you how to use a tool. The real significance of this—that what we had in the “whether to’s” were testing guidelines that should be considered before any tool was used—didn’t come until later. In the process of writing the [first edition of the] textbook I was forced by my two editors, Sam Bingham, and Jody Butterfield, as well as several critical readers to clarify the model as never before. In effect, they made me begin to use the model systematically. When they asked who had to set the goal, I realized that first you had to define the whole being managed—the land base, the wealth that could be generated from it and the people involved or affected by it. Those were the people who would set the goal. One critic pointed out that the “people” listed in the tools row in the old model, was too vague. We needed to distinguish human creativity from human labor, because it was often more critical in the use of a tool. “Living organisms” replaced the wildlife tool to reflect all animals (such as “beneficial insects”), plus plants and microorganisms that could be used as tools to affect the ecosystem. And “range rest” became simply “rest” as we were no longer dealing strictly with rangelands. continued on page 4
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Development of the Holistic Management® Model continued from page 3 The “population management” guideline was added to assist people in the management of wildlife populations. It contained a number of long-established principles dealing with the growth of animal and plant populations and critical points and patterns along the way. Up until this time, we’d never been very clear on when the “whether to” guidelines should actually be applied. But as we were refining the new financial planning process, it soon became obvious. This was clearly the time when most decisions were made on where to spend money and thus what tools were to be used or actions taken. Thus, it was the best time to test them through the “whether to” guidelines, which now became testing guidelines. We also realized that if
“Whole” Under Management People — Landbase — Money Goal
1993
Quality of Life (Values) Forms of Production & Future Landscape
Ecosystem Foundation Blocks Community Dynamics Human Creativity
(
Rest
Water Cycle
Mineral Cycle
Energy Flow
TOOLS
Fire
Grazing
Animal Impact
Living Organisms
GUIDELINES
TESTING
Money & Labor
)
Technology
MANAGEMENT
Whole Weak Cause Marginal Energy/ Gross Society Time Stock Crop- Population Burning Flexibility Biological Organization/ Financial Eco- Link & Reaction Wealth Margin & -Personal Density lands Management -Strategic Plan Personal Planning System 1 2 3 Effect Source Analysis Culture -Crops -Tactical -Livestock Growth & Herd & -Livestock Effect -Operational -Crops Wealth Education Use -Wildlife -Wildlife Training Generation
Plan (Assume Wrong)
Replan
Monitor
Control
The Holistic Management Model - 2004
I
n updating the Holistic Management textbook for the 1999 edition we again took a hard look at the model to clarify it further. This time we could call on a whole cadre of Certified Educators scattered around the world to assist us, and they were generous with their feedback and criticisms. The model you see here is the standard, but a number of our educators have developed different formats that make it easier for them to present the ideas to new learners in different contexts. Unfortunately, these models appear in multiple colors and can’t be reprinted here. (To view one color model, go to our website at www.holisticmanagement.org/model2.cfm) The changes to the model since 1993 are subtle in their wording but often substantial in their meaning. In defining the whole, for instance, we found that we needed to be more specific about the people involved. Those responsible for day-to-day management and making management decisions were the ones who needed to form the holistic goal, along with any others who had veto power over the decisions they made. These became the “decision makers” in the whole. The other people involved became part of the resource base, but it was essential that their needs and desires be considered by the decision makers when forming the holistic goal. The “goal” became the “holistic goal” (and even that may change) to distinguish it from what we ordinarily think of as a goal. The holistic goal is a reference point, it’s the north on the compass you use to guide you in creating the life you want to live now. It refers to a place beyond the problems and worries you may have today—somewhere much better. You will always achieve some of what you specify in the holistic goal, but for the rest you will merely be setting the stage for what can be. And it will take what we normally think of as goals and objectives and strategic plans to get you that far. If we can find a better word than holistic goal, or even holisticgoal, to describe that, we’ll use it. Other changes to the model have been minor ones: In the tools row, “technology” now comes first, because it is the most often used. In the testing guidelines row, weak link 1-2-3 was spelled out as “social, biological,
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M a rc h / A p r i l 2 0 0 4
financial” because the words made the test easier to remember than the numbers. “Gross margin analysis” became “gross profit analysis” because people tended to confuse this test with the similar-sounding “marginal reaction” test. And gross profit analysis was the original term used by the concept’s developer. “Whole ecosystem” became “sustainability” because the word sustainability better captured the intent of this test, which refers
Holistic Management™ Model WHOLE UNDER MANAGEMENT Decision-makers — Resource Base — Money
HOLISTIC GOAL Quality of Life — Forms of Production — Future Resource Base
ECOSYSTEM PROCESSES Community Dynamics Human Creativity
Cause & Effect
(
Water Cycle
Technology Rest
TOOLS Grazing
Animal Impact
TESTING GUIDELINES Marginal Gross Energy/ Reaction Profit Money Analysis Source & Use
Weak Link —Social —Biological —Financial
Learning Organization & & Practice Leadership
Fire
Mineral Cycle
Energy Flow
Living Organisms
)
Money & Labor
Sustainability
MANAGEMENT GUIDELINES Marketing Time Stock Cropping Burning Density & Herd Effect
Society & Culture
Population Management
PLANNING PROCEDURES
Holistic Financial Planning
Holistic Land Planning
Holistic Grazing Planning
FEEDBACK LOOP
➤ Plan Replan ➤
(Assume Wrong)
Control ➤
➤ Monitor
“prosperity” appeared in the quality of life part of the goal, it needed to be sustained by “profit” as a form of production—you didn’t just produce more livestock, you produced “profit from livestock.” To make sure that profit was derived in an ecologically and socially sound way, we had to add some additional testing guidelines. We needed to consider the sources of energy and money used (were they renewable, internal, or external?) and how they would be used (once only? to build infrastructure? addictively?) if a particular tool was applied. “Society and culture” was added to ensure that the use of a tool wouldn’t adversely affect your quality of life or that of others. Another important development was the testing method itself. In previous years, we had tended to give more weight to certain guidelines,
specifically to the future resource base described in the holistic goal. The management guidelines row has undergone the most change. “Education and training” became “Learning and practice,” when we realized we were putting the emphasis in the wrong place. Learning and continual practice lead to adoption, while education and training may not. “Organization/personal growth” became “organization and leadership” because personal growth was only the means to the end— leadership. “Croplands” became “Cropping,” to better reflect this guideline’s emphasis on cropping principles, where before it had been limited to the layout of crop fields. “Flexibility—–strategic/tactical/operational” was incorporated into the biological, financial and land planning procedures, which were given a separate row in the model. “Biological plan” became “grazing planning” because this planning procedure has always focused on managing livestock grazing, although it does help to enhance wildlife habitat and cater for wildlife needs and has steps for planning when to graze or avoid croplands. As more people become involved and as we keep learning, the Holistic Management® model will continue to evolve. Though we’ve sometimes been criticized for continually making changes, not changing to reflect what we’ve learned would be unthinkable. —Jody Butterfield
particularly ones like gross margin analysis that took some time to go through, and ended up making decisions that adversely affected the whole. To overcome this, we now scanned through all seven guidelines quickly, bypassing some if necessary, so we could form a picture of how the whole was affected first. “Society and culture” was left for last because after passing through all the others, which asked “how do you think?,” this one asked “how do you feel now?” We now had a model that could be used systematically to enable us to make better decisions. We first had to define a whole (which in 1988 was understood, but not listed in the model), and then set a three-part goal (holistic goal). We then tested every tool used or action taken to achieve it in a manner that was (simultaneously) socially, ecologically and economically sound, and monitored the results, replanning if necessary, to ensure progress toward our goal. By 1988 the model was enabling us to produce more consistent results. It not only enabled us to make better management decisions, and diagnose problems, it could also be used to orient research to the needs of those who would benefit from it, and to analyze and formulate policies.
1993 – Important Refinements We’ve made some additional refinements since
1988. A reference to the whole under management was added at the top of the model, and the plan-monitor-control-replan feedback loop was added to the bottom when we realized that people weren’t defining the whole before setting their holistic goal, or completing the feedback loop. The production part of the goal became “forms of production” when we saw that people were only including products that could be sold, and forgetting to include things like “meaningful employment,” or “an aesthetic environment,” which would have to be produced to meet the quality of life part of their goal. “Landscape description” became the “future landscape description” when we realized people were describing the landscape as it was, not as it had to be. As we began to work with farmers, a management guideline for croplands became necessary. And as we began to work with businesses not directly involved in land management, we had to learn how to describe a future “resource base” that was not limited to a landscape. In doing so, we realized that an important aspect of the future resource base— the people—applied in all situations. In a relatively short time—13 years—the model has changed dramatically. Advances in the years ahead, as long as we continue to coordinate our learnings, will be breathtaking.
CORRECTION Jack Varian’s Real Before & After Pictures Due to a mixup with our printer, the before and after pictures you saw in the last issue of IN PRACTICE (#93) on pages six and seven in the article titled, “A New Appreciation for Biodiversity,” were actually the same before picture printed twice. Many of our readers noticed that “there wasn’t much improvement between the two pictures.” But as you can see from the real before and after pictures included here, there was indeed improvement during the three years of Jack’s management. Our apologies to Jack and to our readers.
1994 was the first year that Jack kept the cattle out of Little Cholame Creek in the summer. This photo was taken in August 1995.
Three years and three months later in May 1999, the Little Cholame Creek now flourishes under Holistic Management planned grazing. Trees are returning to the creekbed and water now runs all year long in some sections of the creek.
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Buying Time
Regaining Lost Ground
by Aspen Edge
W
hen we have surplus financial resources one of the commodities we rarely consider buying is time. Yet time is an extremely precious and sought after resource. We often complain that there is simply not enough time in which to accomplish all that we wish to do. However, when the opportunity arises to purchase some of this cherished commodity, we often pass it by. It has been said that the rich manage assets, the middle class manage liabilities and the poor manage expenses. Time is an asset that can be managed by everyone. In fact, the decision whether or not to purchase time may be crucial to the success of a land-based sustainable way of life. What most of us have experienced is that when we have time we have perspective. This allows for a much more creative and response-able approach to our lives.
plant assets, with any surplus to be sold thereafter. We anticipated a return on this investment in about five years. We also wanted to generate income from our own edible plant assets, but the return on this investment would be around 10 years. This knowledge gave us the timeframe with which we would need to work.
Planning the Purchase Eight years ago, my husband and I decided we had reached the limit of our management capabilities regarding assorted gardens, allotments and a field. We longed to have all our activities centralized around our home. This desire eventually led us to purchase 20 acres (8 hectares) of maquis/garigue land at a 3,700-foot (1,300m) elevation in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains in southern Spain. We used, as a financial guideline, Bill Mollison’s (of Permaculture fame) recommendation of 40 percent of our capital to purchase the property, and 60 percent to develop it. Through the sale of our house, many car boot sales and an inheritance, we purchased La Chaparra three years later. We also did a considerable amount of costing and planning. We had a very clear idea about what we were trying to achieve, and worked out how long we thought it would take to achieve it. We looked at our various “enterprises” in terms of short, medium and long-term returns. For example, there was a workshop attached to the farmhouse, which we renovated and let in the first year. This provided us with a good short-term return. In our second year we developed the perennial nursery, in which we raised edible, medicinal, and forage plants from seed. We did this to increase our own
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Aspen and David Edge, with son Samuel, have learned how to “buy” more time with Holistic Management.
Buying Time With this information we bought ourselves 10 years of time. This meant that we allocated funds for the purchase and the development of the land as well as the living costs for the time it would take for us to be self-sufficient. We would be able to hone our perspective, have time to develop responses to changing circumstances, and relieve ourselves of the stress of having to generate instant income. One of the challenges of moving to another culture is that different conventions operate, which may have financial implications. One such example is that in Spain builders will not give a price for the completion of a project. They charge only by the hour, which means that there is no way of forecasting the final cost or completion time. We also continued to purchase from whole and organic sources, but due to the lack of local demand, the cost of our food bill increased threefold. These aspects eroded three years of our “bought time.”
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In 1997 we were introduced to the work of Allan Savory through The Savory Center’s video Creating A Sustainable Civilization. We have gradually learned more and more about Holistic Management, and two years ago began the complete incorporation of this framework into our work at La Chaparra. We liked The Savory Center’s motto of providing the link between a healthy environment and a sound economy. It is with reference to the latter that we saw that there might be a way in which we could recoup the time that we had lost. We had originally accepted the change in financial circumstances, but now decided we could still do something to regain the lost ground. We re-organized our priorities to bring forward some of our enterprises so they would contribute sooner to income generation. We made a commitment to maintaining a constant level of expenditure, which we achieved over the fouryear period of our lives here. Once we began using Holistic Management® financial planning, we found that we were in even greater control of our finances. We were able to further cut expenses and more rigorously test our spending decisions. Even when faced with unexpected expenses, representing 35 percent of our total annual budget, we still had a wealth of choices before us and a continued expectation of regaining lost ground. Financial planning to us exemplifies the adage “forewarned is forearmed.” The more money we save, the longer it will last and the more time we can buy to help us meet our goal. Currently, 47 percent of our expenditure is wealth generating, or asset-building, and we want to maintain or even increase this ratio. We have never regretted our investment in the time we have bought for ourselves. Buying time has enabled us to maintain perspective. This has enabled us to anticipate some of the greater challenges ahead and plan for the most creative solutions. The more time we can buy for ourselves, the more we can realize the potential of the property. The more potential we can realize, the greater our success at leading a land-based, sustainable way of life. Aspen Edge lives with her husband, David, and son, Samuel, at Cortijo Nogales in Granada, Spain. They offer self-catering holidays, internships and workshops and can be reached at (00 34) 958 347 053 or mlima_ngong@hotmail.com.
LIVESTOCK
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Re-Establishing the Herd Instinct When we first published this article in December 1991 (Issue #34 of the Holistic Management Quarterly), it generated an enormous amount of interest and caused more than a few ranchers to rethink what they thought they knew. Although we’ve come a long way since, the ideas and the learning are as relevant as ever.
by Ian Middleton
I
manage the livestock operations on a large farm in the hot, dry, southeastern corner of Zimbabwe. As the name implies, the main activity of Triangle Sugar Estates is sugar production and 13,000 hectares (32,000 acres) are under irrigated sugar. The remaining 50,000 hectares (124,000 acres) is devoted to livestock and wildlife production. I’m responsible for approximately 7,500 head of cattle that run through 130 paddocks (in 12 radial cells). When sugar production was expanded last year, a portion of one cell was cleared, and we lost most of the perimeter fencing. There was insufficient time and money to realign and erect new fencing, and thus I had to quickly replan my grazings. The 400 cows would have to be herded as the paddocks were now open-ended. In addition, the grazing area was reduced, the cows were calving, and we had predators to consider (leopard, cheetah, jackal and hyena). Ian Middleton
tightly bunched, so their calves would be protected. 2. To use this concentrated “herd effect” as a management tool in specified areas. 3. To use single sires where possible, as the herd consisted of Red pedigree (registered) Brahman cows, Grey pedigree Brahman cows and commercial Brahman cows. Eventually, we did meet all three objectives.
Keeping The Animals Bunched Each day at sun-up, two herders, either on foot or horseback, would release the cows and calves from their corrals at the cell center. As elsewhere on the ranch, the herdsmen got them going by blowing a flute made of animal horn or PVC piping. They remained tightly bunched until the paddock widened, when the pace slackened and the cattle commenced grazing. At this point, some of the cows initially tried to break way from the main herd—the sort of thing that results in calf losses to predators. But it wasn’t a problem for long. By 9:30 to 11 am, most cattle were ready for water. The two herders would have kept the cattle directed toward a water point. Once watered, most cows chose to lie in the shade and suckle their calves. The herders never forced the cattle to move, as their task was simply to keep the animals bunched and offer protection for the calves. continued on page 8
Learning from Bud Williams In the summer of 1990, my wife, Brenda, and I had visited the U.S. to attend some of The Savory Center’s courses and had run into the renowned expert in animal behavior, Bud Williams. The tales of his experiences with large herds of wild animals had been fascinating and were still fresh in my mind. I was curious to see if I could do anything to reestablish herding behavior in a herd of domesticated cows. In redoing my grazing plan, I had three objectives: 1. To see if cows could be taught to bunch, and remain
“Conditioning the animals to the sound of the flute resulted in greater ease in the day-to-day handling.”
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Re-Establishing the Herd Instinct continued from page 7
Single Sire Breeding After resting, the herd would move off in a zig-zag fashion toward the cell center, arriving just before dusk. At the center the cows would be sorted into three groups for the night—Red Brahman, Grey Brahman and commercial—and specific bulls allocated to each. A total of six bulls were used in the following bull-to-cow ratios: 1 : 72 Red Brahman, 1 : 48 Grey Brahman, and 4 : 280 commercial. In the morning, any cow in heat would be held back for the day, her number recorded and, after the herd had left, allocated to the designated bull. The cow would remain with the bull for the whole day and be given supplementary feed. Any bulls not in use were exercised. In several instances, cows that came into heat while being herded broke away and returned to the cell center where they were then placed with the appropriate bull.
A Genuine Behavior Change Six months into the operation a jackal entered the red Brahman cows’ sleeping area and created a commotion: the cows drew together and circled the corral in a run; the other two herds bunched together nervously against the adjoining fences. The next morning we found the jackal’s trampled carcass in the dust. The herdsmen reported other interesting behavior changes. While grazing, the slightest disturbance by a duiker (small antelope) or wart hog in the immediate grazing area would cause the cows to group and chase
off the intruding animal until it was out of range. In one instance, a herdsman crept up to a calf and grabbed it by the hind leg causing it to cry out. When it did, the herd turned and charged straight toward the distressed calf. The herdsman stood erect and the cows recognized him, but it took some time for them to settle down. This really seemed to be a genuine change in behavior because calves that bellowed when handled at the cell center were ignored.
What We Learned We herded this group of cows until July this year, when the calves were weaned. I would summarize what we learned as follows: • The time taken to bring out the “herd instinct” was relatively short—a single season. I’ll be watching how these cows and their new calves behave in the coming year, without herders, to see if the change is permanent. • The herdsmen were able to concentrate the cattle in areas that required high animal impact with relative ease and excellent effect. • The round-up and movement of cattle was simplified. We found that cattle can be moved grouped or in single file over long distances. • Bunching was maintained, although not as tightly as I would have liked. • Leaders were easily identified and used. We put cowbells on those animals that were always first to reach a gate or dip tank, or were gregarious. • The pattern appeared to be imprinted on the calves—herding in a bunched form came naturally, without stress. • Conditioning the animals to the sound of the flute resulted in greater ease in the day-to-day handling of stock—there was no stress.
Surviving A Genuine Drought S hortly after Ian Middleton wrote his article for our December 1991 February 2, leaving him with 4,000 mother cows and their calves. In order issue of the Holistic Management Quarterly (#34), he found himself to get the cows in shape for breeding, their calves were weaned over in one of the worst droughts in memory. the next month, even though some His rainfall averaged 800 mm (32 inches) were just two months old, and most but in the 1992 growing season he only around four months of age. This, as received 127 mm (5 inches)—on average. it turned out, was no problem. Some parts of the estate received as little Because of predators (leopard, as 9 mm (0.4 inches) of rain. Many trees cheetah and hyena), calves had been failed to produce leaves, perennial rivers separated from their mothers and stopped flowing and much of the wildlife herded under supervision from 24 perished. I contacted Ian and wrote this hours after birth. Three times a day follow up story, which appeared in our herders brought the calves in to spring 1993 issue (#38): milk—using whistles to call the cows an had planned his grazings as usual the and later to separate them from previous year, including a drought their calves. Because even the reserve into January—three months later youngest calves were grazing to some than the rains were expected. “When it was extent, they had developed sufficient Trees failed to produce leaves in the drought that struck obvious we were facing a drought,” says ruminal flora to survive on forage Zimbabwe in 1992. Cows shown here browsing on twigs Ian, “I assessed what I could carry and alone. In the end, no calves were lost still had a 91.4 percent conception rate. decided that I would need to get the cows and conception rates on the cow herd pregnant to save the situation financially.” (after a six-week breeding season) were 91.4 percent.
I
Destocking and Early Weaning He culled 2,000 heifers and sent 1,000 steers to the feedlot on
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The early destocking and weaning paid off. Many neighboring ranches were forced to totally destock over the next six months, while others continued to supplement their animals and still lose them by the
thousands. In many cases calves were slaughtered at birth to save the mothers, and their hides sold for a pittance.
off. This meant that paddocks had to be occupied or livestock and wildlife would be lost to the game snares being set on any unoccupied land. Seventeen of 130 paddocks were abandoned because they lacked water, Sacrificing Animal Impact and 113 “herds” moved through the remaining 113. “We kept moving them to different paddocks, even though they had just been vacated by another Early on, Ian took the decision to sacrifice animal impact for at least six herd. Because the change seemed to benefit them,” says Ian. “If we left months. He had little choice. Because the dams had run dry, irrigation was them any one place too long, cows started jumping fences.” He was also halted on the estate’s 13,000 hectares of sugarcane, and 7,000 workers laid glad to see that even though herds were small, the animals remained bunched. “They seemed to have kept the One reader took issue with the fact that 7,000 workers were laid off during this drought and wondered if the habit we instilled in them workers had had any say in the decision or if any alternatives were discussed. Here’s how Ian Middleton with the training program responded in the next edition of the newsletter (#39): we initiated last year.”
What About the People?
D
uring the drought, the livestock unit was able to survive by planning and utilizing what resources we had. Because of this, no layoffs occurred within the unit and some people, normally involved in sugar production, were able to be absorbed into our department. By March of 1992, the sugar crop was five percent of normal—it was dead on thousand of hectares and seedcane was lost as well. If we had good rains, it would be a minimum of five years before the cane fields were back in production. The overheads of such a sizeable company are staggering. No government aid was available and bank loans (which run at 45 percent) were conditional on the company reducing these overheads. These factors had a bearing on the decision the company took to sell some assets and decrease the labor force (including at the management level). When the decision to retrench was made, discussions were had with workers’ representatives and the relevant unions. The company put forward a proposal whereby retrenched workers would remain on the estate, living rentfree. Their children would continue to attend the company schools gratis, and free medical aid would be available for the employees and the families at the company clinics and hospital (government schools and hospitals are not free). Each worker would also receive food aid and a small amount of cash each month. Pension contributions would continue to be paid by the company. When the company was able, the employees would be fully re-instated. This proposal was turned down by the unions who requested that those workers no longer having employment be made redundant and be paid their full benefits. The company accepted this decision. The majority of exemployees then returned to their villages to await rains so they could plant their crops. I believe that the moral responsibility assumed by the company was second to none. The welfare of each family has always been a company priority and a great deal continues to be spent ensuring a better quality of life for the families living here, especially the children. --Ian Middleton
Update - 2004
All animals were supplemented with what is known locally as “bush meal,” a feed made of twigs, leaves, and saplings, ground on site with a tractor-driven hammer mill, then mixed with corn husks and molasses. The animals fed also included wildlife. While hundreds of hippo, and various antelope species, starved to death in a neighboring national park, Ian was able to keep 170 hippo alive and a herd of sable and wildebeest as well. --Jody Butterfield
Cattle Production Results 1986
2000
Percentage increase/decrease
Calving rate
74%
88%
13%
Weaning rate
67%
82%
15%
6%
2. 2%
3 . 8%
➵
Herd mortality
➵ ➵
I
an Middleton still manages the livestock operations for Triangle Estates. However, in April 2000 much of the land was taken over by settlers brought in by the government as part of a politically-charged resettlement program. Up until that time, the livestock and wildlife continued to thrive. After the 1991-1992 drought, things quickly got back on track. The table below summarizes the cattle production figures from the year Ian Middleton took over management (1986) to the end of 2000.
Supplementation
Beef production increased by 40% Total productivity increased from 5.1 kg/ha (4.5 lbs/acre) per annum in 1986 to 16.7 kg/ha (15 lbs/acre) per annum in 2000 Wildlife production increased on average 38% from 1986 to 2000
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A Multipurpose Enterprise for Landowners—
Edible Forests by Steven Dahlberg
I
have loved trees all my life, both for what they are and what they can multiple benefits and products for humans. do for us. I have been studying and working with trees since my early Where I have begun to implement this vision is on our 500-acre teens, but the watershed event occurred in 1978 when I read J. Russell (202-hectare) family tree farm. This farm is located in north central Smith’s classic, Tree Crops: A Permanent Agriculture. Since that time I Minnesota and is predominantly a maple/basswood mixed hardwood have been working to make useful woody plants the foundation of our forest. This land is over an hour away from where I live, putting a number yards and agriculture. of constraints on my design. These Trees have a number of constraints were actually the source advantages over other plants for of inspiration for the edible forest enhancing land. They fill more of the concept. I couldn’t plant a more volume both above and below the traditional orchard because I couldn’t soil surface and are, therefore, more provide the care and protection it productive (often by orders of would need, so I had to do magnitude). They tend to moderate something different. This something the climate around them, and different had to provide for my accumulate both energies and current needs in addition to leading materials that are flowing through the towards my future resource base of a landscape. They provide niches for a diverse landscape that produces food host of animals, and are beautiful. for people, wildlife, and livestock; One outcome of my efforts to high quality hardwood lumber; and take advantage of these benefits is a optimal ecosystem processes with a system I call an edible forest. This minimum of external inputs type of forest is designed to combine (including my labor). the functions of a woodlot, orchard, Other landowners wishing to windbreak, and wildlife habitat. What establish their own edible forest I am attempting to create is a selfcould begin with a similar process of: Steve's wife, Terrijann, and his son, Fabian, are part of the sustaining forest ecosystem that 1. Outlining their future resource supporting cast for their edible forest. Here they are standing requires minimal management and base relative to that land next to a buartnut (butternut and heartnut cross) that produces surpluses that are useful to demonstrates the hybrid vigor they seek for their forest. 2. Listing the general types of me. These surpluses can include yields desired—food, lumber, wood, fruits, nuts, fungi, dyes, medicine, meat and other animal habitat, wind protection, etc. (Specific types of food or lumber will products, recreation, etc. be tested later in the process.) 3. Defining the constraints on the design—costs, time and energy available for establishment and maintenance, etc.
Implementing Vision Although most of my work on this concept was prior to my involvement with Holistic Management, I have found that including the decision-making framework strengthens the design process. For example, the design of an edible forest is fundamentally tied to one’s holistic goal and can take on an unlimited variety of forms depending on the holistic goal. My holistic goal includes a vision of the whole eastern half of this continent as it probably once was with vast forests of towering chestnuts, walnuts, pecans, and hickories interspersed with clearings supporting fruiting trees and shrubs, small fields, meadows, and garden patches. I want our grandchildren and great-grand children to inhabit a mixed landscape of small, intensely managed plots surrounded by relatively wild lands that are selected for species that produce
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Getting Down to the Details The next step is to analyze the site in terms of sunlight availability, temperature extremes, precipitation, slope and aspect, soil type(s), pH, fertility, and water availability. Slope and aspect are particularly important and often overlooked when designing tree plantings. For example, a location that is lower than its immediate surroundings can become a frost pocket in temperate climates leading to damage of blossoms, fruit, and the tree itself. Sites with a southern aspect (a south-facing slope) can warm too quickly in the spring leading to early blooming and frost damage. Frostsensitive trees are most successful at midslope on a north-facing slope with adequate wind protection to trap snow.
Once these parameters are known it’s time to get out the resource 4. Limited management needs—since I’m after a landscape that is more wild books and nursery catalogs. Some of the resources that have been most and self-organizing than domestic. helpful to me have been the above-mentioned Tree Crops; Permaculture 5. That the priorities were for nuts, fruit, and lumber in that order. It is One, Permaculture Two, and Permaculture: A Designer’s Manual all by important to me that this landscape produces staple foods and not just Bill Mollison; and Designing and Maintaining Your Edible Landscape dessert-type foods (this would have been a tested decision had I been Naturally by Robert Kourik. These books describe a lot of trees and practicing Holistic Management at the time). shrubs in terms of their range, yields, cultural requirements and My site was a U-shaped hay field opening to the east. All but the preferences, compatibility with each other, and a host of other useful southern and western 12 feet (3.6 meters) receives full sunlight throughout information. Unfortunately, most are out of print, so you may have to do the day and growing season. It has a slight western aspect, but is generally a bit of searching to locate them (www. abebooks.com is my favorite higher than its surroundings. The soil is a sandy loam so it drains well, but source for such things). the water table is within 15-20 feet (4.6 to 6.1 meters) of the surface, making For sources of nursery stock I have two recommendations. First, in the it an ideal site for most trees. Fertility was adequate and the pH neutral. U.S., each county (to my knowledge) has a Soil and Water Conservation Based on these site characteristics and my design criteria, the core of my District (SWCD). These sell a variety of useful trees and shrubs for $1 to $4 edible forest design became nut-producing trees in the walnut family. These each, which is incredibly cheap. include butternuts, buartnuts, black These trees must be ordered by walnuts, Carpathian walnuts, northern February 1st in our area, so you need pecans, and hickories. This year, I plan to contact the SWCD early for their to add chestnuts and hybrid oaks stock list. Second, look for familyto increase diversity and replace owned nurseries and/or those previous plantings that have died. operating under the sustainable Because I am interested in practices of your choice in a climate maximum diversity, I have included similar to yours. A local nursery is trees that are not hardy to my good only if it meets these other location. I am willing to lose some requirements. trees on the chance that one of them Your goal in this step is to list any might make it. I help increase the interesting tree or shrub that will odds of success by planting seedlings grow in your region in terms of: instead of grafted or named varieties 1. Soil, space, and sunlight and hoping for the right combination requirements. of genes to show up. These 2. Potential conflicts with other plants seedlings are also cheaper and will or animals in your landscape. reproduce on their own (other 3. Pest and disease resistance or important parameters). problems. It is likely that these borderline Steve now uses his holistic goal to test decisions on plantings in 4. Yields (both types and quantities species will not be particularly his effort to create a landscape that is more wild and selfto expect), years to production, productive or high quality, but these organizing than domestic. Consequently he picks trees and and lifespan. are less important to me (a few low shrubs that have limited management needs. 5. Whether they are self-fertile or quality pecans is better than none!). need cross-pollination. The crucial factor with all of these trees is that they also produce highly 6. Any special factors, such as high value yields, things that are critical to prized lumber and so are valuable even if they never set a single nut. Even your holistic goal that don’t show up in the above analysis, requirements though all these decisions were made before we had a holistic goal, they that you cannot provide for some reason, etc. are consistent with it. I have tested them in retrospect and reached the same conclusion based on cause and effect, the biological weak link, Setting Priorities energy and money, and society and culture. These core nut trees will eventually be very large and need to be You now have the information you need to design your edible forest planted at 40-foot (12.2 m) spacing to avoid crowding at maturity. This based on your holistic goal, and the characteristics of the site and plants leaves a lot of space between currently-small trees that isn’t producing of interest. This process will involve analyzing the appropriateness of each anything but biomass and oxygen. To address this, I have interplanted a tree or shrub for your site then testing its inclusion based on this analysis variety of fruit- and nut-producing shrubs and small trees like hazelnut and your holistic goal. In my case, the key criteria were: crosses, bush cherries, chokecherries, black cherries, juneberries, currants, 1. Low cost—since I couldn’t be sure they would get the care they need. gooseberries, raspberries, and high bush cranberries. Some of these were in 2. The widest diversity possible—I wanted to see what new things could full production after seven years. By the time the nut trees are mature, grow in my region. 3. Hardiness—since I live in a climate that can be wet or dry, and has continued on page 12 temperature extremes from -40• to 100•+ F (-40• to 37•C).
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Edible Forests
continued from page 11
these interplanted species will have ended their productive lives and will be removed. Some, like the black cherries, will be harvested for another high quality lumber. Still others (gooseberries, currants, and raspberries) can handle, or even prefer, some shade and will be replanted to continue the multiple yielding polyculture nature of this system. As the trees mature and become more forest-like, other crops like mushrooms and forest herbs will be tested for addition to the system. A final interplanting in my forest is caragana, which is similar to locust or mesquite. Caraganas are important as nitrogen-fixers to balance the nut trees, heavy nitrogen feeders, and to maintain soil fertility. These species also produce pods, which serve as a high quality food for livestock and wildlife (people too in some cases). They also produce lumber that is valued for strength, beauty, and as a high BTU fuel. Once again, all of these decisions on specific species to be included should be tested toward one’s holistic goal, treating each as an individual enterprise.
using recycled materials, so I have no cost numbers for that. Finally, we sowed a cover crop of mixed legumes, rye, and other nutrient accumulators at a cost of $25. This was the extent of our start up costs. We have never irrigated, fertilized, or treated any pest or disease. We prune once a year, mow two or three times annually, and cultivate rarely. We have experienced heavy browsing damage on many plants in spite of the fencing and some winterkill and dieback.
Fruits of Labor
Yields so far have been limited. Nanking cherries have been completely unaffected by deer and cold. As a result, they have already reached full size and productivity. We have harvested a total of about eight gallons (30.3 liters) of cherries over the last three years, but we always lose most of the harvest to the bears. These are our only edible yields to date. The nut trees vary in size from about four feet (1.22 meters) for some of the young replacements to 10 or 12 feet (3 or 3.65 meters) for the vigorous buartnuts. We have yet to see flowering on any of these or the hazelnuts, a particular favorite of the The Right Combination deer, unfortunately. The goal in putting together the If we excluded wildlife and were elements of an edible forest is to find more consistent in mowing and/or plants that have value for you and cultivating around newly established work well together; i.e. they have plants, we would probably have had compatible cultural requirements, greater and earlier yields. In the future, don’t interfere in any significant way, we can expect nut yields that should and ideally help meet each other’s grow to the hundreds of pounds over needs so you don’t have to. Mutually the next few decades in addition to beneficial combinations of plants are continued production of small fruits. called guilds in permaculture My grand- or great-grandchildren can terminology. expect to harvest lumber that can only A number of such guilds are continue to be sold at a premium known in the tropics (mostly from given the nearly complete loss of wild This photo of black walnut trees and Nanking cherries (off to studying indigenous cultures there), stands of these trees. right) demonstrates the mix of species Steve planted. The gaps are but only a few have been established Because of the harshness of our filled by replacements plantings that are too small to see. in the temperate regions of the climate and limited cultural inputs, world. I am collaborating with Paula the nuts we produce will probably Westmoreland of the Institute for be smaller than those from Agriculture and Trade Policy in St. Paul, Minnesota to address this lack. commercial orchards. When production exceeds our personal needs, we Paula has created an exhaustive list of approximately 1,000 plants in terms plan to test various oil or confectionary producing enterprises and of their ecological functions. Our next step is to use these data to design industrial applications (black walnut shells are an important abrasive for potential guilds and test them on my land. Others who are interested in polishing metal parts and most husks can be used to produce dyes) this work can contact either myself, or Paula at towards our holistic goal. paula@ecologicalgardens.com. Our edible forest will continue to evolve along with and in response to I am currently working with approximately a 3/4 acre (0 . 3 ha) of the our holistic goal which is exactly as it should be. I will only be ready to hay field. The initial plantings began nine years ago, and we have added measure the success of this venture, when I can walk through a mixed to them basically every year. To date we have 38 core nut trees and forest of nut and fruit trees in which I’m free to pick or leave as I choose approximately 200 of the interplanted species. Prices for each of these and see the offspring of the trees I planted growing on their own. Those plants varied from $1 to $8 with an average of about $4. The total cost for trees will take their parents place some day as my children will do for me. all plantings is on the order of $1,100 including replacements. Losses were actually quite low (well below 10 percent), and would have been lower Steve Dahlberg is in The Savory Center’s Certified Educator if not for the number of marginally hardy species that were included. Training Program and lives in Minnesota. He can be reached We fenced any of the plants that were susceptible to deer browse at: sdahlberg@wetcc.org.
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Pastured Poultry—
they have been as far away as a half-mile, but we’ve had no predator losses.
Nebraska Style
Feed Efficiency
We previously purchased bulk feed from a local feed mill. With the help of the Fertrell Company and a local feed dealer, we were able to by Dennis Demmel utilize our farm’s corn and wheat, and also included extruded soybeans in the ration, milled on the farm, and we’ve noted good weight gain and excellent feed efficiency. ur pastured poultry “division” began over eight years ago as a Laura feeds 32 lbs (14.5 kgs) per 100 chickens per day in the morning college fundraiser for our son, Paul. When he went on to college, when on pasture at four to eight weeks of age. Earlier, we had been adding our next oldest child, Sarah, took up the poultry pen reins until 8-15 pounds (3.6-4.7 kgs) of feed at mid-day during the last several weeks it was her turn to leave. Now our youngest daughter, Laura is in charge of before processing. But in 2003, we eliminated the mid-day feed because the the operation. birds were growing so well—so well that we wondered if the broilers should This operation is ideal for the children to run because of timing (they be slaughtered at seven weeks instead of the usual eight weeks. Average run the birds from April to July), and they are able to use land that is dressed weight was over 4.5 lbs (2 kgs) per bird for most of the chickens. currently being used as farmstead windbreaks and windbreaks between Since we began “limit feeding” the broilers for the last four weeks, we’ve fields, thus increasing the fertility of those areas. We planted alternating tree observed the birds doing more “foraging” in the early morning and evening species in our windbreaks, for bugs and alfalfa. We thinkt their scavenging has including cedar, spruce, pine, improved feed efficiency even further. We’ve wondered locust, hackberry and if limit feeding improves tolerance to hot weather cottonwood in order to bring because we noticed that we had a lower death loss diversity and more stability after implementing our limit feeding practice despite to the biological community. temperatures in the triple digits. These field windbreaks have While some producers note a weight loss due to helped reduce evapochickens running around in a free range environment, transpiration rates, hold soil this obviously hasn’t been the case in our and snow, and enhanced situation. Our feed use is under three wildlife habitat and the pounds of feed per pound of bird dressed numbers of beneficial insects. weight where the industry standard Likewise, they provided an reportedly is near three to one. opportunity to stack enterprises and The chickens are slaughtered at a make the most of our resource base. custom processing plant located 40 miles Once we built our poultry pens, from the farm. The dressed birds are then there was little additional direct costs sold directly to the consumer at the farm. specifically tied to this enterprise. I learned Currently we have a gross profit of from Holistic Management, the importance over $3/bird. However, there are other of looking at the gross profit of an profits that result from this and other enterprise. Using chickens in the windbreak “scavenger enterprises.” The increased soil Laura Demmel is in charge of the poultry division for areas had a very high gross profit, perhaps fertility that results from the chickens the Demmel's farm. The chickens make use of the shade more than any other enterprise, because it increases forage. Our children are also in that the windbreak trees provide and in return help didn’t require any additional land. It also charge of straw bale production and also improve the mineral cycle. helped to address in part the livestock grass hay bale production generated shortfall we’ve had here since we stopped raising hogs. from the windbreak areas that has increased due to the pastured poultry In researching the best way to run our birds (we explored Joel Salatin’s enterprise. They can also direct market the birds along with our sweet model), we realized we needed a weighty poultry pen to handle our high corn as yet another way of stacking functions. winds and found that our old hog panels could be welded together to do We are excited about how all of these factors provide an excellent the job. (We use dolly wheels and an old shop cart to move each of our four integrated and holistic approach to feeding chickens, and I believe that the pens.) We also made a door in each pen that allows the birds to escape the pastured poultry operation gives our children a chance to appreciate rural heat of the day and truly free range, and that can be closed each night. life and better understand the connection between them and Nature. We start the chicks off in the brooder house for four weeks then take them to pasture. We run 400 birds per month with 100 birds to a pen. Due to Dennis Demmel can be reached at: dennisdemmel@hotmail.com. the high heat during the Nebraska summers, we felt the pens were too hot (A good resource for pasture poultry is American Pasture Poultry Producers for the birds. We decided to make our model more free range by creating a Association Grit, $30/year, P.O. Box 1024, Chippewa Falls, WI 54729, phone door that we open during the day so the chickens can truly free range, and 715-667-5501, website www.apppa.org) then we close them in at night. While the pens are often close to our house,
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monitoring system to measure our progress. One question we asked trainees is how they rated their current knowledge of Holistic Management. The scores indicated an increase of 62 percent, although trainees acknowledged that this increase should actually have been higher except Ideas, Suggestions, Comments & Corrections that they “overrated” themselves on the first survey taken before the training began. They found after the first week’s session they didn’t by Ben Bartlett know as much about Holistic Management as percent of the beef cows, and s philosopher Eric Hoffer wrote, “In times they thought they did. generates over 40 percent of of radical change, the learners inherit After a year of all agricultural products sold. the earth, while the learned find training, their scores also It controls much of the water themselves perfectly equipped for a world indicate a 120 percent catchment/watershed area that no longer exists.” increase in their abilities that is responsible for I believe most people recognize that food to explain Holistic generating the dead zone in and fiber production has been the backbone Management to someone the Gulf of Mexico. It also of the success of the U.S. Our successful else and a 161 percent contains thousands of farms agriculture—the people, the natural resources increase in their ability to whose owners cannot drink and the infrastructure—is what has provided use Holistic Management their own well water due to the economic wealth that has freed up people Ben Bartlett to make decisions in nitrate and atrazine contamination. to work outside of agriculture. their personal lives with a 119 percent increase in This region is the breadbasket of the U.S., but While bottom line profit seems to be the their ability to do so in their professional lives. the current agricultural system is flawed and driving force for most of agriculture, there are Some examples of the outreach and seriously out of balance. The SARE program has others who are promoting a “triple” bottom line: education they have or will be providing is: generated many sustainable farming alternatives a profit, plus stewardship of the land and strong • One trainee is currently writing a monthly for farmers in the North Central Region but these communities. This article is about a partnership guest column for an agricultural newspaper with practices always seem to be one step behind a between two such organizations, The Savory a circulation of 45,000. Three of those columns changing world/marketplace. Mainstream Center and USDA’s SARE (Sustainable have focused on Holistic Management. agriculture, the 20 percent of the operations that Agriculture Research and Education) program. • Many trainees are providing training for their produce 80 percent of the product, is driven by Addressing Regional Issues organizations or other entities. the profit bottom line, whereas, “sustainable • One trainee will incorporate Holistic The total budget for SARE to “educate and agriculture” is often considered only organic Management in a Crop Ecology course. research” ways to have a profitable agriculture production, or niche marketing and not usually • Trainees are offering workshops on Holistic with prosperous local communities and good considered economically viable. Management as part of the statewide Food stewardship of the land is about $18.5 million. To quote Einstein, “You cannot solve your Security Summit, at the Midwest Added Value This may sound like a lot of money but problems with the same level of thinking you Conference, and at a statewide grazing and compared to the $20 billion per year in subsidies had when you created them.” The partnership of organic farming conference. to support the current agricultural system, the The Savory Center Certified Educator program This opportunity to create a small network investment to promote a “sustainable system for and SARE is an attempt not to “find the right of Holistic Management® Certified Educators agriculture” pales in comparison. answer” but to provide producers and in the breadbasket of the USA who will be I agreed to be the principal investigator of agricultural professionals with the “right skills.” working specifically for a sustainable agriculture the North Central Region grant for this training Only the producers on the land can make the is extremely exciting. Change in the U.S. because I see the need for sustainable agriculture right decisions for their profitability, the good agricultural system has to begin at the producer in our region, and I think that The Savory of the land, and for the well being of their level. The teamwork of SARE and The Savory Center and SARE working together can have an communities in an ever changing world. By Center holds great promise to move mainstream important impact on our industry in this region. creating a network of Certified Educators in this agriculture to increased sustainability and The North Central Region is America’s region, we hope to create “pockets” of producers triple bottom-line decisions. agricultural heartland. It contains over 40 percent that are managing holistically and creating a of the farms and farmers, 60 percent of the more sustaining agricultural system. Ben Bartlett, DVM, teaches at Michigan State cropland, produces 85 percent of the corn, On the Ground Results University and is currently in The Savory 75 percent of the soybeans and 50 percent of the We’ve just completed our first year of Center’s Certified Educator Training Program. wheat and hay in the U.S. It produces 70 percent training in this program and we have a He can be reached at: bartlett@msue.msu.edu. of the hogs, has 40 percent of the milk cows, 33
The
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The Power of Teamwork
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T he
GRAPEVINE
n ews f ro m t h e s a vo r y c e n t e r * p e o p l e , p ro g ra m s & p ro j e c t s
Savory Center Members Win Awards
children Paul, Sarah, and Laura, from Ogallala, Nebraska won the Master Conservationist Award n January 2004, Savory Center member awarded by the University of Nebraska and the George Work received the National Cattlemen’s World Herald for their efforts on 1,250 acres of Association National 2003 Environmental cropped dryland, 240 acres of irrigated cropland, Stewardship Award. The George and Elaine Work and 83.3 acres in Conservation Reserve Program. family own and operate a cattle ranch east of Dennis uses a diverse crop rotation system on San Miguel, Calfornia. his dryland and The Works were irrigated acres nominated by The Nature resulting in a 50 Conservancy because percent production they recognize “that here increase in cropped on the Central Coast, and acres on the dry land throughout California, since 1983 without any ranching families like the additional land Works are responsible for requirements. The maintaining important highlights of their natural areas, wildlife conservation efforts habitat and wildlife are: rotation of ridge, corridors,” says minimum and no-till; Conservancy Field zone tillage, crop Representative Anne rotations, and cover McMahon. “We’ve enjoyed crops; extensive collaborating with farmstead and field ranchers like the Works windbreaks, irrigation to promote ranching George and Elaine Work efficiencies; and practices that are both reduced fertilizer conservation friendly and applications. The economically sound.” results of these management practices are: “We feel honored and encouraged,” says reduced erosion, water loss, and need for George Work. “This award honors not only our herbicides; highly efficient irrigation; extensive family and our ranch, but all the other unnamed wildlife habitat development; improved soil ranches and families who are also using fertility and structure; and excellent weed, insect environmentally sound practices. It’s really and pest management with reduced inputs. encouraging when you realize that the regional This is not the first award Dennis has won. In winners are representative of the many good 1987, the Demmel family was awarded the things going on in the industry today.” Perkins County Conservation Honor Family George and Elaine Work have served on Award sponsored by the Upper Republican numerous boards—including the Upper SalinasNatural Resource District for four years of tree Las Tablas Resource Conservation District Board. planting. Dennis was also presented the 2001 George regularly speaks to organizations about Nebraska Forest Stewardship Award sponsored by his family’s decision to manage their land the USDA and the Nebraska Forest Service. holistically. In addition to their cattle operation, Congratulations to George and Elaine Work the Works also grow and sell hay, lease a portion and the Demmel family. of their ranch to a private hunting club, host
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“Farm Stays” and trail rides, and are active members of the newly formed Central Coast Agri-Tourism Council. In September of 2003, another Savory Center member, Dennis Demmel, his wife Ruth, and
CETP 2001 Graduation
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he Savory Center’s Certified Educator Training Program 2001 Class completed their final graduation session in Santa Fe, New Mexico
during the first week in February. While not all of the participants were able to attend, most of the class completed their exit reviews and turned in case studies and documentation of their efforts over the last two years in the training program. Special sessions on irrigation, water issues, financial planning, grazing planning, and biological monitoring of pastures in less-brittle environments were a part of the agenda. A special thanks to Soren Peters and the Peters family for providing a tour of their farm in Tesuque, New Mexico. Congratulations to the class of 2001 for all their efforts. We’ve seen increased activity in the Northeast U.S. as they’ve worked with an ever-expanding circle of learning communities.
California Ag Leaders Learn the Basics
F
or the last three winters, The Savory Center has run a workshop for the California Agriculture Leadership Forum—the premier leadership program among the many states that have them. The participants consist of 30 handpicked Californians involved in agriculture in some way. They spend two years developing their leadership skills, learning everything from aikido to public speaking, and traveling to exotic, far away places to experience other cultures. It is always a great group to work with because the program really stretches them to become life-long learners and to learn to listen, reflect upon and take in new information. The Holistic Management workshop included an evening keynote by Allan Savory, followed by a day-long session on the basics of Holistic Management facilitated by Shannon Horst. We were invited back again this year even though we lured former program leader Tim LaSalle away to serve as our Executive Director last year. We hope our participation will continue for many years.
Friendraising in San Luis Obispo
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e’d like to thank Phyllis and Bill Davies of San Luis Obispo, California, for hosting an afternoon and evening get together last December in their home for friends, colleagues and others in the California central coast area who wanted to learn more about Holistic Management. Over 100 people attended the two sessions, many staying on for both of the talks given by Allan Savory and to spend time with Executive Director Tim LaSalle. Phyllis, who is well known in the area for hosting such events, says she was astonished at the turnout and the diversity of the individuals who came. “People were excited and challenged” she said, “and eager to know more.” She says she’s ready to do it again. So are we.
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Costa Rica Outreach
In Memoriam
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n January 16-19, Executive Director Tim LaSalle and Senior Director of Strategic Projects Shannon Horst traveled to Costa Rica to participate in a Kellogg Leadership Alliance at Earth University. This workshop was designed as a think tank for agricultural leaders working on food and society policy. Tim and Shannon not only helped to facilitate parts of this meeting using Holistic Management® decision-making, they also presented a learning session on that topic as well.
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n December 8th, 2003, the staff at The Savory Center lost one of its dearest friends and strongest supporters, Perry Robert Wilkes, Jr. Perry was a local advocate for reversing desertification and worked within the greater Albuquerque community to help people understand the root cause of that problem and our present challenges with water. Perry had a lending library and was known to gift to those serving on local water and land use boards and committees materials such as Holistic Management: A New Framework for Decision Making and articles from IN PRACTICE Initially trained in aeronautics and having retired as an employee with Sandia National Laboratories here in Albuquerque, Perry became so engrossed in environmental advocacy that many who knew him from the past 30 years had no idea he could even fly a plane! On Perry’s small acreage where his home is located on the western escarpment of the city, he would “borrow” a small herd of cows from the local auction. He would quickly train them to a whistle, implement his grazing plan, and then take them back to auction when it was time to allow the plants to recover. His pride with both this land site, and another he owned in North Albuquerque Acres, was that when it rained (which in Albuquerque means short torrential down pours and flooding) no water would leave either property. The entire site was managed for every drop to re-enter the acquifer. Our love and appreciation also extends to Bette, his wife, who spent tireless hours volunteering here at The Savory Center and all too many nights heading off to yet another meeting with Perry, educational literature in hand.
Outreach Efforts
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n January, the Savory Center staffed a booth at the Quivira Coalition Annual Conference in Albuquerque. Many Holistic Management practitioners and Certified Educators attended this conference with talks by Jim Howell, Joe Morris, Kirk Gadzia, and Gregg Simonds, and a book signing with Allan Savory and Jody Butterfield. Also in January, Heather Amundson, a trainee in the Certified Educator Training Program, presented a session on Holistic Management at the Value Added Conference in Wisconsin. If you are participating in a conference and would be willing to help us get
information about Holistic Management to the conference, please contact Ann Adams at 505/8425252 or anna@holisticmanagement.org. Terry Gompert, another trainee in our training
program, has also planned a one-day workshop with Allan Savory in June. Please see page 22 for more details on that workshop. Thanks to all our members for their outreach efforts.
News from the Africa Centre
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number of people made additional donations. What wo years ago we learned that a former Africa clinched everything, was the presence in our midst Centre staff member, Tasiyana Ncube, wife of the of a man who was in a position to help--Dr. Axel Africa Centre’s village programs manager, Elias Ncube, Haubold, of Decatur, Texas, and was seriously ill and in need of the University of Rostock a heart valve replacement. (Germany) who arranged for us Health insurance would not to get a new heart valve at cost cover the surgery, which could from MCRI, manufacturers of the only be performed outside ON-X heart valve, in Austin, Zimbabwe, so we offered to Texas. Many thanks to raise the funds here in the U.S. Rendezvous host Clint Josey, for We are very happy to report introducing us. And thanks also that following the international to Clyde Baker and Regina Rendezvous, sponsored by HRM Creekmore of MCRI, who helped of Texas and The Savory us locate a surgeon in South Center, last September, we Africa, Dr. Mervyn Williams, of managed to raise what we Port Elizabeth, and arranged needed. As we were going to transfer of the heart valve. A press, Tasiyana Ncube, was on special thanks to Dr. Williams’ her way to Port Elizabeth, South wife, Bernadette Williams, who Africa, where the surgery is to dropped everything to assist in be performed. making the arrangements in At the Rendezvous, Savory Tasiyana Ncube is surrounded South Africa and to Roland Center staff sold a variety of by her family: Husband, Elias Kroon, of Graaff Reinet, South crafts made by women from (center), daughter, Viola Africa, who assisted us in getting our village banks in Zimbabwe. (seated) and sons, Gift (left) funds to the right place at the In addition to the revenue from and Nathan (right). right time. these sales—close to $1,000—a
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And our sincere gratitude to the following donors: Christina Allday-Bondy, Austin, TX Gretchen Blank, Plymouth, MN Sam Brown, Austin, TX Harriet Dublin, Midland, TX Michael Duncan, Denver, CO Lincoln Eldredge Paul Engler, Amarillo, TX Maryanne Grove Krystyna Jurzykowski, Glen Rose, TX Melinda Levin, Doug McDaniel and Gail Hammack, Lostine, OR John and Sandra McDonald, United Kingdom Joe and Peggy Maddox, Ozona, TX Sandra Matheson, Bellingham, WA Robert Melville Sue Mossman, Arcata, CA Steve and Melinda Rich, Salt Lake City, UT And to the dozens of folks at the Rendezvous who purchased crafts made by the village bank women.
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
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; cnneely@holisticmanagement.org IOWA
Bill Burrows 12250 Colyear Springs Rd. Red Bluff, CA 96080 530/529-1535 • sunflowercrmp@msn.com
Bill Casey 1800 Grand Ave., Keokuk, IA 52632-2944 319/524-5098 • wpccasey@interl.net
Richard King 1675 Adobe Rd., Petaluma, CA 94954 707/769-1490 • 707/794-8692 (w) richard.king@ca.usda.gov
Joel Benson 1180 Fords Mill Rd., Versailles, KY 40383 859/879-6365 • joel@growgdp.com
Christopher Peck P.O. Box 2286, Sebastopol, CA 95472 707/758-0171 ctopherp@holistic-solutions.net
Tina Pilione P.O. 923, Eunice, LA 70535 phone/fax: 337/580-0068; tinamp@charter.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 Jennifer Hamre 9641 Charleville Blvd #382 Beverly Hills, CA 90212 818/943-5402; yosefahanah@yahoo.com
KENTUCKY
LOUISIANA
MASSACHUSETTS
* Christine Jost Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine 200 Westboro R., North Grafton, MA 01536 508/887-4763 • christine.jost@tufts.edu MINNESOTA Terri Goodfellow-Heyer 4660 Cottonwood Lane North Plymouth, MN 55442 612/559-0099 • tgheyer@attbi.com MONTANA
Daniela and Jim Howell P.O. Box 67, Cimarron, CO 81220-0067 970/249-0353 • howelljd@montrose.net
Wayne Burleson RT 1, Box 2780, Absarokee, MT 59001 406/328-6808 • rutbuster@montana.net
Tim McGaffic P.O. Box 476, Ignacio, CO 81137 970/946-9957 • tim@timmcgaffic.com
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 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 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
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INTERNATIONAL
OREGON Cindy Douglas 2795 McMillian St., Eugene, OR 97405 541/465-4882 • dozerpuppy1@aol.com Jeff Goebel P.O. Box 2503, Redmond, OR 97756-0560 goebel@palouse.net TEXAS Christina Allday-Bondy 2703 Grennock Dr., Austin, TX 78745 512/441-2019 • tododia@peoplepc.com Guy Glosson 6717 Hwy 380, Snyder, TX 79549 806/237-2554 • glosson@caprock-spur.com
* 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 Liz Williams 4106 Avenue B, Austin, TX 78751-4220 512/323-2858 • evwilliams@austinrr.com 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
* Don Nelson Washington State University P.O. Box 646310, Pullman, WA 99164 509/335-2922 • nelsond@ wsu.edu Maurice Robinette S. 16102 Wolfe Rd., Cheney, WA 99004 509/299-4942 • mlr@icehouse.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 Observatory Dr., Madison WI 53706 608/265-3727 • eabird@facstaff.wisc.edu Larry Johnson W886 State Road 92 Brooklyn, WI 53521 608/455-1685 • lpjohn@rconnect.com WYOMING Tim Morrison P.O. Box 536, Meeteese, WY 82433 307/868-2354 • mcd@tctwest.net
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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 Mark Gardner P.O. Box 1395, Dubbo, NSW 2830 61-2-6882-0605 gardnerm@ozemail.com.au Brian Marshall “Lucella”; Nundle, NSW 2340 61-2-6769 8226 • fax: 61-2-6769 8223 bkmrshl@northnet.com.au Bruce Ward P.O. Box 103, Milsons Pt., NSW 1565 61-2-9929-5568 • fax: 61-2-9929-5569 blward@holisticresults. com. au 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 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 Ivan Aguirre La Inmaculada Apdo. Postal 304, Hermosillo, Sonora 83000 tel/fax: 52-637-377-8929 rancho_inmaculada@yahoo.com Elco Blanco-Madrid Cristobal de Olid #307 Chihuahua Chih., 31240 52-614-415-3497 • fax: 52-614-415-3175 elco_blanco@hotmail.com
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Manuel Casas-Perez Calle Amarguva No. 61, Lomas Herradura Huixquilucan, Mexico City CP 52785 52-558-291-3934 • 52-588-992-0220 (w) iconquiahua@att.net.mx 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 Colin Nott P.O. Box 11977, Windhoek 264-61-228506 • canott@iafrica.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 Sheldon Barnes P.O. Box 300, Kimberly 8300 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 Colleen Todd P.O. Box 21, Hoedspruit 1380 27-82-335-3901 (cell) colleen_todd@yahoo.com 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
Affiliate Network UNITED STATES ARIZONA HRM of Arizona Norm Lowe 2660 E. Hemberg, Flagstaff, AZ 86004 928/214-0040; loweflag@aol.com 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 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 West Station for Holistic Management Peggy Maddox P.O. Box 694, Ozona, TX 76943 325/392-2292; estgift@earthlink.net
Africa Centre for Holistic Management (A subsidiary of the Savory Center since 1992) Board of Trustees
Staff
Allan Savory, Chair
Huggins Matanga, Director Alan Sparrow, Director of Education Elias Ncube, Community Programmes Manager Emeldah Nkomo, Community Training Coordinator Andrew Moyo, Village Banking Coordinator Forget Wilson, Office Manager Sylvia Nyakujawa and Clever Bonda, Bookkeepers
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
Dimbangombe Ranch and Conservation Safaris: Roger Parry, Manager Hilda Moyo, Catering Manager Albert Chauke, Ranch Foreman
There are several branch organizations or groups affiliated with the Savory Center in the U.S. and abroad (some publish their own newsletters.) We encourage you to contact the group closest to you: INTERNATIONAL AUSTRALIA Holistic Decision Making Association (AUST+NZ) Lennie Chaplain P.O. Box 1157, Moree NSW, 2400 tel: 61-2-6752-9065 cvchaplain@bigpond.com
NAMIBIA Namibia Centre for Holistic Management Argo Rust, contact person P.O. Box 23600, Windhoek 9000 tel/fax: 62-540430; 62-81-2463319 argo@iway.na
CANADA Canadian Holistic Management Lee Pengilly Box 216, Stirling, AB, T0K 2E0 403/327-9262
SOUTH AFRICA Community Dynamics Judy Richardson P.O. Box 1806, Vryburg 8600 tel/fax: 27-53-9274367 judyrich@cybertrade.co.za
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
SPAIN Aspen Edge La Chaparra Apartado de Correos 19 18420 Lanjaron, Granada Tel: 0034-958-34-70-53 mlima_ngong@hotmail.com
To order products inAustralia/New Zealand or southern Africa contact:
Australia Holistic Decision Making Association, Lennie Chaplain P.O. Box 1157, Moree NSW 2400 tel: 61-2-6752-9065; cvchaplain@bigpond.com
South Africa Whole Concepts cc PO 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 N u m b e r 94
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