#108, In Practice, July/Aug 2006

July / August 2006 2006 January / February

Number 108 105

www.holisticmanagement.org www.holisticmanagement.org

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Think Like a River– Finding Peace of Mind through Holistic Management

by Tony & Andrea Malmberg “In the long run, we shape our lives, and we shape ourselves. The process never ends until we die. And the choices we make are ultimately our responsibility.”

Eleanor Roosevelt

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magine rafting down a river through a mountain canyon. Rounding the bend towards home, you catch your breath as you approach a logjam higher than the mountains. You feel trapped. This is exactly how we felt when suddenly faced with the urgency of either buying out the entire partnership in our ranch or deal with the reality that the land we cared so deeply about would be sold or divided.

After much reflection, we finally realized we became trapped by not paying attention to a deeply embedded logjam–we did not share a holistic goal with the three partners who should have been decision makers in our whole. But, the ability to recognize that we faced a logjam and would not make progress toward our holistic goal until we addressed it provided us focus and patience. Trusting that the Holistic Management® testing questions would keep us on track gave us peace of mind. Without money, business or legal acumen, our chances were slim, and many thought there was no way we could prevail.

However, by keeping our mind’s eye on our holistic goal, as well as understanding the strength of our resource base, we were better equipped to use the tool of human creativity and muster what was needed against all odds.

Partner Assumptions We ranch in central Wyoming. The Malmberg family came here 29 years ago. After nearly losing the ranch in the 1980s, it took a stint rough-necking on a drilling rig, some time in a Nevada barite mill, and some new partners before Tony got the ranch back on course. In 1987, he took his first Holistic Management seminar. By applying the concept of time and timing, he increased the stocking rate by eighty-five percent. We were chipping away at our loan payments. We felt pretty comfortable.

And then came “the notice.”

The notice said the partners wanted out of the ranch. We assumed they would want to sell someday, but we operated on the notion that as we grew older, each of us would replace ourselves with someone from the community, someone who appreciated all the benefits of a ranch. If any one of us were to resign, we would replace ourselves with someone who would tend the health of a landscape as well as provide human habitat. We thought as the partners faced retirement, they would sell their ranch share to a younger person, perhaps like themselves, who appreciated a place to recreate, like riding horses or hunting, or a place to achieve clarity by walking or just being there. This place could remain a destination for people to find renewal.

We hoped the ranch would be a sustainable community resource for succeeding generations

With all our labor and assets tied up in the ranch–a partnership asset–how could we possibly save the ranch and our livelihood?

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Patagonia–the final frontier. The view across Lake Viedma to the famous Mount Fitz Roy is as breathtaking as the potential productive capabilities if managed holistically. Learn more about Patagonia and the possibility for increased production and land health in Jim Howell’s article on page 9.

FEATURE STORIES Irrigation Water– Handle With Care!

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Cindy Dvergsten

Reintroducing An Old Idea– Holistic Management in Ethiopia

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Monte Bell

LAND & LIVESTOCK Planning for Patagonia–– Land of Possibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 Jim Howell

Using Horses to Regenerate the Land

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Graeme Hand

NEWS & NETWORK Book Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 Grapevine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 Certified Educators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18 Network Affiliates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20 Marketplace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20

Think Like a River

Holistic Management International is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting resource management that restores land to health and operations to profitability. As the worldwide pioneer of Holistic Management, we’ve worked successfully with ranchers, farmers, pastoral communities and other entities since 1984.

FOUNDERS Allan Savory

Jody Butterfield

STAFF Shannon Horst, Executive Director Peter Holter, Senior Director of Marketing and Product Development Bob Borgeson, Director of Finance, Accounting and Administration Jutta von Gontard, Director of Development Kelly White, Director of Educational Services Constance Neely, International Training Programs Director Ann Adams, Managing Editor, IN PRACTICE and Director of Publications and Outreach Maryann West, Executive Assistant Donna Torrez, Administrative Assistant

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Ron Chapman, Chair Ben Bartlett, Vice-Chair Jody Butterfield, Secretary Sue Probart, Treasurer Ivan Aguirre Gail Hammack Leo Harris Brian Marshall Jim McMullan Ian Mitchell Innes Jim Parker Jim Shelton Dennis Wobeser

ADVISORY COUNCIL Robert Anderson, Corrales, NM Michael Bowman,Wray, CO Sam Brown, Austin, TX Sallie Calhoun, Paicines, CA Lee Dueringer, Scottsdale, AZ Gretel Ehrlich, Gaviota, CA Cynthia Harris, Albuquerque, NM Clint Josey, Dallas, TX Doug McDaniel, Lostine, OR Guillermo Osuna, Coahuila, Mexico York Schueller, Ventura, CA Africa Centre for Holistic Management Private Bag 5950, Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe Tel: (263) (11) 404 979; email: hmatanga@mweb.co.zw Huggins Matanga, Director HOLISTIC MANAGEMENT IN PRACTICE (ISSN: 1098-8157) is published six times a year by Holistic Management International, 1010 Tijeras NW, Albuquerque, NM 87102, 505/842-5252, fax: 505/843-7900; email: hmi@holisticmanagement.org.; website: www.holisticmanagement.org Copyright © 2006.

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to raise livestock, recreate, and find refuge. they did not want to honor the contract. Their If not this, the alternate scenario imagined plan appeared to be for us to fold because of a each of the partners would sell in turn and the lack of resources. In retrospect, it is clear that remaining partners could buy them out. This is not only did the partnership fail to have a clear how we structured our partnership agreement, goal, all four partners saw the land and the so remaining partners could buy out a retiring resource in different ways. We had as many as partner. Rather five different than either of goals, one for these scenarios, the partnership, all three one for each partners gave partner, and notice at once. none of them We were were complete. definitely Little wonder it trapped. seemed we were Tony had being squeezed. walked into the Furthermore, partnership twelve years earlier, a cowboy with no one thought we could meet our financial eyes wide open. He felt good about having obligation required in the contract’s buyout partners who were experts in their fields of clause. With all our labor and assets tied up in finance, law, and business management. But the ranch–a partnership asset–how could we the seeds of this problem were planted early. He possibly save the ranch and our livelihood? was a fledgling Holistic Management Maintaining Focus practitioner, but he didn’t have enough experience or know-how to entice his partners to Our response to feeling trapped was to look practice Holistic Management. We did not at all the options and test them toward our share a holistic goal. holistic goal. We wrote a paper entitled What Tony hadn’t realized was the logjam “Integrated Ranching” (http://www.homelandbegan building from day one. Not only did the er.org/IntegratingRanchlands.pdf) which tested decision makers several different never agree on a scenarios and holistic goal, Tony created a plan to remained buy out the distracted with the partners and pay success he found off the partnership ecologically and loans. To do so, we financially would need a through holistic bridge loan of grazing planning. more than a This was his million dollars. realm, and since it The plan also was adding value laid out how we to the ranch, the would pay the partners left him bridge loan back. alone.

The first payment PHOTO CREDIT: MARY STIENBACHER Left alone, would result from Tony pursued his Tony Malmberg and crew rounding up cattle on Twin selling a Creek Ranch. holistic conservation goal–assuming all along he had buy-in from easement–something that had rarely happened his partners. We know now that you cannot in Wyoming. fabricate a holistic goal without everyone at the Second, we prepared a gross profit analysis for table if you expect buy-in. All decision makers each of our enterprises: 1) Custom Grazing, 2) must honestly contribute or you may find Cattle Ownership, 3) Direct beef marketing, and yourselves as oblivious as we were. Even though 4) Guest Enterprises, including the our partnership contract stated that any Lodge–projecting that once our transition was remaining partner had the option to buy the complete, ongoing operations would reliably others out, the actions of the partners suggested service a $650K long-term loan.

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We know now that you cannot fabricate a holistic goal without everyone at the table if you expect buy-in.

statement like this should not be in our holistic Third, we put the tool of human creativity to We rode this roller coaster of emotion for goal because it is a decision that needs to be work by proposing a way to fix our ranch three years. It was hell on earth, but two tested. We learned that we did not need to own ownership model so it could align with the Holistic Management principles kept us sane. the ranch if it were protected from development. values of a capitalist culture. The idea of First, we knew we were in a logjam, and we Holistic Management’s idea of thinking how the successional owners within the community knew what it was. We knew that no progress future resource base must be 150 years into the hadn’t worked out as envisioned, but the toward our holistic goal could be made until future removes the personal ego. That process concept still held true. Agricultural operations, ranch ownership was settled. We had a holistic broadened our awareness from self to hunting, fishing, and solitude require life in general, and the human landscapes of scale. Those of us with condition as part of that life. Fracturing modest financial means have to migratory corridors, severing spring-fall converge with similar streams of transition ground from higher summer consciousness and desire to retain the country, and taxing the future values of wildness and open space. generations of plants, animals, and When looking at the resources at Twin people from future flexibility wouldn’t Creek, there are so many that are not sit well with whomever lived on Twin being utilized because we don’t have Creek. Selling for a lot of money did the energy, passion, or knowledge to not necessarily make a decision tap into them. By making these sustainable far into the future. resources available to other entrepreneurs–like a hunting guide, a Looking to the Future gardener, a wool producer–the overall prosperity of our community would be We knew we weren’t special. Nearly enhanced. every western community has skeletons The plan seemed so simple to us of the trapped cowboy. Some got left up Tony and Andrea Malmberg with their daughter, KD, have learned the creek when the banker took their that we were chagrined when three how to stay the course by focusing on the outcomes rather than the paddle. If they were lucky they got a job banks rejected our loan request. We probed for an economic stream to carry problem. That shift has given them peace of mind while facing with the new owner, along with us beyond this logjam. We posted our great adversity. benefits. Others sold out for money, ideas as a document on the internet, finding themselves sitting dazed, glassyoffering a “use” of the ranch in exchange for eyed, and bitter in the sale barn bleachers. goal, and we tested every decision toward it. the financial resources to carry us downstream.

There have been more than a few cowboys Proposals to split the ranch up one way or Nothing. edged out by a partner who knew more about a another and how much debt to carry were all And then, more logs cascaded down the carried rigorously through the testing questions. different landscape. Financial finagling and mountainside, seemingly to dam us completely legal logistics aren’t the average cowboy’s forte.

The testing questions kept us grounded and from hope. The partners sued to take part of the returned our focus to our holistic goal. It gave The most common root cause of how those ranch. What once was a logjam mostly social in us hope. cowboys became statistics is that they made nature, was now clearly a financial, and, decisions to address a problem rather than Surprisingly, the frequent use of the testing moreover, a legal logjam. testing decisions towards their holistic goal. Or, questions even challenged our own underlying We knew we were strapped for cash. We knew values and tenacity. Every time we were faced more accurately, dwelling on what they thought it would take a miracle but countersued to a cowboy used to be, rather than asking: “How with a decision we actually questioned our enforce the partnership contract and our right can I be a cowboy and attract the future holistic goal! We would ask ourselves, “Is this to buy the partners out. This begat waves of resource base I need to achieve my holistic really worth it? Should we just split things up?” emotion. With each court filing, mediation goal?”

When we were ready to take the path of least hearing, and settlement discussion, we would We had a good start on our future resource resistance, give up and sell out, the decision have high hopes, which dried up before base, due to fourteen years of practicing they could build momentum. We would the awareness Tony gained from Holistic depend on each other for support, and Management. For example, by including then turn on one another in flurries of and managing for a functional ecosystem anger. in our holistic goal, we gained significant The best of times found us giddy when support from the conservation imagining our idea of several people with community. different passions using the same Through this long ordeal, our future landscape for different enterprises. Times resource base, and our community and of crisis and fear would suck us into a whirlpool would not pass the sustainability test because it customer base provided the energy and of blame, accusation, self-pity and eventually wherewithal to make it through the logjam. did not move us toward our future resource we would collapse in tears and exhaustion.

Tributaries of support swelled from our base. All of this testing helped us refine our Both the worst of times and the best of times community, converging with our daily efforts to holistic goal. resulted from a new court filing or new survive. Friends urged us to seek legal advice.

Initially, our holistic goal said, “We will live continued on page 4 development requiring a decision. and die on this ranch.” We realized that a

It was hell on earth, but two Holistic Management principles kept us sane.

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Think Like a River

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Tony’s sister provided living and operating expenses. Many supported our fledgling lodge by referring bookings. Others supported our grassfinished beef enterprise above and beyond their needs just to keep it alive.

Our attorney deferred payment and was a “counsel” in the old sense of the word. We received many suggestions on negotiation, and everybody provided simple moral support. Our Holistic Management Club became a valued support mechanism in designing implementation of our different ideas. And sometimes people just came by to talk about anything but our dilemma. When we were unable to find a bank to provide the bridge loan, an investor from the Holistic Management community stepped in at the last minute to stop a foreclosure.

And then, following a plentiful snow after a long drought, a good spring thaw broke everything loose. It was over. We agreed to a settlement that passed the testing questions. The lawsuit was over, and the logjam cleared.

We paid off the bank and our partners with the loan from the angel investor. At that point our debt totaled 12 percent more than initially projected. We partnered with The Nature Conservancy and the Natural Resource Conservation Service to sell a conservation easement under the Farm and Ranchland Protection Program and sold an odd piece of land that was not part of the ranch. We will carry 15 percent less debt on a long-term basis, than our initial projection.

We will continue executing our plan to meet our debt service with ongoing enterprises.

We still think our enterprise sale idea is a sound approach to providing liquidity and sustainability to our rural communities, and we are currently developing marketing strategies to attract entrepreneurs to share in the rich resources of Twin Creek.

Building Energy The night before we faced yet another court hearing during the foreclosure, Tony thought back to a question his daughter asked nearly three years earlier.

“Dad, when will the lawsuit be over?”

“It probably won’t be over until we learn the lesson we are meant to learn,” Tony replied 4

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at the time, and with that thought, made the following journal entry: “March 21, 2005–Andrea and I talked about how different our attitude was in facing our court hearing tomorrow. Initial meetings and hearings found us anxious, nervous, edgy, and left us sleepless. This night we were calm and focused.”

What was the difference? We had learned, in a very real way, to stay focused on the holistic goal–“to keep a landscape whole and functional for many generations far into the future.” We learned not to allow fears generated by others and their actions to direct our reactions. We learned

We will carry 15 percent less debt on a long-term basis, than our initial projection. that no matter how many times our path was blocked to stay focused on our holistic goal. We learned that attention to a problem will make the problem become the goal, whether it’s another’s actions, a bank’s loan rejection, being flat broke, or even indigestion.

We learned the problem falls away when we stay focused on our objective or the result we

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want. We learned that real solutions came to us when we focused on results we desired. By recognizing that we faced a logjam, we found the serenity to wait, so that when the opportunity to address the logjam arose, we were more equipped than ever. By returning to the testing questions when we were tempted to take control we allowed things to progress at their own pace. We would return to our holistic goal and wait. Practicing Holistic Management gave us peace of mind by teaching us to think like a river.

In a natural watercourse, when a river is dammed, it goes nowhere until the cavity is filled and sufficient energy is available to move the dam or crest it with a new streamflow. It doesn’t run upstream or around the hill. The river’s attention is not on destroying the problems, the boulders, and dirt blocking its progress.

The river simply pauses until it builds the energy, the capacity, and the depth to continue under, through, over or around the obstruction. A river is never really trapped, for time means nothing to a river.

Tony and Andrea Malmberg own and operate Twin Creek Ranch & Lodge near Lander, Wyoming. They are currently completing their training to become Holistic Management® Certified Educators. They can be reached at: 307/335-7485 or andrea@twincreekranch.com.

Irrigation Water– Handle With Care!

by Cindy Dvergsten

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here is no doubt that awareness and Energy Flow–1) Production is low; 2) conservation is possible using more efficient creativity are essential to the practice of systems such as pressurized sprinklers or gated Forage quality is poor; and 3) There is a general Holistic Management, and perhaps lack of response to other tools of management pipe and replacement with pipelines, which may nothing has expanded our capacity in save considerable labor as well. Nonetheless, even including a poor return on labor and money. these elements more than irrigation water Applying too little water leads to its own set of the most efficient irrigation systems require good management. problems indicated by wilted, stunted, or dying irrigation water management.

Irrigated pasture and hayland provide critical plants; increased plant spacing and bare soil; Observing the land through the four winter hay reserves and spring decreasing organic matter content; a grazing to ranchers who depend on lack of response to fertilizer federal lands for summer pasture. application; increases in drought Irrigation is also essential to many tolerant plants and annual forbs; enterprises such as grass finished decreased earthworm activity; and low meat products, market gardens, production. Early warning monitoring pasture-based dairies, vineyards, and techniques include frequent orchards. Rapid population growth evaluation of soil moisture conditions in the Western states is increasing and crop needs. the demand on a limited water Know Your Soils & Plants supply, so we do not take for granted the right to use water from the As with grazing planning, Dolores River at our Arriola irrigation water management is a Sunshine Farm in Southwest matter of adjusting the length of time Colorado. We find that practicing and frequency of water application. irrigation water management brings To avoid over irrigation, apply water at us closer to the land as we strive to a rate no greater than what the soil make every drop of water and every can take in. The intake rate is square foot of land count toward calculated as inches per hour. Heavy This photo of Arriola Sunshine Farm shows irrigation water applied via enhancing life and building soil. gravity fed pressure and handset sprinklers immediately after steers were soils take water in more slowly, moved onto new forage. Electric fencing allows for flexibility in keeping whereas sandy soils take water in The Art of Irrigation more rapidly. Apply water only long irrigation and cattle separated.

Experienced irrigators are as enough to fill the rooting zone to full much artisans as they are technicians. Not only ecosystem processes helps us to evaluate the capacity. If the soil holds salts, enough water must they understand the technical workings of effects of irrigation, which like any other tool can needs to be applied to carry the salts down below the system they work with, a good irrigator must be over or under applied. The following the root zone, but not so much to cause deep develop a keen understanding of plant, water, and symptoms are common indicators of over percolation. soil relationships. Other key considerations in irrigation: Calculate the frequency of irrigation based on irrigation water management include the Water Cycle–1) Presence of a high water the needs of the plants measured as inches of efficiency of your delivery system, soil type, table that hinders root development; 2) Artificial water consumed by the plant over a period of climate, irrigation water quantity and quality, wetlands; 3) Unplanned runoff, soil erosion, and time, and the available water holding capacity of crop needs, labor and available money. Knowing sedimentation of ponds, ditches and streams; 4) the soil measured as inches of water per foot of when to irrigate, how much water to apply, and Surface waters polluted from herbicides, salts, soil. Total water holding capacity may be higher how deep to irrigate is central to planning for and fertilizer leaving the field; and 5) Soils than the available water because very fine effective water use. impervious due to loss of soil structure. particles of soil hold water so tightly plants In mountain states, many irrigation systems Mineral Cycle–1) Soils stay saturated and cannot extract it. rely on earthen canals and field ditches to get may smell like a swamp due to anaerobic Plant needs vary by type of plant, stage of water to the pasture or hay field. Irrigators use conditions; 2) Salts accumulate on the soil growth, and climatic conditions. Plants use water tarps to create dams in ditches in order to direct surface; and 3) Nutrients are lost due to leaching. for transpiration while some is lost to water into a field and shovels to fine tune the Community Dynamics–1) Water-loving evaporation. Calculating the evapo-transpiration spread of water across the field. The more plants like cattails, chicory, willows, and ragweed rate, or ET rate, is one way to estimate water use uneven the pasture, the more effort it is to get a appear where they normally do not grow; 2) by crops. Plants demand more water in dry, windy good distribution of water. In these situations, Increase in shallow-rooted plants with a decrease conditions, where the evaporation and irrigation water management is impossible in deep-rooted plants such as alfalfa; 3) A root transpiration rates are high, and less water when without experienced labor, yet it is hard to find an bound sod forms; and 4) Decreases in earthworm there is effective rainfall. Likewise, rapidly continued on page 6 artisan irrigator these days. Improved water activity.

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Irrigation Water growing plants will demand more water than those that are mature or dormant. Current ET rate calculations are available from most University Extension Agents.

Completing the Feedback Loop We have found that advanced planning and irrigation scheduling is important to achieving desired outcomes. By staying on top of what is happening in the field with irrigation and grazing we are able to enhance productivity of the land and performance of the animals.

We use the Holistic ManagementÂŽ Grazing Plan and Control Chart to schedule irrigations.

Steps three and four in the Aide Memoire for Holistic Grazing Planning suggest that we consider all management concerns that affect the whole grazing cell we are working with and record livestock exclusion periods. Since irrigation is essential to productivity and affects nearly every other activity, we plan it first.

To begin with, we determine when we normally begin to irrigate, and then plan the number of irrigations and length of time per irrigation for each field. We use a light blue colored pencil to show planned irrigations and dark blue to show the actual irrigations as they occur. This practice has helped us coordinate grazing with irrigation in a manner that maximizes management of both.

Achieving a high degree of efficiency and effectiveness with irrigation water management demands close early warning monitoring of field moisture conditions and making adjustments as necessary. We monitor the depth of irrigation and soil moisture content on a daily, weekly, or as needed basis to make adjustments for unpredictable climate and field conditions. While there are many high-tech methods available to monitor soil moisture, we find that simple field tests are sufficient for most irrigated pastures.

We do not irrigate unless soil moisture, climatic conditions, and crop needs indicate irrigation is necessary. Most forage crops do well when the next irrigation is deferred until 40-50 percent of the available soil moisture remains.

Letting the upper portion of the soil profile dry out allows for aeration and deep rooting.

Before irrigation, we estimate soil moisture by feel and appearance using a visual guide available from the NRCS (Program Aid Number 1619.) Soil moisture typically is sampled at onefoot increments down to the rooting depth. The feel and appearance of soil varies with texture and moisture content, and with practice an irrigator quickly estimates soil moisture conditions to an accuracy of about 5 percent.

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continued from page 5 After irrigation, we simply push a soil probe into the soil until it will not go any further. This tells us the depth we have filled the soil to field capacity. Steel rods with a ball tip work well as probes in soils that are free of impediments. In rocky or stony soils, using an auger or shovel is necessary to determine depth of irrigation.

Do not irrigate deeper than what the type of

My husband, Mike Rich, enjoys starting the morning off with moving irrigation and the steers before heading to town. crop requires and soil moisture situation dictates.

Most forage crops take 40 percent of their moisture from the top 25 percent of the rooting zone and lesser amounts from lower portions. For this reason, and because of evaporation, the soil surface will be drier than deeper levels. It is most desirable to wet the full rooting zone. However, in very hot dry conditions, you may only be able to keep the upper root zone moist. However, prolonged shortage of water in the lower root zone will affect plant performance.

To prevent over compaction, we remove grazing animals during irrigation and keep them off for two to three days afterwards, or until the surface is dry. The sooner the irrigation starts after grazing, the sooner the forage will begin to recover (provided field tests show a need for water). We have found electric fencing is an invaluable tool when managing grazing around irrigation since there are many options available to accommodate irrigation and holistic grazing

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practices.

Labor and Water Savings Labor considerations are a major concern for most producers. Planning irrigations out ahead of time allows us to see the big picture and plan our time effectively. We are better able to mesh the demands of irrigation with our schedule in way that enhances our quality of life. This is important to my husband who works a full-time job in addition to moving the irrigation pipe on our pasture. He enjoys starting the day off with fresh air and exercise, but does not like to be out in the field late in the evenings. Likewise, I plan time to irrigate the market garden and orchard to fit with my schedule.

Planning in advance and practicing irrigation water management along with holistic grazing has allowed us to reduce the amount of irrigation water we use by approximately 15 percent, increase the productivity of deep-rooted perennial grasses, and reduce the amount of less productive shallow rooted grasses and forbs. Deep root grasses tolerant dry spells better should we run out of irrigation water in a dry season.

Managers must carefully test options for improving irrigation water management toward their holistic goal. As difficult as it may be to justify training an irrigator only to see her move on in a couple months, it is also difficult to justify the expense of installing irrigation systems such as side-roll sprinklers that require less labor. I encourage people to pay careful attention to their marginal reaction for labor and money, their managerial effectiveness, and quality of life issues as well as land health and productivity.

Managers Keith and Wendi Lankister at Rocking J Ranch in Northern Colorado are new clients of mine. They recently tested options concerning irrigation water management and labor. Like many managers, they believe that if they work hard enough, they can do it all– manage yearlings on the gain, finish steers on grass for local and distant markets, cut hay, build fence, train interns, home school children, and irrigate. The thought of hiring labor seemed crazy because, after all, it was too expensive, or so they assumed. A paradigm shift occurred when, with their holistic goal in hand, they penciled out the option to hire a laborer to irrigate.

In a previous training session they had identified resource conversion as their weak link with irrigation water management being their point of focus. Using the Holistic ManagementÂŽ testing questions, they soon realized that the

time Keith spent on irrigating had a low marginal reaction. This time, they figured, would earn a higher marginal reaction if it were spent managing yearlings to achieve high rate of gain while improving pasture quality and, more importantly, if it were spent recreating with his family. “His being frazzled and working long hours was causing our quality of life to suffer,” says Wendi. Keith added, “Not only that, but neither the irrigation nor the grazing were being managed very well.”

Keith calculated the cost of hiring an experienced irrigator at $1,600. This would free up at least 100 hours for Keith to spend quality time with his children or focus on managing stock density to achieve a high level of animal performance. Computing the return for a higher rate of gain on yearlings plus the value of harvesting an additional 100 tons of forage from his irrigated fields, Keith figured he could pay for the irrigator and increase ranch income by $7,000.

Keith and Wendi noted that writing everything out on paper and using the testing questions helped them see beyond their assumptions.

Finding a suitable irrigator has been a challenge.

They realize now the importance of instilling a sense of ownership in their labor force and are working on an action plan to make recruitment and retention of high quality labor just as much a part of their management program as the cattle are. They are excited about improving their quality of life while also improving the land, increasing their income, and building community.

Local irrigation practices vary widely, and there are many concerns regarding irrigation system design that go beyond the scope of this article. For more information on soils, irrigation system design, and climatic data, contact your local Natural Resource Conservation Services (NRCS) or University Extension Agent.

Managing irrigated pastureland involves an intricate application of the tools of management to achieve a high quality of life, prosperity, healthy land, and strong communities. Taking time to observe and evaluate plant, soil, and water relationships is enjoyable and enhances our ability as agricultural producers. It is rewarding for my husband and me to see happy animals enjoying healthy land supported by our wise use of precious water resources, and to be able to market these values to our community.

Cindy Dvergsten is a Holistic Management® Certified Educator and lives near Cortez, Colorado. She can be reached at: 970/8824222, requests@wholenewconcepts.com, and photos of Sunshine Farm are available at www.wholenewconcepts.com.

Reintroducing An Old Idea– Holistic Management in Ethiopia

by Monte Bell Editor’s Note: In late 2005, Holistic Management® Certified Educator Monte Bell provided training in rangeland and herd management for ACDI/VOCA, a U.S.-based international development non-governmental organization, in Ethiopia. During this time he trained 29 participants, primary cooperative and union managers, selected board members, cooperative promotion leaders, and agricultural and rural development bureau staff.

After his training sessions, he recommended to ACDI/VOCA that the participants practice the Holistic Management skills he had taught them as they carried out their responsibilities. He argued that Holistic Management fits perfectly into the traditional Borana beliefs, which promote social harmony and respect for the ecosystem chain from sun to earth to water to plant to animal to humans. This belief followed by action, would then lead to sustainable biodiversity. Monte also recommended that the Dembel Wachu Ranch should be managed as a commons by a cooperative of local pastoralists. The commons would have rules of conduct and a non-voting advisory board of cooperative, research and veterinary personnel and should be free from government interference except for control of borders. Monte died before we could finalize this article with him, but we feel it demonstrates his enthusiasm for his work.

He will be greatly missed. local money for in country expenses. I do not fter 15 years of overseas consulting I get a consulting fee, but receive per diem for finally was able to conduct a 10-day expenses. Often I live with a farmer.

Holistic Management course to Ethiopian pastoralists. In this project I was a consultant for ACDI/VOCA, a non-profit organization (NGO). The projects are locally initiated and must be with private entities. If they fit into a U.S. initiative, a grant is written.

USAID or other funds are used to locate a volunteer with appropriate expertise. Grant money is used for transportation to the country and

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The range photo was taken at the DiYa-Ture Rangeland Research Station, southeast of Yabello, Ethiopia. The bull is a Boran bull on the Station–excellent cattle when they have enough to eat, unlike the two herdsmen who obviously have never had enough to eat.

Even though the course discussions went from English to Amharic to Somali languages, my group of 32 participants (one woman) seemed to “get it.” About half-way through the course I found out that the pastoralists in the Oromia/Borana regions operate under the “Gada” system. Boys from birth to puberty are continued on page 8

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Reintroducing An Old Idea continued from page 7 children (even dress the same as girls), then after circumcision are warriors until 30+, then are leaders until 50+ and finally are elders. The “decision-makers” are the leaders with the approval of the elders.

They believe their strength comes from the “chain” (their word) from sun to soil to plant to animal to humans which results in harmony.

Does this sound familiar, or what? They have been practicing Holistic Management for thousands of years!

I tried to add the marketing link to their chain. They keep market bulls to five years of age and sell only when they need money. Cattle are their wealth. I encouraged them to try the idea of selling bulls at three or four years of age and replacing them with cows, which would still be “wealth” but also would give them some production.

They use different grazing areas for dry cows and bulls and for lactating cows and young stock. Distance to water is the main criteria, so I explained the leader-follower grazing idea.

Many pastoralists around the villages have small herds herded by boys. I tried to get them to try combining the herds and allow half of the boys to go to school on an alternating basis.

Incidentally, the very best rangeland I have ever seen was in Kazakhstan where they herd cattle, goats, sheep, horses and camels (and a few donkeys) on the same range. Sheep and goats are herded separately from the other species, and the camels are just sort of “kept track of.” One rancher also had deer, which were fenced. Can you believe I tried to convince them they should also raise chickens in their camps? They can teach us a lot about multispecies herding.

The drought in the African Horn area is disastrous, but the people have survived droughts before. The real killers are corrupt governments, artificial state borders, and genocide.

I wish I had copies of the evaluations. What an ego booster! They were all very positive and the participants felt the Holistic Management principles and processes would be very useful.

Many in the class were involved in newly formed pastoralist cooperatives, and there were also a few from educational and research institutes.

The Horn of Africa is a political and environmental mess. If the drought and genocide continue, I am afraid that a threshold will be crossed with no going back.

Thousands of years experience have taught 8

IN PRACTICE

Monte Bell

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ong-time Holistic Management practitioner and Certified Educator, Fremont “Monte” Bell died unexpectedly on April 23rd, 2006. He was a Farm Advisor with the University of California Cooperative Extension Service (CCES) for 35 years, and after his retirement, he traveled abroad as a livestock and rangeland consultant.

An early adopter of Holistic Management, Monte shared his knowledge with ranchers throughout Glenn and Colusa County, helping ranchers learn how to ranch more sustainably.

Monte was as busy with sharing his rangeland knowledge after retirement as he was while working for the CCES. Two years ago he wrote in the University of California retiree newsletter: “I am still doing overseas consulting on cattle and sheep farms. A recent trip was to Kazakhstan where they were breeding Santa Gerturdis cattle that were purchased by the Russians from the King Ranch in Texas in 1956. Not surprising the reproductive rate was low. I worked on livestock and pasture projects in Russia and Monte Bell Uzbeckistan this year. I lived with a very classy entrepreneurial Russian family for two weeks. The farmers were very appreciative of the American help, and I was treated as the guest of honor, which usually involves the slaughter of a lamb.”

Monte began his career as a cowboy in Texas and Arizona before studying animal husbandry and range management at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colorado. He distinguished himself as the president of Sigma Alpha Epsilon and had the honor of becoming a National Square Dance Champion as well as lettering in gymnastics. After college he cowboyed in Wyoming, Texas, Montana, Colorado, and Arizona, including leading mule train guide service into the Grand Canyon.

In 1976, Monte took a leave from the University Cooperative Extension, working with Winrock International Livestock Research and Training Center. He assisted staff in training programs for Native American and Tanzanian trainees. When Monte retired with Emeritus Status from CCES, he began a new career in international livestock consulting and teaching Holistic Management. Through his association with Winrock International, Monte visited a total of five continents, and more than 25 countries, including Libya, Kenya, Lesotho, Indonesia, Armenia, Croatia, Kazakhstan, Azerbeijan and many others. For his volunteer work, Monte posthumously received the Bronze Award for the President’s Volunteer Service Award. Monte is survived by his wife, Shirley Bell.

survival, but without outside intervention, this mess could last thousands of years more. The Ethiopians are so steeped in tradition from birth to death, they have no vision other than after death.

It is one thing to love your animals, but the flip side of this is that with the drought (and human and animal displacement), the cattle are starving and not yielding milk or blood.

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They are dying. The people are also dying. And, their children are dying.

What’s wrong with this picture? You are watching your cattle starve to death and watching your children starve to death. In some cases, the father would marry off a young daughter in return for a cow.

The Red Cross finally convinced the continued on page 15

LIVESTOCK

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Planning for Patagonia– Land of Possibility

by Jim Howell

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that is nearly virgin. Take, for instance, the province of Buenos Aires, ver since I married into my Argentine family, and have been which comprises only 8 percent of the country’s land surface area, but traveling to Argentina, I’ve been obsessed by a space on the map at contains 40 percent of the country’s population of 38 million, and is the the very bottom end of southern South America–the Argentine country’s most heavily utilized province by far. This is the breadbasket of province of Santa Cruz. Now, before I get into the nuts and bolts of the country, and Argentina is a net exporter of agricultural commodities. this article, and Santa Cruz in particular, I need to cover a little geography.

The heart of Buenos Aires province is the humid pampas, one of the Patagonia is actually a really big place. Santa Cruz is just a part of it. world’s most fertile and productive agricultural regions.

Bounded on the north by the Rio Colorado (at about 37 degrees south Now, think about the Midwest, North America’s version of the pampas. latitude–equivalent to San Francisco), the west by the Pacific Ocean, the east If you’ve ever driven across it (or if you by the Atlantic Ocean, and extending to live there), you’ll know that it’s nearly South America’s southernmost tip in completely covered by two plants–corn Tierra del Fuego (at 55 degrees south and soybeans. The native tall grass latitude–equivalent to central Alberta), prairie is pitifully absent. The pampas Patagonia takes in both southern of Buenos Aires also has a lot of corn Argentina and Chile, and is the only and soybeans, but of the total surface significant landmass at this latitude in area of this province, only 40 percent is the southern hemisphere. Except for the cultivated, and half of that 40 percent occasional sorry storm at the top of is in some form of semi-permanent Mount Kosciusko in Australia’s Snowy pasture (most perennial pastures in the Mountains, it’s also the only place in the pampas are alfalfa-based, and are southern hemisphere where it really rotated with annual crops on a sevensnows. And it has some serious year pasture, four-year cropping cycle). mountains–the Andean Cordillera, Most of the rest of Buenos Aires which extend along its entire length, province (about 55 percent) is natural dividing Chile and Argentina. The crest pasture and never cultivated. Imagine of the southern Andes is blanketed by the if Iowa was 55 percent tall grass massive Patagonian Ice Field, with A Patagonian gaucho making his circle. prairie. Again, this is the most dozens of glaciers spilling off to the east intensively farmed, populous province in the country, and over half of it is and west, filling some of the most spectacular, awesome lakes in the world. in its native range condition.

The Last Frontier This example of Buenos Aires province–the most developed, but still pretty undeveloped, region of the country–was for perspective. Most of the These unique facts had always intrigued me, and Patagonia seemed a special place. But there’s more to it. Argentina itself is an interesting place. rest of Argentina is empty. That’s a little bit of an exaggeration. It’s all privately owned and utilized (mostly by cattle ranching in the north, sheep Geographically, demographically, and ecologically, it’s unique among the ranching in the south), but it’s remote, very sparsely populated, and, “developing world.” First of all, most places you go within the country, though under some form of production, is being managed way, way below Argentina doesn’t look like its developing. But, its sophisticated population, thriving economy (at least currently), excellent roads, modern its potential. It almost seems like an isolated corner of the globe that most of the world can’t be bothered with, including the Argentines. airports, and incredible restaurants feel very “developed.”

So, back to Santa Cruz. As the southernmost, most isolated, far flung And I’m not sure if this next trait is considered developed or continued on page 10 developing, but there is a lot (I’m talking a lot, lot) of land in Argentina N u m b e r 10 8

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corner of this already under populated, underutilized country, the mystery of what this place must be like had fascinated me for years. A brief three-day trip to visit the Perito Moreno Glacier in southern Santa Cruz (on one of our tours) in March of 2003 gave me a glimpse, but the weather was cloudy (couldn’t see the mountains very well), and my mind was back home in Colorado, where I was obsessed with finishing the construction of our new log home. It was an amazing trip nonetheless, and whetted my appetite for a more in-depth exploration.

unutilized cattle feed. Several species of native poas (bluegrasses) blanket the soil in between the bunchgrass plants (called intercoirones), and these short, highly palatable, very nutritious grasses feed the sheep for most of the year. One species of fescue bunchgrass, called coiron blanco, provides a lot of winter feed when snow covers the landscape, but otherwise, it is essentially untouched by the continuously grazing sheep.

Many of the valley bottoms (called vegas, or mallines) are naturally subirrigated with tremendous production potential, and they contain a diversity of grasses, forbs, rushes, and sedges. Many of them are also Open Spaces covered up in waterfowl (native ducks and geese), including numerous flocks of bright pink flamingos. Unfortunately, they are continuously setWell, we just returned from leading two more trips to stocked and producing way below their potential, both in terms of forage Argentina, one of which included another three-day escape to the dry matter and species diversity. glacier country of Santa Cruz. Before and after our tours, I also Unlike the sheep outfits of western North America, which herd sheep daily made two personal trips down there myself, visiting a variety of on the annual trek from desert winter country to alpine summer country, ranches over the course of about ten days.

Patagonian sheep operations setSanta Cruz looks like Wyoming. stock at low density for five-six Because of the moderating effect of months on the summer country, and the oceans (never more than a for the balance of the year on the couple hundred miles away), it winter country. In most of the doesn’t get as cold or as hot, but it summer country, the easy-to-get-to looks like Wyoming. About 90 areas have the characteristic patches percent is natural steppe grassland where the majority of the and shrubland (with topography intercoirones have been severely including hills, plains, canyons, overgrazed for decades. Bare ground valleys, and mountains), and most and soil erosion is rampant. If not of the rest is forested mountains for the protection of the adjacent (native beech) in the Andes. Only bunchgrasses, lots of country would one tenth of 1 percent is cultivated, have blown away a long time ago. and 90 percent of that little bit is The winter country, which is perennial, irrigated, cool season typically only 1,000-1,600 feet (300pasture. Until last year, it only had 500 meters) below the summer two paved roads in the entire country, but just under the province (which, at just under permanent snowline, is the limiting 98,000 sq miles/245,000 square km, factor in determining stocking rate is half the size of Spain), and with a A typical little bunch of Merino ewes–one of hundreds scattered across this in Santa Cruz (i.e. most ranches population of roughly 200,000 (40 huge summer pasture. have more summer country than percent of which lives in the Atlantic needed, and are short on winter ground). It’s in even worse shape than the coastal city of Rio Gallegos), comes in at under 1 inhabitant per sq km. summer country. Being naturally drier and less productive, many ranches Wyoming, the least populous of the lower 48, has 2. Santa Cruz is how I have historically hammered their winter country through spring green-up as imagine the western United States must have been 120 years ago. It’s my they wait for snow to melt higher up. Many areas once dominated by coiron kind of place. blanco have been overgrazed so extensively that this valuable plant has been But, in our modern world of limitless options, very few choose totally displaced. to be ranchers in Santa Cruz. The vast majority of this province is The Argentine Patagonian sheep outfits haven’t really sorted out how owned by Argentines (no foreign invasion, yet), most of whom live to deal with winter yet, either. The primary risk associated with raising in the city of Buenos Aires or in a major city somewhere in woolies is the occasional winter blizzard that literally buries the sheep.

Patagonia. The average size ranch measures about 50,000 acres They take shelter in the lee of a big boulder, and the snow drifts over to (20,000 ha). I only visited one ranch (out of eight) where the completely bury them. Where the sheep don’t have shelter, they huddle owner actually lived on his ranch and made his full-time living together in tight bunches. If they don’t smother themselves, the body heat from the land. The owner of one other big place spent most of the of the mob melts the snow, the water freezes, and the sheep get stuck to summer on the ranch, and the other six had been occupied at the ground (so I’ve heard). There are stories of sheep being buried for an some point (30-40 years ago), but were now in a state of near or total abandonment. Most of these neglected ranches were leased to entire month before being rescued (and actually surviving). As the Patagonians emphasize, sheep are “muy sufridos,” which means they bigger outfits still hanging on as viable sheep operations. are awfully damn tough, no matter what cattlemen say.

Grazing Patagonia Style But, depending on the specific location of a ranch’s winter country, these extremely costly blizzards can be expected as often as once every six And, yes, this is sheep country, at least traditionally. With its or seven years, and they can be totally devastating. The last really bad, preponderance of stipa (needlegrasses) and festuca (fescue) native widespread winter was in 1995, and several of the ranches we visited, bunchgrasses, called coirones in Spanish, it also has an awful lot of 10

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back in 1909, we finished the excavation of a six-mile (9.6-km) long which experienced losses as high as 70 percent, still hadn’t recovered (i.e. tunnel through a granite mountain to the Gunnison River, opening up they were still stocked way below carrying capacity, and didn’t have 146,000 acres (58,000 ha) of desert to flood irrigation. President Taft sufficient capital to get their numbers back up). showed up the day we opened the headgate. We are into irrigating.

In the western U.S., we understand these sorts of winters. They happen In Santa Cruz, irrigation is almost non-existent, and, therefore, so is every now and then, and most of us are addicted to our hay-making habit haymaking. Now I’m not into making hay at all, but if I can expect a that has evolved as an insurance policy against winter starvation. We’ve killer blizzard once every seven years, I’m not against having a store of taken haying to an extreme, however, and typically put up and feed lots forage stacked up ready to feed. Putting up one seventh of a winter’s feed more hay than we need. We could direct graze our standing forages and demand each year (to save for that one really bad year) isn’t that utilize our vast tracts of semi-arid desert country much more than we do. daunting or expensive, especially when it means your herd will survive. It’s In Patagonia, letting the animals make do, no matter the conditions, is the middle ground. Putting up the whole winter’s feed supply every year is the habit and culture–no haymaking, the sheep will come through. It’s daunting and is very about 180 degrees from the North expensive–prohibitively expensive, America norm. if you plan to make any money It seemed to me like a middle with livestock. So, from my ground, and a sound winter outsider’s perspective, a blizzard contingency plan, had combination of careful grazing potential. First of all, there is planning and an insurance policy, basically no management of sheep in the form of a haystack, could grazing patterns, with the make the back-breaking threat of exception of this basic migration winter a whole lot less formidable. from the summer country to the One ranch had developed the winter country and back again. infrastructure to irrigate a big Each ranch we visited had pastures chunk of its winter country. I asked that were the least susceptible to the manager how water rights were winter blizzard losses. That is, they adjudicated, rationed, etc., and he were easy to access (in case sheep looked at me with a big question did have to be dug out from under mark on his face. “Here, you just the drifts), had good cover of talluse the water,” was his eventual growing coiron blanco, had north response. With such vast quantities facing slopes that tended to melt off quicker (remember, we’re in the La Leona River, which runs out of Lake Viedma and into Lake Argentino, of water flowing unused to the Atlantic, the idea of “rationing” southern hemisphere–the north is one of Santa Cruz’s major watercourses. water rights seemed a little slopes are the sunny slopes), had ludicrous to him, and I guess rightly so, if you live on a river-rich frontier. areas of good brushy cover (for protection), etc. Saving these pastures for the months of greatest possible blizzard conditions seemed like an easy Lamb-hungry Carnivores first step. Almost no ranches were taking this simple step, however. The sheep were spread out all over the place all winter.

They’ve also got a few predators in Patagonia, namely red foxes (a native fox to southern South America, different from North American red River-Rich Frontier foxes) and pumas (the local name for mountain lions). The Patagonians don’t shed lamb. The average outfit has 7,000-8,000 sheep, and shed There is a lot (as in so much you can’t believe it) of water in the Andean lambing that many ewes sounds awfully chaotic to me. They lamb out on foothills. Creeks and springs are everywhere, and rivers are pretty common, too. We visited one 200,000-acre (80,000-ha) place with 45 miles (72 km) of the range, unassisted, but incredibly prone to predation loss. But, as I said, these sheep aren’t herded, but are spread out all over the place. There is no river inside the ranch. These aren’t little desert “rivers” either, but major, major watercourses. Where the Santa Cruz River flows out of Lake Argentino, control. Average lamb marking percentages are only about 70 percent, and 80 percent is exceptionally good. I’m not into shed lambing either. I think which is about 12 miles (19 km) wide on average and 80 miles (128 km) the sheep should take care of themselves, but if excessively healthy long, it is fully navigable all the way to the Atlantic, about 180 miles (300 populations of foxes and pumas are standing by waiting for a free dinner, km) away. it seems like, again, a little management could go a long way.

The quantity of water, which is a brilliant turquoise, due to its glacial These ranches have plenty of gauchos. They spend a lot time riding big origins, is overwhelming. In his journey around the coast of South America, Charles Darwin took a side tour and navigated nearly the entire length of the circles and “controlando” (somehow controlling) everything. I couldn’t Santa Cruz River. A day before he would have reached the river’s origin at the really figure out what they were controlling. It seemed to me they were just riding around looking at things, and checking their fox and puma traps. edge of Lake Argentino, he and his crew determined that time was short and they needed to turn around and head back to the Beagle. Darwin was crushed If they were actually out there herding these sheep–keeping them together and constantly moving to fresh forage–and if they could do this while to have to make such a difficult decision. He could see the Andes in the distance, and desperately wanted to investigate them close up. He had no idea lambing, I figure their predation losses could be hugely reduced (see More Sheep, More Grass, More Money, available from the Stockman Grass that this unbelievable body of water lay just out of sight.

Farmer, by Peter Shroedter for an explanation of how to pasture lamb in Anyway, the point is the possibilities for flood irrigation of the easy a migrating band of sheep). If they adopted the practice of keeping lowlands are agonizingly prodigious for a guy like me from Colorado, where every acre that can be irrigated is irrigated. In my community, way continued on page 12 N u m b e r 10 8

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livestock guard dogs with their sheep, these losses could be reduced to a minimum, and instead of marking 75 percent, 130-150 percent might be possible.

And that percentage, of course, equals money. Patagonian lamb and wool is traded on the international commodity markets. From southern Patagonia, and Santa Cruz in particular, these goods are shipped out of the coastal city of Rio Gallegos. Merino wool with a micron of 19 was bringing just over US$1.36/lb ($3.00/kg) at the time of our visit, which is more than North Americans are receiving, and a little less than the Australians and New Zealanders. The Aussies and Kiwis are currently complaining about their wool prices, but since US$3.00 turns into nearly 10 pesos, the Argentines are pretty happy. Patagonian overheads (labor, taxes, insurance) are a lot less than their southern hemisphere neighbors across the sea. Lamb prices were hovering around US$1.13/lb ($2.50/kg), which also seemed like a windfall to the Argentines. The Patagonian sheep industry is currently very profitable.

Good times don’t last forever, of course. Commodities rise and fall with supply and demand, and a tough winter can level out a string of good years. But, this story is about the potential of planning, and specifically, the power of planning in making the bad years a little less bad, and making the good years really great.

Patagonia is still the frontier, with everything still to be done. The possibilities are so intriguing (for a guy who loves to make money from grass and water), I couldn’t sleep for the first couple weeks after arriving home. I think about the resource that my ancestors found when they first came to Colorado from England in 1890, and I imagine that they must have felt like I do when I’m in Santa Cruz.

Mount Fitz Roy (or Chalten, in the local language) and Cerro Torre, two of the world’s most prized and formidable mountaineering challenges.

Guanacos (the wild relative of our domestic llama) and nandues (or rheas, the South American ostrich) are everywhere. We saw one herd of at least 300 guanacos, and that morning must have also spotted 1,000 rheas.

With such an abundance of aesthetic, wildlife, and water resources, the potential for true adventure eco-tourism in Santa Cruz is tantalizing, and with a holistically-backed educational component, even more so.

Go to Patagonia, Young Man

But Argentina doesn’t exactly have a stable history. Since the 1930s, this country’s path has been characterized by turmoil, military coups of corrupt civilian governments, civilian coups of corrupt military governments, hyper-inflation, recession, and five presidents in two weeks.

You name it, Argentina has been through it. But through it all, the Argentines have remained resilient and thrifty. They are tremendous savers, and the common recessions are typically short-lived due to the Argentines digging their U.S. dollars (Argentines save in dollars) out of their mattresses (literally–they don’t trust banks) and injecting these savings back into the economy. Also, Argentina has no history of land or agrarian reform. Private property rights have always been, and remain, sacred.

Here’s the thing. From the point of view of a western North American rancher, just about everything remains to be done in Patagonia–especially Santa Cruz.

But I’m not talking about mass exploitation and resource mining.

With a holistic perspective, and a knowledge and deep appreciation of Holistic Management’s missing keys, Scenic Treasures this land can be settled right. It’s the only huge expanse of private land in But it’s not just about sheep and grass the world, that I know of, that (and cows–Patagonia needs a lot more hasn’t really yet been discovered. cows). This land is a scenic wilderness Sure, the Argentines lay claim to it, that, in my experience and travels, has no but on the whole, they don’t equal. The Andes, constantly in view from Mount Fitz Roy, topping out at 3,405 meters/yards. It’s not that the foothill corridor, are the most scenic high compared to peaks in the northern Andes, but the view is from appreciate it. They’ve halfway settled it with absentee owners, and most of mountains of anywhere I’ve been, and only 300 meters/yards, so the relief is awesome. them would be happy to turn it over they extend, uninterrupted, for a 1,000 to someone who thinks they can do something with it. miles (1,600 km) through Patagonia. North of Patagonia, they continue It’s not an easy land by any stretch of the imagination. Patagonia all the way up through Central America.

The lakes and rivers, so abundant and ubiquitous and full of trout, are needs young folks with lots of energy and a keen grasp of the physical and biological limits imposed by this harsh landscape. But, at least in the truly pristine. One ranch I visited was rimmed by a dramatic cliff, and at Andean foothills, it’s not any harsher than the West, and there is no public the base of this cliff was an extinct volcanic crater, now filled with crystal lands bureaucracy with which to negotiate. clear water, about 100 surface acres (40 ha) in size. I tossed out a spinner, My wife, Daniela, and I have the chance to visit a lot of holistically and in 20 minutes had landed four huge German Brown trout. It was as managed operations around the world. We learn a lot from these places. close to paradise as anyplace I’d ever been. On my last flight back to They stimulate new ideas and help validate that we’re on the right track Buenos Aires, I had a view of the Andean Cordillera, unclouded, for the with our practice of Holistic Management. Often, the accomplishments of last two hours of daylight. I saw mountains beyond description, hundreds these ranches reveal the untapped possibilities on our own places. But, (maybe thousands) of lakes nestled in nearly every nook and cranny, and with a well-grounded holistic perspective, the places that aren’t managed no roads. holistically tend to reveal even more possibilities. And that is the One ranch, the big 200,000-acre (80,000-ha) place, fronts Lake overriding theme of this article–seeing and recognizing potential through Viedma–another glacial fed lake, 12 miles wide (19.2 km) and 50 miles the lens of Holistic Management. On the vast frontier landscapes of Santa (80 km) long–for 35 miles (56 km), and from the ranch headquarters, Cruz, the potential is awesome. How about in your neck of the woods?. has imposing views of the Viedma Glaciar itself, plus the famous peaks of 12

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Using Horses to Regenerate Land

by Graeme Hand Editor’s note: The following essay captures some of Graeme Hand’s efforts to use horses to regenerate pasture. We asked Graeme to share this information with us because so many of our readers have requested information on how to graze horses in a way that promotes land health.

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hen using horses to regenerate land, we create small areas created with temporary electric fencing and portable water.

This area contains two horses and is approximately 500 square meters/yards. The horses stay in this area for 3-5 days depending on how much feed is available, and monitoring of dung and ground cover overrides the time we planned. It only takes about 15 minutes to set up the fencing and move the water. Our monitoring is already showing a shift from bare ground to perennials and composting litter with this system.

We always manage for ground cover. The secret is doing the monitoring. Our monitoring has led us to long recovery periods. We usually will wait more than five months before returning to a grazed area.

In our monitoring we saw that plants were not regenerating, litter was not building, and animal health was not perfect. With five months recovery we now have no worm problems for the horses, founder, etc. Some people say that horses’ grazing style is inherently bad, and they will inevitably damage the land. From our experience I am clear the problem is never the animals, it is always our management.

grasslands. We use them to maintain the grass around the house so we have no need to use herbicides or mow.

Animals become very relaxed when handled often and well. Although I am not sure this is “natural,” it is reality. For example, we had a thoroughbred that was dangerous when we first purchased it. Now our kids sit on it bareback while we are shifting temporary fencing.

Chook Caravan We’ve also been experimenting with chickens for regenerating land.

We put approximately 50 chickens into a used caravan for their nesting area and allow them pasture so we can have free range eggs and improve

Chickens have also contributed to improved land health. There are spots where the chickens have been over two years ago that are still growing more grass than areas not treated by the chickens. soil health. While the chickens are not an income generating activity, we use the eggs as a reward program for our branded beef. It only takes an hour /week to shift the van and the dogs. We have the chickens follow the cattle, and they usually only range out about 50 meters/yards from the caravan.

When animals are handled frequently and well, they become more relaxed. Having lush grass to lie down on helps too!

Another key principle to understand is that horses are designed for large volumes of relatively high fiber feed. Excess protein is a big problem in grazing animal health. The older the plants generally the better balance of protein to energy. To address this, we had tended to give the horses small volumes of high quality feed such as Lucerne / alfalfa hay.

But now we don’t supplement at all as we always found that the feeding allowed animals to pick up litter by staying too long. This is the way we also run our 200-300 cattle.

We believe well-managed horses are very powerful at regenerating

Planned grazing is now very simple because we’ve learned the most important point is making sure recovery isn’t too short.

We shift the chickens on a weekly basis with the door left open, but we tie a kelpie (used as cattle dogs) at either end for protection from foxes.

We originally didn’t have the dogs there, but after losing a few chickens because we forgot to close the door, we decided to tie the dogs to the van N u m b e r 10 8

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and have only lost a rooster since. We do not close the door except to lock in the chickens for a big shift. Normally we only shift the caravan 100 meters/yards, and the chickens shift themselves. With weekly shifts, the caravan becomes home, not the ground they roam, so the chickens continue to produce eggs even with moves.

For us, this experiment is a good design of using pets and chickens to regenerate pastures and the area surrounding our home. We have lower costs, better eggs, and less mess. We found it was important to maintain high levels of straw in the caravan to eliminate smells. Now our children take their friends inside the caravan to play in the warmth with the chooks (chickens). We rake the top straw layer and chicken manure out of the caravan with a leaf rake before each shift.

The photo on the left was taken in 2004. The photo above was taken in 2005. As Graeme moved to at least a fivemonth plant recovery period, he experienced a shift from bare ground to more perennials and composting litter.

We now have spots where the chickens have been that are still growing more grass than areas they haven’t been even after two years since the chickens were moved. The manure and straw are left to compost where we leave with no additional labor for spreading necessary.

For us the caravan is an example of how simple changes can lower costs, improve ecosystem function, improve products, and reduce work load. The hard part is working out what the simple changes are for all activities on the farm. But, evaluating actions using the testing questions allows long-term benefits to be gained.

We currently run 200 cattle on 550 acres (220 ha), also on greater than five-month recovery during the growing season, and one or two selections during the non-growing season. We see the land health improving rapidly.

With five months recovery we now have no worm problems for the horses.

We only adopt practices that build soil. Monitoring is key to making sure that we are achieving the results of increased soil health. Planned grazing is now very simple because we’ve learned the most important point is making sure recovery isn’t too short. This is a far bigger issue for us than our concern of not grazing too long.

Graeme is working toward not only reduced bare soil but a more effective mineral cycle with composting litter. By not supplementing feed, the horses are less likely to pick up plant litter needed for improved land health.

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Graeme Hand is a Holistic Management® Certified Educator who lives in Banxholme, Victoria, Australia. He can be reached at: 61-3-5578-6272 or gshand@hotkey.net.au.

Book Review

by Roy Purcell

Knowledge Rich Ranching

by Allan Nations Green Park Press, 2000

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n 2004 I attended HMI’s Range and Ranch (“R&R”) Manager Training Program.

After hearing Allan Savory speak at a meeting in Texas, I knew he had the answers I was looking for. From my participation in the R&R program, I learned the answer to many of my questions is “It depends.” It depends on how dry or wet, how cold or hot, and how slow or fast the grass growing. No two years or ranchers are the same.

But the R&R program taught me the questions to ask to get the answer I need.

When I ask myself a question, I now know the answer will require research to get the information for an informed answer. Reading good books is one way to do the research, and Allan Nation put a lot of knowledge in Knowledge Rich Ranching to make you think, and answered some of my questions as well. As I recently read this book, I was struck by how much of the information in it reinforced what I had learned in the R&R program. He offers some key principles and ideas for successful ranching.

I’d like to share some of the ones that stood out for me.

Holistic goal setting is critical in Holistic Management, and Nation also talks about the importance of goal setting. If you don’t know where you are going, how are you going to get there? Be clear about what you are doing and why you are doing it.

Profit is also critical to the success of any farming or ranching operation. Nation argues that there are two ways to make a profit: 1) Add

value to a resource, or 2) Solve problems for other people. Regardless of which route you take, you need an “unfair advantage” to succeed–figure out what yours is.

Land ownership is not a given with agricultural production–land ownership and livestock are two separate businesses. If you do decide to own land, you should only purchase it with retained profits.

The bottom line is that you need to understand what you are doing with your money and what it is doing for you. You can only do that if you keep good books and cut your costs so you can invest in things that will return money to you. That’s why the gross profit analysis is so critical. You have to find which enterprises to keep or eliminate based on what they are paying you. For that reason, invest your money in livestock and do not own anything that rusts, rots, or declines in value. You will have to hire some work out without the equipment, but it will cost you less in the long run.

Planned grazing reduces your dependency on hay, which is always a major drain for any livestock operation. If you can figure out ways to reduce your hay costs, you’ve just figured out a way to increase profit/unit. And when cutting costs, look at the biggest cost first (the marginal reaction test).

Use the cattle cycle to your advantage–sell high and buy low. You have to be flexible with your management and knowledgeable about the market to follow that advice. Everybody wants in when prices are good, but then you won’t be

buying low. Having a diversity of species in your herd helps you weather those cycles though. For example, the cattle cycle and sheep cycle are usually 180 degrees from each other so the sheep will hold you through the lean cattle years and vice versa.

The key is to stay focused on the future and what you are trying to create. You need to plan scenarios for good, bad, and worst times so you can respond nimbly to what life throws at you.

You can be more nimble if you get your production in sync with nature, which includes learning low-stress livestock handling.

To be a successful rancher, you also need to focus on the social aspects of ranching. It helps if you have a positive attitude and work with others that support you. People are attracted to people with positive attitudes. You can gain more support by being positive. It’s also critical to find a successful person (as you define successful) as a mentor.

Lastly, don’t be afraid of making mistakes.

The key is to learn from those mistakes. You can’t learn from them unless you write down your decisions and goals so you know what you want, what you did, and how to improve it next time.

We find ourselves doing things because our dad did it this way or the university did it that way. But, by asking questions, there is a better way, one that is in sync with nature or one that will make a profit and help us create the future we want. Do the research and keep learning–be knowledge rich.

Reintroducing An Old Idea pastoralists to sell them some cattle which were hauled away, slaughtered, and then the meat taken back to the people. There were cases where people were eating unsafe meat. This resulted in an anthrax outbreak.

I always carry jerky with me when I go overseas as “emergency” food. Also, it is always a favorite snack for my drivers and interpreters.

This time I even brought some recipes. I passed the jerky around to the class and explained that even a thin cow can provide good food that

continued from page 8 doesn’t require refrigeration.

But their relationship with their cattle is an example of an inroad for change. I was talking about the importance of an accurate inventory of livestock to figure gross profit. The research student (the one who wanted to conduct a survey) said “They don’t know how many cattle they have.”

I could hardly control myself at this ignorance. I said, “They know exactly how many cattle they have. They live with them!

They won’t tell you any more than you will tell me how much money you have in the bank.”

One of the pastoralist students said, “Not only do they know how many they have, they know their names!”

But change in behavior and action will require someone who lives in Ethiopia, has the respect of the pastoralists, vision, passion, and patience, and understands Holistic Management. There may be such a candidate in my class.

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programs, contact HMI at 505/842-5252 or hmi@holisticmanagement.org.

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A Gathering of New Friends news from holistic management international

Global Growth Initiative

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n the January issue of IN PRACTICE, we shared with our readers our three-year strategic plan–we call it the Global Growth Initiative. It calls for accelerated growth in our training and education programs so that we can bring Holistic Management to thousands of farmers, ranchers, and pastoral communities in the U.S. and across the globe. Along with increased efforts on our part, it also requires that our friends and donors help with financial support so that we can realize our plans.

We would like to recognize some outstanding individuals who “stepped up to the plate” and came through with most generous gifts to fuel this growth initiative. Very special thanks go to Dr. Cynthia O. and Leo O. Harris, Sallie Calhoun, Harriet Dublin, Mike and Renee Duncan, Jim and Ann McMullan, Ivan and Martha Aguirre, and Ron Chapman, as well as the Arntz Family Foundation and the Rosewood Corporation. We also want to thank the many other individuals who have contributed to this effort during the first five months of the year– they’re too numerous to name here, but we will acknowledge all who helped out in 2005 in our upcoming Annual Report.

HMI’s 2005 Annual Report is now available online on our website at: www.holisticmanagement.org/new_site_05/ Annual/Annual Report 2005.pdf.

Cynthia & Leo Harris

New Board Member

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MI is excited to announce a new addition to the Board of Directors–Leo O. Harris. Leo has served with his wife, Dr. Cynthia O. Harris, on the Advisory Council since 2003. Both are committed to creating a world in which environments are healing, agriculture is 16

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people, programs & projects

regenerative, and societies are humane and just.

Leo was born in The Netherlands where he attended the Roman Catholic seminary of the diocese of Haarlem. In 1957 he entered the Catholic priesthood and served in a variety of parishes before moving to Rome to do graduate studies at the Pontifical Biblical Institute. He later taught biblical theology at Lucia Teacher’s College in Rotterdam before immigrating to the U.S. to teach biblical theology at St. Francis Seminary in Loretto, Pennsylvania. Although he left the priesthood when he met and later married Cynthia, he has remained an unaffiliated biblical scholar ever since.

In 1984, he and Cynthia moved to a small farm in Connecticut where they both nurtured their passion for the land and studied all they could to make sure they managed it well. Their interest in regenerative agriculture stemmed from those years and continued to grow when they moved to New Mexico in 1994 and served as directors of New Farms, an agriculture-supportive organization in the northern part of the state.

Welcome, Leo.

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ancy Dickenson and Laban Wingert, two of our Santa Fe friends and supporters, recently hosted a gathering of prospective donors at Nancy’s home in Santa Fe. Allan Savory and Shannon Horst had the opportunity to talk about HMI’s work in the U.S. and globally. Thank you, Nancy and Laban, for helping us to get the word out about Holistic Management and the impact it has on the land and the families and communities who depend on it. Similar events are planned this summer in Albuquerque, New Mexico; Montrose, Colorado; and Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

On the Road

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MI Executive Director, Shannon Horst, and Senior Director of Marketing and Product Development, Peter Holter, have become “Road Warriors” in search of feedback and future opportunities for collaboration. In an effort to strengthen connections and communications, Shannon and Peter have

Training Opportunities

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here are several new HMI training opportunities available through the end of this year. The 2006 Certified Educator Training Program will be held in Kenya this year beginning on October 29, 2006. We are currently taking applications for this two-year program, as well as for the 2007 program which will be held in North America and begin in November 2007.

HMI’s Range and Ranch Manager Training Program will begin September 16, 2006. This 12-month program will be held on three holistically-managed ranches in the western U.S and cover all the basics of Holistic Management as well as grazing planning, financial planning, land planning, biological monitoring, low-stress livestock handling, and niche and commodity marketing.

Lastly, Albuquerque, New Mexico will be the site for two Introduction to Holistic Management courses. These courses will be held on August 25-27, 2006 and October 13-15, 2006. Participants will learn all the basics of Holistic Management in this course.

To get more information about any of these

July / August 2 0 0 6

Shannon Horst (right of elephant) and Peter Holter (on horse) gathered information about Africa Centre operations as part of their global travels to gather feedback about HMI operations. visited with Certified Educator representatives and long time members in the Northwest, Texas, Australia, Canada, California, and Africa.

Trips for the immediate future include the Northeast and Colorado. Shannon and Peter are also sharing relevant aspects of HMI’s Strategic

Plan and discussing it at length with Certified Educators and practitioners. Key discussions have focused on how HMI can support each region, and provide relevant services and assistance in these areas: • Identification and ranking of key target markets of opportunity • Development of clear marketing messages and sales strategies • Improvement of quality and consistent delivery of educational content • Certification and re-certification of Certified Educators to a certain recognized standard • On-going opportunities for training, networking, and group support Initial response to the visits has been positive, and the outcome of these visits will be reflected in upcoming programs and processes HMI will develop, test, and launch in 2006 and 2007.

West Ranch Field Trips

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he David West Station for Holistic Management held the 4th year of school field trips for the schoolchildren of Ozona, Texas. Four years ago Peggy Maddox designed a third grade study day focused around wind energy. Each year she has added an additional grade: a 4th grade focus on plants, a 5th grade focus on water, and this year, a 6th grade focus on soil. Each day a grade of fifty(+) children arrives to learn about nature and the ranch.

Ozona schoolchildren enjoying a hike on the West Ranch Nature Trail.

Dr. Pat Richardson of HRM of TX has volunteered for these field trips each year. As she notes, “These school days involve 200(+) fresh new minds, helping them understand their connection to ecosystem processes, helping them understand that learning is action based hands on fun. In this nation where we are rapidly producing a generation of ‘denatured’ kids who are only comfortable in front of a television or a computer, these school field days immerse students in outdoor experiences and introduce

nature in terms of complexity, beauty and need.”

Peggy could use more volunteers for this educational outreach component. If you would like to volunteer for next year, please contact her at westgift@earthlink.net.

HRM of TX Receives Grant

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RM of Texas has received a three-year grant from The Dixon Foundation titled, “Increasing Sustainability and Effectiveness in HRM of TX.” HMI former board member, Clint Josey, helped to facilitate this $68,600/year grant through his long-time friendship with Roger McFarland “Dick” Dixon.

HRM of TX will use this grant to increase agricultural and land stewardship in Texas. They will use some of the money to increase capacity at HRM of TX which will allow them to better serve their constituents and raise $5 million for the new HRM of TX Foundation. HRM of TX currently develops four to six learning events per year, but the new funds will allow them to expand over the next six years with increased research and data, education and training, a public introduction program (more smaller meetings), participate with other states in a “Save the Farm” program, develop a membership recruitment program, and offer nonprofit support services to surrounding states.

Heifer Project Complete

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ertified Educator Cindy Dvergsten completed work on HMI’s contract with Heifer International to share Holistic Management with Keyah Be Iina, a community group within the Hard Rock Chapter House of the Navajo Nation. This project is one of a number of strategic partnerships between HMI and Heifer International. Keyah Be Iina is located in an isolated area characterized by a low per capita income–62 percent of the families live below poverty. Working with Keyah Be Iina organizers and Heifer, Cindy organized five Holistic Management training sessions for community members and Heifer International field staff.

Through these workshops, approximately 80 people received training, and a core group of 10 have formed to continue to work together.

management of the lands and the enterprise of livestock and hunting together in a comprehensive approach, with an eye to improving the health and productivity of the land, livestock and wildlife. The plan also includes assisting these enterprises with Holistic Management® Financial Planning to improve their productivity and profitability. HMI is thrilled to be working with Director Sam Diswood and his staff at Acoma.

Finance Director Recognized

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ob Borgeson, HMI’s Director of Finance, Accounting & Administration, was recognized by the Board of Directors at the March board meeting for greatly enhancing our financial and administrative capacity. Ron Chapman, Chair of the Board, noted, “Building an organization that allows us to effectively deliver our message and services may not be glamorous, but it is critical. Bob has made a tremendous contribution toward HMI’s goals.” Thanks, Bob!

Pennsylvania Grant

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he Tioga County Conservation District in Pennsylvania has been awarded a grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Natural Resources to move “Beyond Compliance.” This two-year grant will support the work of the Conservation District and two Holistic Management® Certified Educators to provide farmers and agency personnel tools to integrate Holistic Management in the management of the Pennsylvania’s Susquehanna River Watershed headwaters, a tributary to the Chesapeake Bay. This pilot program will provide farmers with the opportunity to develop strategies to better manage their farm as a whole. It also has the potential to increase awareness of and compliance with environmental regulations while addressing some of the social and economic issues facing farmers in this area.

If this pilot project proves successful at protecting the natural resources and the farming communities of Tioga County, the Holistic Management approach could be expanded to benefit and increase compliance in other counties and regions in Pennsylvania.

Acoma Pueblo Project

Colorado Branch

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MI recently signed an agreement with Acoma Pueblo to provide planning services in Holistic Management for the Pueblo’s livestock, game and hunting departments and lands. This contract includes helping Pueblo staff who oversee these operations to create an overall plan for three large ranches owned by the Pueblo, comprising approximately 232,000 acres. This is a first effort by the Pueblo to bring the

he Colorado Branch Summer Tour will be hosted this year by George Whitten and Julie Sullivan near Saguache Colorado August 4-5, 2006. The theme will be “Managing For A Triple Bottom Line.” There will be camping, BBQ with grassfed beef, and entertainment. People can contact Cindy Dvergsten at requests@wholenewconcepts.com or at 970/882-4222.

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