#111, In Practice, Jan/Feb 2007

Mark your calendar for November 1 - 4, 2007 for the Holistic Management International Gathering,scheduled to take place in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in historic Old Town.

We anticipate as many as 500 international educators, practitioners, and othersinterested in Holistic Management and land stewardship. Our theme, Healing the Land:Practical Solutions to Complex Problems, will focus multiple sessions and workshopson a wide variety of topics, including soil health, animal behavior, genetics,strengthening the Holistic Management social toolbox, multi-species grazing, accessinggovernment money, other forms of ranch income, low stress livestock handling, andmuch more. We certainly hope you will join us!

General structure of the Gathering will include a WelcomeReception Thursday evening, November 1, and a grand openingof the Friday schedule of events with an inspiring keynote addressfrom Joel Salatin, author of Family Friendly Farming andYou Can Farm. Joel will be sharing his thoughts on building alocal food system, and, in afternoon sessions, conduct a specialsession, providing insights and practical knowledge on developinga farm to earn a white-collar income.

We are also pleased to open the Saturdayschedule of events with popular speaker and author Dr. TempleGrandin (Animals in Translation and The Unwritten Rules ofSocial Relationships) speaking on how consumers can be changeagents.

Our Saturday luncheon keynote will benationally syndicated radio host ThomHartmann, author of The Last Hours of

Ancient Sunlight, offering thoughts and actions on humanrelationships as they are tied to the environment and naturalresources.

Allan Savory will close our 2006 Gathering at a finalreception.

We cordially invite you participant in the HMI 2007 InternationalGathering. Engage in extensive opportunities for learning and theexchange of valuable ideas from all over the world. Won’t you join us?

As the details develop, we will update both IN PRACTICE and our website. Stay tuned!

INS IDE THIS ISSUE

TEXAS

HMI Grapevine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16Book Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17Certified Educators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18Network Affiliates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20Marketplace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20

FEATURE STORIES

NEWS & NETWORK

HRM of TX, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2Peggy Cole

A Texas Learning Site . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3Maryann West

Animal Impact & Soil Health . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4Dr. Pat Richardson

Seamless Marketing & Holistic Management . . .5Aspen Edge

Land & Livelihood Restoration in Zimbabwe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6Jody Butterfield

ISU Grazing Research––Detecting Changes on the Land . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8Keith T. Weber

Holistic Management has been goingstrong in Texas for over 20 years. Seeinformation about the HRM of Texasannual meeting on page three. Likewise,The West Ranch in Ozona, Texascontinues to provide Holistic Managementoutreach and research, including theSARE Grant featured on page four.

LAND & LIVESTOCKOn the Howell Ranch––Profitable Custom Grazing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9Jim Howell

Sticking with It on the Circle Ranch . . . . . . . . . . 11Jim Howell

The National Animal Identification System––A Contrast In Policy Formation . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13Rob Rutherford

January / February 2006 Number 105 www.holisticmanagement.orgJanuary / February 2007 Number 111 www.holisticmanagement.org

Joel Salatin

Dr. TempleGrandin

ThomHartmann

2 IN PRACTICE � January / February 2007

2006 was an exciting and transitional yearfor Holistic Resource Management ofTexas. Beginning with a generousinfusion of funds from the Dixon Water

Foundation to implement an aggressive vision ofincreased activity and financial sustainability,HRM set out to accomplish what has come to beknown as The Dixon Grant.

In February, the HRM Board met to beginimplementing the Dixon Grant. HMI Senior Staff,Shannon Horstand Peter Holter,joined us to see howHMI and HRM of TXcould furthercollaborate. Onecritical agenda itemwas to select aDirector ofDevelopment to helpcreate a supportingfoundation thatwould allow HRM tosustain.

Meanwhile out inthe field, the 2006HRM programsbegan. In March,HMI hosted a fieldday on the WestRanch near Ozona.This was part of theoutreach componentof our two-year SARE(Sustainable Agriculture Research andEducation) grant, researching the effect ofvarious grazing methods on the encroachment ofjuniper.

Besides our annual meeting we held a numberof field days. The Seco Valley Ranch field day inJune was on Don and Debbie Davis’ grassfed TexasLonghorn beef operation, 1,883 acres nearBandera, Texas. In August, Walt Davis and PeggySechrist taught our second annual Ranching forProfit School, this time in the Tomball area, nearHouston. The class, made possible by a grant fromThe Magnolia Charitable Trust, was well stockedwith enthusiastic people hungry for knowledgeabout this way of managing ranches. These folkshave now requested a follow-up advanced class.

Following that two-day class was a half-dayLow Stress Stockmanship class taught by Guy

Glosson at the ranch of Gloria and Tony Foltin inthat same area. A hands-on class, learningfocused on the Bud Williams-style of movingcattle smoothly through sets of cones.

In September we joined the Dixon WaterFoundation in hosting a series of events at BearCreek Ranch, just west of Fort Worth. We beganwith a full day of Guy Glosson’s Low StressStockmanship. This was a fundraiser for HRM,with Guy Glosson donating the entire event to

HRM. In October,HRM Board MemberSharon Lane hostedus on her 432-acreranch nearCorsicana for theShadow MountainRanch Field Day. Weemphasized thepositive aspects offragmentation whichcan occur if thefragments of a poorlymanaged ranch arepurchased by holisticmanagers. Topicsincluded plans forthe ranch, wildlifehabitatimprovement, nativeplant ecotypes,governmentprograms and usefultools.

Besides field days, HRM of Texas offers othertypes of outreach. HRM Directors are often indemand to speak locally, nationally, and eveninternationally. Dr. Pat Richardson, Dr. DickRichardson, Malcolm Beck, Richard Sechrist andothers have been busy sharing the message ofHolistic Management.

Right now planning is in full swing for HRMof Texas 2007 programs. We will begin with ourannual meeting in February (see page 3), andcommittees are working now to arrange six fielddays, a collaboration with the Oklahoma LandStewardship Alliance, another with TexasOrganic Farmers and Gardeners (TOFGA) andthe American Grass-fed Association. Thesequality educational programs will continue tooffer Texans the opportunity to learn moreabout Holistic Management.

Holistic Management International is a non-profitorganization dedicated to promoting resourcemanagement that restores land to health and operations toprofitability. As the worldwide pioneer of Holistic Manage-ment, we’ve worked successfully with ranchers, farmers,pastoral communities and other entities since 1984.

FOUNDERSAllan Savory � Jody Butterfield

STAFFShannon 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 Constance Neely,

International Training Programs Director

Ann Adams, Managing Editor, IN PRACTICE and Director of Publications and Outreach

Kelly Bee, Accountant

Maryann West, Executive Assistant

Donna Torrez, Administrative Assistant

BOARD OF DIRECTORSRon Chapman, Chair

Ben Bartlett, Vice-ChairGail Hammack, Secretary

Sue Probart, TreasurerIvan Aguirre

Jody ButterfieldDaniela HowellBrian MarshallJim McMullan

Ian Mitchell InnesJim Parker

Christopher PeckSoren PetersJim Shelton

Roby WallaceDennis Wobeser

ADVISORY COUNCILRobert Anderson, Corrales, NM

Michael Bowman,Wray, COSam Brown, Austin, TX

Sallie Calhoun, Paicines, CALee Dueringer, Scottsdale, AZGretel Ehrlich, Gaviota, CA

Cynthia Harris, Albuquerque, NMEdward Jackson, San Carlos, CA

Clint Josey, Dallas, TXDoug McDaniel, Lostine, OR

Guillermo Osuna, Coahuila, MexicoYork Schueller, Ventura, CA

Africa Centre for Holistic ManagementPrivate Bag 5950, Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe

Tel: (263) (11) 404 979; email: [email protected] 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: [email protected].; website: www.holisticmanagement.org Copyright © 2007.

HRM of Texas, Inc–Starting our 20th yearby Peggy Cole

HRM of Texas collaborates with The West Ranch toprovide field days for the public. Dr. PatRichardson shares her knowledge about soilmesofauna as part of her efforts to educate thepublic about the importance of soil health.

115. The West Ranch now also has 900 ewes, 200lambs, and 20 rams. To round out the ranchingchallenges, Peggy and Joe have begun work tocertify organic both the land and the livestock.

Peggy, a Certified Educator, has focused herenergies on engaging the students from a numberof school districts in the area. Working with agrant from the National Fish and WildlifePartners, elementary education at the West Ranchincluded dung beetle farming, ground water flow,

and soil and plant science. In this year alone,“The West Ranch Lady,” as Peggy is now known,and her volunteers, Pat Richardson, Art Roane,Kathy Dickson, Gretchen Maddox, and KarenMcGinnis, hosted 212 students and 17 teachersfrom grades 2-6. Plans for the future include

expanding the curriculum andincluding a gifted and talentedprogram for middle school.This autumn, with fundingfrom the Norbury Grant, theWest Ranch also facilitated aworkshop on low-stresslivestock handling with FutureFarmers of America studentsfrom the Ozona High School.

As the educational deliverycomponent of the West Ranchcontinues to grow, the localschool’s science scorescontinues to rise. As teachersand principals credit Peggy’sprograms with increasing

scientific knowledge of earth and environmentalsubject matter, other school districts are requestingmore programs. The 2007 educational calendar isalready booked, and Peggy will oversee thedevelopment of the new elementary/middle schoolcurriculum this coming spring.

To address the increased needs of work staffand the public, the West Ranch has also begunrenovations and facilities upgrade includingpublic bathrooms for the educational programs,

and improved and heated internquarters and ranch hand housing,replaced corrals, and a new waterpump. Work is being contractedthrough HMI with a regionalconstruction company, makingbest use of the local talent andencouraging increased publicinteraction with HolisticManagement. This facilitiesupgrade has been long overdue, asPeggy and Joe have opened theirprivate quarters since 2004 to HRMof Texas field days, interns, schoolstudents, and visitors from aroundthe world.

West Ranch also hosted theeighth international intern in theHMI internship program thissummer. Asher Mutsangi, from

Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, focused his learningcontract on Holistic Management decision-making and low stress livestock. This internprogram has provided an opportunity foragricultural knowledge exchange with developingcountries.

To generate needed income and provide otheropportunities for public engagement, the WestRanch manages a hunting program during theautumn-winter season. Peggy and Joe host abarbeque for opening weekend and providespotlight and helicopter surveys for the 19 hunterswho lease hunting rights.

All of these challenges have created a need forreplanning the budget projection for 2006 and amore detailed five-year plan. As the Maddoxesmove forward with implementing this plan, theywill contend with the usual need for ranch repairin the way of windmill and pump repairs andfence supplies, as well as increased gas prices,while also planning for profit to reinvest in theranch and livestock–creating healthy land andhealthy profits.

Number 111 � IN PRACTICE 3

The David West Station for HolisticManagement is located southeast ofOzona, Texas. Gifted to HMI in 2002,this learning site has been managed by

Joe and Peggy Maddox ever since. As long-time Holistic Management practitioners, theMaddoxes have been managing this learning siteas a working ranch, as an educational resourcecenter for the regional school children, and as aresearch site for Southern Sustainable AgricultureResearch & Education (SARE)and international interns.Guided by HMI’s and their ownholisticgoal, Joe and Peggy havefaced the 2006 challenges of thetriple bottom line.

As in many locations in theSouthwestern U.S., the WestRanch experienced continuingdrought throughout the firstseven months of the year. Toaddress this issue Joe culled cowsearly, sold yearlings, andincreased livestock moves beforeresorting to alfalfa hay andrange cube purchases.Fortunately, the sheep producedmany spring lambs. By mid-August, Joe and the ranch handswere preparing for herding thelivestock to maximize forage. The rain picked upin late summer, and Joe culled the dry cows andpurchased 54 breed heifers. As the hands begantraining the livestock for herding in October, Joepurchased another 30 black heifers and fourAngus bulls, bringing the herd to approximately

A Texas Learning Site–West Ranch Updateby Maryann West

Catching Raindrops–Abundant Water for TexasHRM OF TEXAS ANNUAL CONFERENCE

Kerrville, Texas • Feb. 10, 2007Speakers & Workshop Presenters include

Richard Sechrist, Peggy Maddox, Malcolm Beck, Pat Richardson, and Terry Gompert

Learn about Holistic Management, watershed management,water conservation, dung beetles, and how to influence policy

makers. Holistic Planned Grazing Course taught by TerryGompert and Holistic Financial Planning taught by Peggy

Maddox and Jim and Judy Reed on February 9, 2007.

Register online at www.hrm-texas.org or call 512-847-3822

Schoolchildren from Ozona Public Schools spent part of their field day in May2006 creating naturalist journals and learning about the environment.


In 2005, HRM of Texas received a SouthernSustainable Agriculture Research andEducation (SARE) grant to examine theissue of cedar infestations. The proposal,

Addressing Cedar Infestations Sustainably–Using Animal Impact to Increase forageProduction and Improve Soil Health, was touse The David West Station for HolisticManagement (The West Ranch) as a researchfacility to see how holistic planned grazingwould affect soil health and cedar infestation.

The first organizational meeting took placein May 2005 and included the managers of theWest Ranch–Joe and Peggy Maddox; Dr. RichardTeague of Texas A&M Extension; ArtRoane–rancher and Hair Sheep AssociationOfficer; Dr. John Walker–Director of Research,Texas A&M University System Research; SteveNelle-NRCS Wildlife Biologist; Drs. Patricia andDick Richardson–ecologists at Univ. of Texas atAustin; and Peggy Cole–Executive DirectorHolistic Management of Texas and projectphotographer.

We designed a research plan which includedcreating 10 paddocks of similar size (100 acres/40ha each) and terrain. We assigned each paddockto one of four different grazing managementpractices: moderate continuous grazing, oneherd/three paddock rotation, no livestock grazing,or high-density, short-duration planned grazing. A200-acre moderate continuous graze paddock(referred to as Paddock 9) had previously beenfenced. Next we determined, located and markedthe end points for the paddock fences, and thenlocated the position of all 12 monitoring transects.

The monitoring protocol we selected was tomonitor each treatment area twice a year at three100-meter transects. The high-density, short-duration planned-graze treatment uses largenumber of animals for a short time period withapproximate 180-day recovery. The one herd/threepaddock rotation treatment means the paddocksare being grazed on a nine-month rotation (threemonths per paddock), so that the herd does notgraze the same paddock at the same time of yearevery year, and gives approximate 180-daysrecovery.

In June 2005 we gathered the first round oftransect data. The transect protocol consists ofapproximately 100 meters, with a peg placed ateach 10 meters. At each peg, a meter square (ofpvc pipe) is placed on the ground with one corneron the peg and the opposite corner pointed toward

the next peg in the transect. At each square we estimated:

1. The percentage of large rock (bigger than afist)

2. The percentage of small rock (small rock =thumbnail to fist size. Less than thumbnailsize = part of soil)

3. Percentage of litter 4. Percentage of basal 5. Percentage of bare ground6. Percentage of spike moss (An indicator species)

At each corner of the square (either inside oroutside) we measured in inches and identified thenearest living forb and the nearest livingperennial grass.

Along the length of the transect, we performedtwo monitoring walks:1. Seedling belt transect. Within a two-foot

wide belt, we counted number and type of treeseedlings between each peg (seedling is 8inches or less in height).

2. Canopy cover. We identified any tree (orwoody species) that is providing canopy coveralong the transect count.We also took some baseline soil samples

collected from under clumps of native grass andunder trees near transects in each treatment. Thesoil meso-fauna that were extracted from thesamples were observedwith a dissectingmicroscope and filmedwith a third eye digitalvideo camera toproduced a 12-minutemovie showing thediversity and behavior ofthe fauna found in thesoil samples. The videohas been presented at theWest Ranch field dayand at multipleconferences.

In December of lastyear we completed allthe electric fences for alleight new paddocks. Webegan the one herd/threepasture rotation with aherd of two cows and 10sheep on a three-monthrotation (each paddockis grazed for threemonths followed by a

six-month rest). The moderate continuous grazewas done using three bulls and 10 sheep. Lastly,the high-density, short-duration planned-grazetreatment took place in December 2005 for threedays per paddock with 72 cows, 800 ewes, 200lambs, and 19 bucks. In June of 2006, we grazedagain for two days per paddock with 44 cows, 900ewes, 200 lambs, and 19 bucks.

On December 19-20, 2005 we gathered thesecond round of transect data and collected athird round on July 13-14, 2006. While previousmonitoring indicated increased soil and planthealth with the return of livestock to the land, themost recent monitoring indicates that stockdensity is still not sufficient to address the landneeds. Preliminary analysis suggests that there isno significant difference among the four test plots.To rectify this situation, Joe and Peggy Maddoxwill begin herding the livestock to increase stockdensity and animal impact in the high-density,short-duration, planned-graze treatment area.Further monitoring will tell us if this additionaleffort can push soil health past the plateaucurrently experienced.

For more information about this research,contact Dr. Pat Richardson at:[email protected].

Animal Impact & Soil Health—Update on Texas SARE Grantby Pat Richardson


When I read Doc Hatfield’s evocativecomments about his beef in INPRACTICE #109, “The SustainableProduction System,” I was reminded

that when we develop any business that isholistically-managed, we sell much more thanour product. There are values behind thatbusiness which should be seen to run rightthrough the product and its delivery. This isseamless marketing–who we are and what westand for, is evident in everything we do. Thiscreates consistency and clarity, not only forourselves, but for our clients and customers. We can be secure in the knowledge that all ourefforts are leading us towards our holisticgoal.

Honing In When we started to develop our three-product-

based business, we foundthat using the followingmarketing processalongside holisticdecision-making resultedin tremendouseffectiveness. Previously,marketing had been a‘shot-in-the-dark’ affair.It was easy to react to ourconcerns about income-generation by tryingsomething new. However,this resulted in lack ofconsistency, wastedresources, and minimalresults. Once, we began topractice HolisticManagement, we became much clearer aboutwhere we wanted to be headed. This in turnprovided us with the foundation for the marketingmessenger outlined in our brand map andelevator pitch. These frameworks complementedeach other perfectly. We went through the wholeprocess for each of our products, but forillustrative purposes, I will use the first that waslaunched–The Lodge.

Although we have had a holisticgoal in placesince 2003, we decided to begin afresh by writingour Story–a short summary of what had broughtus to where we are today. This enabled us toreview and identify anything that was out-of-keeping with the quality of life we were trying tocreate. We then drafted our Vision, whichdovetailed beautifully with the process ofreviewing our family holisticgoal, and went on tocreate The Lodge holisticgoal. This in turn, drove

our marketing messenger.We highlighted those feeling words from The

Lodge holisticgoal–inspired, passionate,committed, supported, rewarded, nurtured–andtranslated them into:

Tonal values How we would want people to describe us

after meeting us

• Friendly (we enjoy the company of our guestsand treat them in a relaxed and respectful way)

• Attentive (our guests are here to enjoy a servicewhere they are catered to as unique individuals)

• Caring (we are passionate about what we doand demonstrate this through the care weextend to people, physical resources and nature)

• Authentic (we practice what we preach and ourguests see this in the way they are treated, the

way we live and farm our land)Service ValuesWhat we want people to

think about our services.

• Enlightening (the insights weprovide open up our guests’minds to new potential intheir own lives)

• Effective (we always meet ourguests’ needs through deeplistening and positive action)

• Ethical (we take intoconsideration social, economicand environmental values)

• Inspiring (our enthusiasm forthe life we are creatingencourages change)

Corporate ValuesWhat we stand for as a business

• Sustainable (weleave anincreasinglysmaller ecologicalfootprint)

• Partnership (weenjoy establishinglocal andinternationalsupportiverelationships)

• Positive (we worktowards making apositive differencein our lives andthe lives of others)

• Professional (we maintain high standardsconsistent with our tonal values)Core ValueA two or three word description of the brandIn partnership with nature (this provided us

with our strap/tag line and unique sellingproposition–what would make us stand out fromthe crowd)

Implementing the MessageOnce this process was completed, we were able

to compare our ‘brand map’ to the values in ourquality of life statement. We asked ourselves “Arethe values that support the kind of life we want tocreate reflected in our marketing messenger?”When we had the green light, we moved ontocreating the policies, strategies, and objectives thatwould reflect both our holisticgoal and ourmarketing messenger. We broke down each ofthese elements into social, economic andenvironmental components.

For example, one social policy was that wewished to be seen as friendly, caring, attentive, andauthentic (which directly related to our tonalvalues, which in turn, related to our holisticgoal).This was then translated into the following socialstrategy–that social protocols are clearly outlined,agreed-upon and communicated.

Out of this strategy, the following objectivesfor the year were outlined–create a guest ‘safetyand comfort’ booklet, offer 100% money-backguarantee, provide complete websiteinformation to help guests plan and enjoy theirholiday, provide a complimentary selection oforganic produce on guests’ arrival, ensure wecommunicate at least once a day with guests toattend to their needs, offer the opportunity topurchase organic eggs, milk, and bread duringguests’ stay, and offer to arrange for visits tolocal sites and other opportunities.

The Feedback LoopThe objectives were then entered onto our Life

Plan (a planning chart we created similar to theGrazing Plan and Control Chart that we use toorganize our time management), to ensure thatthey would be achieved within the timeframeallocated. We monitored our performance and re-planned as necessary.

For example, our first priority was the creationof a website. This ran over-time with the result thatwhen we were ready to take out targetedadvertising, we had missed the best time. In orderto mitigate this effect, we wrote press releases to a

continued on page 15

Seamless Marketing and Holistic Managementby Aspen Edge

Definitions• Marketing Messenger

Who we are and what we standfor as reflected in our productand targeted at our market.

• Brand Map

A summary of the values thatare reflected in the productagainst which every marketingmessage will be gauged.

• Elevator Pitch

A succinct summary of ourmarketing message

MarketingMessenger

• Story• Vision• Brand MapTonal valuesService ValuesCorporate ValuesCore Values• Elevator PitchWhat we do What we believe in Who we reach How we work


In mid-2005 HMI, the Africa Centre for HolisticManagement, and several partners launched apilot program in two rural communities nearthe Africa Centre’s Dimbangombe Ranchheadquarters in northwestern Zimbabwe withfunding from USAID. The program has threeobjectives: to utilize the livestock in two pilotcommunities to begin to restore desertifyingland and water resources; to elevate the mostvulnerable families in the two communities outof poverty through the conversion of anongoing micro-credit program to one based ongoats as currency (due tohyperinflation); and, last, to addressthe cultural prohibition againstwomen owning and/or inheritinglivestock, and the stigma of thoseliving with HIV, through genderempowerment training to the maleand female members of thegoats-as-currency banks.

Zimbabwe is breaking all kindsof records these days, none ofthem enviable: the world’sfastest shrinking economy

(down 40 percent in six years); highestinflation rate (1200 percent), lowestlife expectancy (34 for women, 37 formen); one of the highest HIV infectionrates (25 percent), unemploymentrates (80 percent) and death rateshigher than those in Darfur (3,500 perweek) due to a combination of AIDS,poverty, and malnutrition. A pilot program thatseeks to restore land and livelihoods in suchconditions faces big challenges, but even thesmallest successes make those challenges seemsurmountable.

And we have had many small successes. Thetwo pilot communities, Monde and Sianyanga,combined all their animals (cattle, goats anddonkeys) into single herds, planned theirgrazing, and herded them daily through the lastwet season. One villager at Monde who hadcrowded animals onto a cropfield prior to therains showed that with this treatment in the dryseason crop yields in the following wet seasoncould increase enormously without having toplow or apply imported fertilizers. The villagersbuilt lion-proof enclosures to keep their herdssafe at night and they provided the labor to digpipelines, and build water troughs and storagetanks. Four goats-as-currency banks were

launched, giving a lifeline to the mostvulnerable families–those headed by orphans,or grandparents or widows looking after youngchildren and orphans. And at monthly bankmeetings, men and women found a place wherethey could discuss sensitive issues openly andwomen felt comfortable expressing their hopesand fears out loud.

Dry Season ChallengesThe first challenge we faced with the onset of

the dry season in April 2006 was a gradual

diminishing of commitment to keeping animalstogether in a single herd. This shouldn’t havebeen a surprise since, once crops are harvested,villagers usually allow their animals to wanderand have continued this practice for so long thatit is now considered “tradition.” What’s more,with no fences marking village boundaries, theanimals from neighboring villages wanderedinto the Monde and Sianyanga cropfields tograze the stubble before the Monde andSianyanga herds could get to it, which playedhavoc with their grazing plans.

In Sianyanga, which is 72 miles (120 km)away, no one had seen the results achieved onthe animal-treated cropfield at Monde, and theywere hesitant to bring the whole herd onto theirfields in the dry season. But one old woman saidshe would try it and the others, once they couldsee the advantage of having the hard soil brokenup and the dung and urine applied on site for

free, soon made their own fields available. Thatit was a woman who broke the stalemate, isn’tsurprising. Having livestock fertilize the fieldssaves women having to gather manure, haul itto the fields, and spread it–a task usually seenas a woman’s responsibility. It gave themmuch-valued time for other family duties,especially for single mothers raising their ownand orphaned children.

In both communities, bank membersremained committed to keeping their animalsin the community herd. We think the reason

behind this was the continualreinforcement of their training duringmonthly bank meetings. Surveys takenof bank members one year from theirinitial training, showed that the vastmajority of them had a goodunderstanding and it was reinforcingtheir commitment to the communityherd and grazing plan.

Goats-as-Currency BanksWe won’t be able to say that the

goats-as-currency banks are afinancial success until the first interestpayments (in goats) come due inmid-2007. Each family has borrowed10 female goats at 30 percent interest,and thus 3 goats (at least two of themfemale) will be due. At that point wewill know whether enough progenyhave been produced to not only makethe interest payment, but to also build

their herd while providing animals for sale orslaughter.

However, the banks are showing signs ofsuccess in other ways. The monthly bankmeetings have become one place where bothmen and women can openly discuss genderissues, HIV prevention and stigmatization, andwhere women feel confident (and are notpunished) for expressing their differing views.Each bank has bylaws created by its membersthat allow women and girls to inherit livestock.At Monde, they had their first test case inOctober 2006 when a widowed grandmotherlooking after her only surviving granddaughter,a six year old girl, succumbed to AIDS. Her 10goats have been inherited by the granddaughterwho is now living with an uncle, who will serveas her guardian. The bank members will ensurethat the guardian respects the terms of the loancontract and uses income generated from those

Land & Livelihood Restoration in Zimbabweby Jody Butterfield

The villagers provided the labor for constructing waterpoints. Thiswoman is carrying bricks for the water storage tank at Sianyanga

10 goats and their progeny to cover her schoolfees and ensure she is well nourished.

Changes Going ForwardWhat will it take to ensure the success of our

first two pilot communities, as well as the fouradditional communities weplan to add before the pilotphase of this programconcludes in 2009? HMI andAfrica Centre program staffand our partners–HeiferInternational/Zimbabwe; ZIAInternational(monitoring/USA); PeterMundy (National Universityof Science and Technology;and Vivian Ncube (genderspecialist/Zimbabwe) met fortwo days last September todiscuss the revisions andimprovements that programstaff are now beginning toimplement.

Engagement of thetraditional as well as local(government) council leaders is the highestpriority. That started in November withleadership training, at their request, whichprogram partners Heifer International andVivian Ncube helped facilitate. Village heads willbe given much more responsibility in theprogram, including nominating members toserve on the Grazing Management Committees,identifying new bank members and nominatingbank officers, calling meetings, overseeingdisputes brought to them by the grazingcommittees or bank officers, and more. Thelocal development council will make sure localagricultural and veterinary extension officers areavailable to the program.

In the past year, villagers elected to herd theanimals themselves, rather than pay employedherders. But because some livestock owners,particularly vulnerable bank families, could notshare in herding duties, this did not work well.And because herders kept changing, there werelimited opportunities for reinforcement of thebasics, or to provide more advanced training,such as community-based veterinary care. As aresult of the first, some bank members wereasked to leave, even though each bank hadagreed to take over the herding duties of bankfamilies who were incapable of taking them on.And in the latter case, sick animals weren’tdiagnosed in time to provide simple treatmentsthat might have saved them.

In Monde and Sianyanga the villagersthemselves have been asked to come up with

solutions to the herding and animal healthproblems, but ACHM staff will be suggesting thatvillage heads select herder candidates who willbe thoroughly trained to serve as communityherders and remunerated in livestock. Goingforward, we will likely insist that new

communities create a fund (in livestock) thatwill be used to pay herders, to resupply thevillage veterinary kit, and to maintain thewaterpoint, as a sign of their commitmentbefore any funds are expended on waterpointdevelopment (pump, pipeline, troughs, storagetanks).

Animal health is the next priority. HeiferInternational will work with us to train herdersin livestock disease prevention and treatment,

and then select a smaller group for advancedtraining in the use of the veterinary kit,including inoculations, provided to each village.These “community-based veterinary workers”will receive some support from district veterinaryofficers.

Livestock owners in Monde and Sianyangawho missed out on the previous training, will beexposed to repeat/reinforcement sessions, calledby the village heads, to ensure they dounderstand how animals combined into singleherds under planned grazing can restore theirland and cause their rivers to flow once more.Going forward, we will make a number ofchanges to our curriculum to make it evenmore effective for learners who speak multiplelanguages but are often illiterate. And we willalso attempt to reach one sector of thecommunity–unemployed/uneducated youngmen aged 12 to 24–who are often consideredtroublemakers and who have avoidedinvolvement in the program (even to assist theirmothers or grandmothers with herding duties).

Social issues, or “people problems” remainour biggest and continuing challenge. In

Monde, members of twodifferent tribes harboringhistorical animosities areattempting to pull together,and not always succeeding.In Sianyanga, most of themen have left to find workand many, if not most, neverreturn except to die (usuallyfrom AIDS). All of thesethings are present to somedegree in any community. Sohow we address them in thispilot program should berelevant in other situations.

Our USAID funding endedin December. Since they wereproviding short-term“disaster relief” funds, theywere unable to continuetheir support, thoughprogram officers willcontinue to follow ourprogress with regular visits.

They have been most impressed with our AfricaCentre staff, saying they’ve rarely seen suchcommitment to ensuring the success of aproject. They have faced every challenge withcalm, and although the villagers themselves cantake most of the credit for the successes to date,it wouldn’t have been possible without thegenial but firm coaching by the Africa Centrestaff and their unwavering belief in the villagers’ability to succeed.

At the end of September, a field day was held at Monde, attendedby local and national media. Shown here is the water troughconstructed by the villagers.

The Chairman of the Sianyanga Grazing Committee with awoman whose cropfield is being “treated” by a herd of over 400goats. The goats are herded by day, and spend each night in thelion-proof enclosure which is moved across the field until the wholefield has been impacted with hooves, and fertilized with dung andurine. (Cattle and donkeys were grazing in a different area).



ISU Grazing Research–Detecting Changes on the Landby Keith T. Weber

Iwas first introduced to HolisticManagement as an undergraduate at theUniversity of Wisconsin in the late 1980s.Over a decade later, in 1999, I met Allan

Savory and began to critically consider HolisticManagement in the work I was doing at IdahoState University. At that time, the ISUGeographic Information Systems (GIS) Trainingand Research Center, which I direct, began along-term research program to investigate landcover change over time, focusing on therangeland landscape of southeastern Idaho.

Our rangeland researchprogram has since expanded, andAllan has been there every step ofthe way as our primaryconsulting expert. Most recently,GIS Center staff scientists Drs.Temuulen Sankey and JeromeTheau have embarked upon anexciting new experiment with meto examine the effect of variousgrazing treatments on rangelandhealth. The study will take placeat ISU’s O’Neal EcologicalReserve, just 30 miles south ofthe main campus in Pocatello.Here, we will compare threegrazing treatments: total rest,traditional rest-rotation grazingwith partial rest, and shortduration grazing with plantrecovery.

Doubling the Stocking Rate

Before beginning the experiment thissummer, we collected data describing pre-existing land cover condition. These data,gathered by ISU students Jed Gregory and LukeSander in the summer of 2005, include groundcover estimates for shrub, grass, litter, and bareground. In addition, the field data weresupplemented with aerial photography having aremarkable resolution of only two inches. Thisstate-of-the-art imagery gives us a permanentrecord of pre-existing conditions at the O’Nealand, with it, we can even see individual shrubsand patches of bare ground.

Using the field samples and aerialphotography, a pre-study land cover map wascreated by another of our students, JamenUnderwood. This mapping will be repeated at a

later time for comparison. Already though,these preliminary efforts have shown us thatthere are no pre-existing differences in theproportions of sagebrush, grasses, litter, and bareground among the study’s treatment sites. Thenext step was to fence the treatment areas andthis was completed later in the summer of 2005.

The primary form of comparison that will beused in this study relies upon state-of-the-artsatellite imagery from the Quickbird, SPOT, andMODIS satellites. Past research has taught usthat correctly located imagery is absolutely

essential to produce reliable results. With this inmind, we constructed five ground controlplatforms that are visible within the high-resolution Quickbird imagery. The exactlocation of each control has been recorded usingsophisticated global positioning system unitsand these points have been used to correct thecontrol locations seen in the imagery.Preliminary analyses with the correctly-locatedimagery suggest that accuracy can be boostedfrom approximately 60 percent to nearly 100percent. This unprecedented accuracy will allowus to not only map and model the study area,but also reliably detect even small changes onthe landscape.

The O’Neal Ecological Reserve is a highly-instrumented study area. We have installed a

complete weather station to record rainfall, rainrate, temperature, wind speed and direction,humidity, and even ultraviolet and total solarradiation inputs. In addition, we have installedforty soil moisture probes that constantly collectdata over the three treatment areas. During thesummer of 2006, ISU students Underwood andJacob Tibbits completed a second season ofsampling similar to last year’s, but with a fewadditional measurements like soil compactionand soil moisture.

Grazing for the 2006 growing season hasbeen completed, applyingstocking densities of .12 animalunits per acre (0.3 animalunits/ha) in the rest-rotationpasture and 2.36 animal unitsper acre (5.9 animal units/ha)in the short duration pasture.That equates to 6 and 12 animaldays per acre (ADA’s) respectively.

Of Global InterestWe plan to begin our end-of-

season analysis this fall, usingfield data and satellite imagery.Our analysis will focus onrangeland health calculationsand comparisons among thethree treatment pastures. Wemay not see many differencesthis year, but we hope tocontinue this experiment for tenyears, at which point we shouldsee fairly substantial differences.While planning this experiment,

we realized that due to its potential impact andbroad interest others may wish to collaborate.As a result, the GIS Center has established avisiting scholars program and is currentlyaccepting applications from scientists across theglobe. This new study is funded by the NationalAeronautics and Space Administration with support from Senator Larry Craig, Senator Mike Crapo, andRepresentative Mike Simpson, all of Idaho. We are excited about this study as well as ournew visiting scholars program that we hope will attract international researchers to ISU’sGIS Center and the O’Neal study area. To learnmore about the GIS Center’s research and thevisiting scholars program visithttp://giscenter.isu.edu.

Allan Savory (left) at O’Neal study area with ISU Research team (from left toright: Jamen Underwood, Jacob Tibbits, and Keith Weber).

Igrew up in two different worlds. During the entire school year, I wasbound to the sterile suburban landscape of flat, boring, soulless,seasonless, manmade Southern California. When I was a kid, strawberryfarms, orange groves, and dairies were still pretty common, but by the

late seventies, new housing tracts, industrial warehouses, and strip malls hadpushed out all relicts of reality.

Since my dad and mother were bothteachers, they had their summers free tofill as they pleased, so we all came backto my granddad’s ranch here inColorado every summer. I couldn’timagine there could be a more idyllicspot on earth, and I dreamed aboutgetting back to Colorado from themoment we left in August till wereturned the following June.

All through childhood and my earlyadulthood, I dreamed of becoming afull-time Coloradoan and making aliving from our land. After college, mymarriage to Daniela, two differentranch management jobs and abackpacking trip through Africa (tovisit holistically managed ranches),Daniela and I made the decision tofinally make the move to Colorado.That was 1996, and the summer of1997 was our first taste of being self-employed Colorado ranchers. Tomorrowmorning we’ll ship the last of this year’s cattle, and we’ll have successfullycompleted our 10th season of holistically managing the Howell Ranch.

Seasonal custom grazing (early June through November) and big gameguiding and outfitting have been our bread and butter enterprises. We’ve alsodone a little forestry work and conducted educational programs tosupplement our cash flow, and have organized and led our internationalranch tours during the winter. Through holistic financial planning and lotsof monitoring, controlling, and replanning, we’ve managed to stay inbusiness, build our own house on the ranch, capitalize an additionalranch-based business (Del Cerro handwoven textiles–see IN PRACTICE#105), and accumulate a lot of valuable experience. Before our groundingin Holistic Management, we never would have thought this would have all

been possible, but Holistic Management has given us the confidence, clarity,commitment, and skills to make it happen.

Lessons on Life and LeasingOf all the various profit-generating avenues we pursue, my heart and

my passion have always beengrounded in our grazing enterprise.Since 1997, we have beencustom-grazing cattle–some yearsyearlings, and some years cows andcalves–not only on our own 2,000acres (800 ha), but on adjacentleased ranches as well. From 1999 to2003, we leased a neighbor’s place–avery productive little irrigated patchof 240 acres (96 ha) next to ourlower place–and integrated thisranch into our own, managing bothas one grazing cell. We learned anawful lot by having that place (see INPRACTICE #88– “In a Drought,Trapping Sunshine”), but the leasewas too high, and the irrigating wasawfully labor intensive. Thelandowner was very conventional,and didn’t appreciate at all ourefforts to improve her place, and the

few bucks that we ended up with were pretty meager for all that work.After the summer of 2003, she informed us that her daughter had

purchased a few cows, and that she would need the place back the nextsummer. It immediately hit me that all that knowledge I’d gained about herspecific place was just that–specific to her place. Of course there were somelessons more broadly applicable to any ranch, but the value of the knowledgeof how to irrigate that piece of country, how and when to graze it, how towork it into the management of our place, and the increased production wewere realizing due to our management skill, evaporated with that phone call.Despite the fact that the financial side of the deal wasn’t all that attractive,losing this lease was hard to take, and over the course of the following winter,Daniela and I decided we wouldn’t take on any more leased ranches.

Number 111 � Land & Livestock 9

&LIVESTOCK &On the Howell Ranch–Profitable Custom Grazingby Jim Howell


Thanks to a tremendous increase in stock density and long recoveryperiods, the plant mix high on these steep slopes is transitioning froman overrested mess to a diverse mix very high quality, vigorousnative grasses and forbs.


10 Land & Livestock � January / February 2007

On the Howell Ranch– continued from page 9

New Perspectives,New Opportunities

Then I started reading about aguy named Greg Judy, and eventuallyread his book, No RiskRanching–Custom Grazing onLeased Land. Judy’s perspective mademe aware that all that planning andmanagement we’d done on that240-acre (96-ha) leased place, and onour family’s place (owned by myparents), was worth something, andwe needed to be compensated for it. Itsuddenly dawned on me that it’s crazyto pay the standard going rate forgrass, and then provide a way-above-standard level of management.On top of that, I was starting to get a few well-paid consultingjobs helping other ranchers with their holistic land andgrazing planning and biological monitoring. When Icalculated the time I spent doing these “professionalmanagement services,” as I call them, on our own land(which we were leasing at the going rate from my parents)and the leased place, it was pretty enlightening. Mycalculations indicated that my lessors actually owed me a littlemoney, instead of the other way around.

So, Daniela and I took a deep breath, got our story andour numbers straight, and made a presentation to myparents. We ended up renegotiating the lease, and the endresult made it a lot easier for us to justify staying here on theranch and continue living our dream. Dreams turn intonightmares if they’re not self-financing.

We still didn’t feel too enthusiastic about taking on morecountry, however, unless something came along that was justtoo good to pass up. And, in the spring of 2004, it did. We’vegot another neighbor adjacent to our high place that owns anincredible 7,000-acre (2,800-ha) ranch, which is a pretty big tract of privateground in this increasingly fragmented part of the state. The ranch is ownedby extremely successful absentee owners from the Midwest. They bought it in1999 primarily for its elk hunting potential, and came to Colorado with nointerest in or knowledge of range management or cattle.

But, to keep the ranch under agricultural tax status, they had to run a fewcows, and found a local rancher who agreed to lease the grass, irrigate the 250acres (100 ha) of bottom ground, and do all the fencing. But, they only letthese folks run 100 cows (plus or minus)–a stocking rate way too low tojustify all that work. During my summertimes growing up, I got into the habitof steering my horse through our gate and onto this place. I ended up gettingto know every nook and cranny of its canyons, benches, and ridges. It becamea part of the Colorado I dreamed about all year while in California. Aftermoving back here in the late nineties, I soon began to dream about havingthe chance to manage this ranch holistically someday. The fact that the newowner only thought their “elk” ranch could handle 100 cows brought meback to reality, however, and I didn’t let my dreams carry me away.

Then they called us in that spring of 2004. They were looking for a newlessee and were offering us the lease. At the time we were heavily immersed inour new textile business, and taking on the lease of this place was the lastthing on my mind. I told them the timing wasn’t right, but to keep us in

mind for the future. They wouldn’t take no for ananswer, and asked us to think about it for a coupleweeks. Then it dawned on us–we were in a positionto bargain. Remembering my lessons from GregJudy, I called them back and told them that if wetook the lease, we would determine the stocking rate,and I laid out all the planning and level ofmanagement that we would perform, and thebenefits that would accrue to the health of their landand wildlife populations. And, for the performanceof these professional management services andachievement of ecological improvement, we wouldcharge a management fee which would offset muchof the price of the lease. “Deal,” they said.

Holistic ResultsAnd it is a deal–a win-win deal. We’ve had the

lease for three seasons now, and have made hugestrides in increasing the ranch’s productivity,biodiversity, and overall ecological health. That’s ofcourse good for the land itself, good for our cows, andgood for their elk. We’re making a healthy grossprofit, and they pay a nearly insignificant propertytax bill due to keeping the land in agriculturalproduction. And I’m realizing a lifelong dream.

We wouldn’t have been able to broker this deal,and successfully execute it, when we showed up herein 1997, however. We learned a lot of lessons bymanaging our land and the 240-acre (96-ha) placeduring those first seven seasons, and that experienceenabled us to state with confidence what we couldachieve for them. By 2004, we knew that withstrategic placement of portable hot wires and a littleherding, we could get cattle to climb our steep slopesand clean up old rank bunchgrasses that hadn’t beengrazed in three decades. We knew the key points in

the season to irrigate bottomland for optimum production and forage quality,and we’d figured out the necessary recovery periods through trial and error.

On dryland range, we had learned that great leaps in plant vigor and soilcover come with two-year recovery periods, and we had the biologicalmonitoring data to prove it. With that guideline, we are using only half of theranch each year (outside of the irrigated bottoms), with grazed and ungrazedpastures interspersed in a mixed mosaic of “holistically planned chaos” (seeIN PRACTICE #83–Nature’s Lessons from Migratory Herbivores”). We hadlearned how the elk and deer use the land in response to our grazingmanagement, and could emphatically state that the wildlife would flourishwith the input of holistically planned livestock grazing. By freshening allthat old grass with cattle grazing, the elk and deer now congregate on ourcountry in the fall and spring, and hunting is superb.

Now, after three seasons on the new leased place, the results are verysatisfying. The bulk of the very rugged dryland country was formerlyfenced into two huge pastures taking in four main water catchments. Withone-wire, hi-tensile electric fence, we’ve now strategically split that countryinto eleven permanent pastures, and have the flexibility to break each intomultiple sub-pastures with portable polywire. With the former 100 cowshaving access to all of these different catchments for months at a time, the

Now, a year post-grazing andimpacting, these same bunchgrassesare growing with incredible vigor.

These overrested bunchgrasses display the rank, decadentcondition that formerly characterized millions of grassplants on the slopes our leased ranch. Most of these plantshave been heavily grazed, and the overburden oforganic matter returned to the soil surface.

As an only child with a slavedriving father, my dad grew upworking his tail off on thefamily farm and ranch here in

Colorado. He ended up deciding to leavethe ranch and make his livingelsewhere, but those early years instilledin him a code of ethics that transferredto the rest of his life–a code which Iknow he has striven to pass on to meand my brothers.

My dad is not an exceptionallyphilosophical sort of guy. His lessonswere short and sweet. Some werearticulated, but most were simply taughtby his solid example. Be tough. Do whatyou say you’ll do. If you make amistake, fess up. Finish the job. Stayhumble. Be generous. Listen. Respectyour elders. Show up on time. Watchyour pennies. And, the most pervasiveand oft-repeated: Don’t quit. As life’schallenges and circumstances comerolling along, I must admit that I oftenconsciously ask myself, “What would my dad do?” And, I get my answer.

This article is about lessons learned and progress made on the CircleRanch, near the far west Texas town of Van Horn. Iwrote about the Circle in the November 2003 issue of INPRACTICE, after just having completed my second yearof facilitating the ranch’s dormant season grazingplanning session. I’ve been back six times since, forvarious land planning, grazing planning, andmonitoring meetings. As I sat down to ponder where tobegin this article, it dawned on me that the code ofconduct I learned from my dad has been at the heart ofCircle Ranch’s success–especially that one about notquitting.

Circle Ranch RecapBefore I delve into where we’ve come and what we’ve

accomplished (actually what they’ve accomplished–Ihaven’t had to sweat too much), I better reintroduce theCircle. Spanning 32,000+ acres (12,800+ ha) of highChihuahua Desert, the Circle encompasses everythingfrom flat grassy prairie dominated by vast stretches ofblue gramma, to insanely rugged desert mountainwoodlands and canyons, to broad, flat escarpmentsrimmed by shear cliffs, to scrubby desert flats. Theranch isn’t that big, but the ecological andtopographical diversity within its boundaries is huge.Pronghorn antelope, desert bighorn sheep, desert muledeer, elk, mountain lions, coyotes, scaled and gambel’squail, mourning and white-winged doves, and a vast

menagerie of lizards, snakes, birds,rodents, rabbits, and hares round out aremarkable mix of fauna–especially fora piece of country that, if viewed froman airplane or the interstate, looks like abunch of rocks, cactus, and greasewood.

The ranch is owned by Christopherand Laura Gill and their four grownoffspring–young Christopher and wife,Sterling, Carolyn and husband, Peter,Josephine and husband, Marshall, andstill-single Richard. As keenoutdoorsmen and hunters, the Gillswere attracted to the ranch by itsabundance of fauna and huntingopportunities, and, after beingintroduced to Allan Savory andparticipating in HMI’s Range andRanch Manager Training Program,gained many new insights intomanaging for healthy wildlife habitat.In this sort of highly brittle country,where an average year sees 10-12 inches(250- 300 mm) of erratically spaced

rainfall, they learned that healthy land and thriving plants must receive anoccasional dose of disturbance in the form of a migrating herd of carbon-

cycling, soil surface-agitating bovines.That’s a lot easier said than done, especially in this

sort of landscape. No surface water, extreme elevationchanges, vast stretches of lowly productive, degradedland, and lots and lots of rocks don’t make for ease ofmanagement. After my first visit in the summer of 2002,I wasn’t sure if they could pull it off. But that’s before Iknew the Gills or their heroic ranch manager, CharlieKing. I’ve since learned that these folks have a lot ofheart. They’ve stuck to their vision, they haven’t quit,and they do what they say they’ll do. Charlie himself isnot a young man, but he gets more done that just aboutany man or woman I’ve ever been around, young orold. Whenever Chris locates him on the ranch radio,Charlie’s typically out of breath.

Fast Track Land PlanningOkay, compliments aside, I must admit that it took

me a year and two visits before we knew the ranch andthe grazing program well enough to sit down and do aland plan. Father Gill is impatient, and likes to seethings happening. He frequently reiterates to me that“the most successful businesses spend at least 30 percentof their time planning,” and, “80 percent of yourincome comes from 20 percent of your effort.”Planning was not what was initially happening at the


Sticking with it on the Circle Ranch–

Healthy Wildlife Habitat On A Working Ranchby Jim Howell

Most of the plants grazed on CircleRanch have the chance to go throughtwo growing seasons between grazingperiods. These sideoats gramma plantscontain standing material from theprevious year, most of which will feedthe soil, as well as high quality growthfrom the current year, most of whichwill feed the cattle.

These plants were grazed fairly heavily during the previous dormantseason, but will not be grazed this year. This forage is very highquality forage from the current growing season, and will be reservedfor use by wild herbivores over the coming winter, both as food andcover. When this pasture is grazed during next year’s dormantseason, most of this material will be returned to the soil as litter.



Circle, however, at least in the landplanning department. New waterlines,water troughs, and storage tanks werepopping up as Chris tried to push animaldensities, but there was no long-termstrategy of implementation directing theseadditions. Eventually, Chris and thefamily, with the HMI’s help, organizedthese efforts in a way that followed hisown advice. We spent three intensive dayscoming up with a detailed,comprehensive, long-range land plan inDecember of 2003. This was greatlyfacilitated by the holistic training thefamily had by then acquired.

I say long range, and on most outfits itwould have been, but again, the Gills like to see progress. What might havetaken others a lifetime to accomplish, the Gills and Charlie have nearlypulled off in three years. I won’t go into the details, but the Circle Ranchengineered and installed its own system and now has lots and lots of water.This water development was intentionally placed to aid livestock distributionand more efficient grazing planning, and to meet the demands of wildlife.The Gills have really taken Allan Savory’s insights on the interaction of plantand animal communities to heart, and think it a mistake to treat domesticand wild animals as if they are anything other than part of the samecommunity. As Chris says, “We think in terms of plants and animals, notcows and grass.”

All cattle troughs are equipped with an access ramp into and out of thewater for small mammals and birds. New waterlines running adjacent toespecially good quail habitat are plumbed with custom–designed quailwaterers (which all large and small animals can use also). Many of the newtroughs and storages have been placed along the edges of the ranchescarpments, the intention being to serve as bighorn sheep, elk, deer,antelope, small animal, bird and cattle water points.

This works financially. The ranch is now selling sheep, quail, and muledeer hunts for surprising prices. A sheep permit nets $61,000, more thanthe entire dormant season custom grazing gross income from 1,000yearlings. Mule deer hunts bring up to $10,000, quail weekends $10,000.The cattle are critically necessary for habitat health and income, and well-placed water is necessary for this to happen. If that water can also beplaced to develop valuable wildlife, with no extra effort, we get a great bigbang for the buck.

Poor water distribution was a keybottleneck in achieving an even level offorage utilization, especially in themountains and canyons and the corners ofsome of the big desert pastures. All this newwater has gone a long way to alleviatingthis problem, but so has significantlyincreased stock density. Pasture numbers(not including a handful of small trapsaround the headquarters) have gone from17 to 39, bringing the average pasture sizedown to about 800 acres (320 ha), and allnew subdivisions are made with what we’recalling semi-portable fence, which consistsof permanent posts and portable polywire.

This level of pasture subdivision andstock density, combined with excellent water distribution, now means theycan expect cattle to find their way to essentially every nook and cranny on theranch. And, because the only wires that are up at any given point arewherever the cattle happen to be, the ranch isn’t crisscrossed with miles andmiles of fence waiting to be torn out by herds of racing pronghorn. Plus, it’scheap! With Chris’ leadership, the family’s support and Charlie’s persistence,they kept at it and got ‘er done.

Grazing for ChoiceWe’ve been planning the grazing to the best of our ability all along, but this

nearly completed land plan is now enabling us to bring a much greater level offinesse to the grazing planning. Since the focus of the ranch’s management isto create healthy habitat for domestic and wild animals, those considerationscome first to mind as we decide how to bring the cattle to the grass. Chris’standard operating directive is to “do what’s right for the habitat,” becausehabitat that supports the animal community, by definition, supports cattle,which are proxy substitutes for the bison that should be there anyway.

The Circle Ranch does not own any cattle, choosing instead to customgraze these during the dormant season. This preserves objectivity onstocking or destocking decisions. In September, after the bulk of thesummer monsoon rains have typically arrived, we inventory the amount ofgrass on hand and, along with a range of other considerations, arrive at astocking rate for the coming non-growing season (mid-October to lateMay/early June). In a nutshell, our habitat management strategy revolvesaround creating a patchy mosaic of diverse vegetation structures across theranch. We do this to try and create choice for wildlife–that is, we try to

create choice of cover and choice in diet. Depending on the year (how and

where the rains come), from 30-60percent of the ranch will be left out of thegrazing plan and allowed to carry a goodcover of standing forage all the waythrough the dormant season. Thisprovides areas of extensive cover for alltypes of wildlife, including those witheasily measured economic value, likequail, sheep, elk, mule deer, andpronghorn–each of which needsabundant cover for survival of theiryoung. The balance of the ranch will begrazed at various levels of intensity, and

Sticking with it on the Circle Ranch continued from page 11

Circle Ranch Grazing Stats2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006

Total Acres Grazed 29,610 25,830 16,065 18,900 11,390 18,900

% of Ranch Grazed 94 82 51 60 36 60

Total Animal Days 94,500 99,000 110,250 110,000 91,800 210,000Stock Harvested

Average Animal Days 3.2 3.8 6.7 5.8 8.1 11.1per Acre Harvested

During the growing season of 2006, the Circle Ranch was apicture of abudance with 20-inch tall blue gamma grass.

most of those pastures will be pastures thatwould have been ungrazed the previous year. So,those pastures will have two seasons of standing,accumulated growth. When the cattle (bisonproxies) show up, there is an excellent supply ofolder material, most of which gets added to thelitter bank, as well as younger material from thecurrent year’s growing season, most of whichfeeds the cattle. Those pastures then provideexcellent quality forage for the wild herbivoresas they recover during the following growingseason. All of this seeks to replicate the ancientrelationship between plants and animals.

Harvest TrendsOver the past five years, per acre production

has increased dramatically under our grazingplanning. Of course, we’ve also been blessed bysome generous rainy seasons, especially thisyear, with the average acre receiving nearly 14inches (350 mm) of rain from late July to earlySeptember. That hasn’t happened in a longtime. As Charlie says, “That rain makes us alllook pretty smart.” He’s sure right, but I alsobelieve our grazing strategy has primed the landto be ready for those abundant rains. In 2001,the year before my involvement began, theaverage grazed pasture yielded 3.2 stock days peracre (SDA). After the dormant season of 2005-06(which followed an average rainfall year),average yield per grazed acre had increased to9.3 SDA, and over the course of the 2006-07dormant season, we’re planning an averageharvest of 11.1 SDA on 60 percent of the ranch(with a herd of 1,000 yearlings), and leaving thebalance for cover. That cover will become nextyear’s litter.

Our monitoring tells us we’re making soundprogress on all fronts–wildlife numbers, cover,plant spacing and diversity, plant vigor andproduction, economic returns, and humanattitudes. Holistic results, if you will. Chris says,“Even ignoring this year as too good to beincluded, in six previous seasons of holisticplanned grazing we went from using 90% of theranch heavily, to using 30% of the ranchmoderately, for the same total stock days ofgrazing. Texas Parks and Wildlife wants us toshoot 36 mule deer bucks this year. On openingday, in two hours, I jumped 24 coveys of quail injust one paddock. These numbers are unheardof elsewhere in West Texas. In my mind, thisends any debate regarding whether plannedgrazing works.”

But as good as holistic planned grazing is, atthe end of the day, positive outcomes come back tohard work, daily discipline, and persistence. Onthe Circle Ranch, those aren’t hard to come by. Ithink Dad would approve.

Policies are created by governments andother bureaucracies in the presence ofproblems-either perceived as beingpresent or feared as becoming present at

some time in the future. Policies are rather broadstatements of purpose. They are the “what” andnot the “how, when, and who” which generallyappear in the form of regulations after policieshave been adopted. At the time of policyintroduction, those who will be impacted aregenerally provided with the “why.”

Currently, the United States livestock industryis in the process of being introduced to the policyof the National Animal Identification System(NAIS). Efforts are well underway to develop theregulations intended to carry out this policy. Frommy viewpoint, the process being used provides atextbook example of conventional policyformation and one that deserves analysis withHolistic Management® policy analysis.

A Point ofComparison

With conventionalpolicy formation, aperceived problem isused as an objective ofthe policy. Along withthat, it might be thatthe true underlying problem, rather than thecause, is concealed as a matter of politicalexpediency. The pronouncement of the policy islikely to be framed in such a way so as to affectlarge numbers of people. At no time is this policyformed within the context of a holisticgoal. Often,these policies are created under the umbrella ofsome mission or vision statements drafted by theagency responsible. The policies are formed toachieve an objective or goal.

During the formulation of the policy, and theregulations to follow, various inputs areconsidered such as past experience, expertopinion, compromises, expediency, fear, cash flow,intuition, etc. Then, public input is requested, butis handled as window dressing to create publicbuy-in for a policy that is already pre-determined.There is a tendency for those who have drafted thepolicy to have very strong ownership. Therefore,they are likely to resist substantial modification.Once the policy is written, no meaningfulmonitoring is created to check its effectiveness.Once implemented, adjustments to theimplementation might occur, but the policy will

remain unchanged.With Holistic Management® policy formation,

the first step would be to probe deeply to discoverthe true cause of the problem-and not be contentwith drafting policy addressing the effects of thatcause. Decision makers would likely either createa holisticgoal with their constituents in mind, ifthey did not already have one-testing the policytoward it. In this way, the policy would create thedesired outcome rather than reacting to aperceived problem. It would then be assumed thatthe policy might be mis-directed and earlywarning signs would be identified which wouldserve as indicators that the policy needs to beadapted.

BSE to NAISNow let’s take a look at the National Animal

Identification System. This policy burst onto thescene in 2004, but had its origins much earlier, as

concerned individualsat the national levelsought this type ofprogram well backinto the 1980s. Thefoot and mouthoutbreak in GreatBritain during 2002-03was important in

creating the momentum needed by the plannersof this policy. Then, when a Bovine SpongiformEncephalopathy (BSE)-positive cow (mad cow)was identified in the state of Washington inDecember of 2003, the policy had every reason toproceed with warp speed. Then Secretary ofAgriculture, Ann Veneman, madepronouncements that we (the USA) would pursuea plan to be able to track animals. Not long afterthat pronouncement, the official objective of theprogram was announced, to track any animalwithin 48 hours of a reported animal diseaseoutbreak.

Policy formation began. Obviously, the UnitedStates Department of Agriculture (USDA) has noholisticgoal. Policies were formed that wouldallow officials to track any animal, includingwhere it had been and how it had been disposedof, within 48 hours of the outbreak of highlytransmissible and catastrophic disease. Variousofficials were consulted. High on the list were theofficials in Great Britain, which helps to explainwhy the current program highly resembles the



The National Animal Identification System–A Contrast In Policy Formationby Rob Rutherford

The current policy is not being “sold” based upon

the true underlying “why.”


British “passport” system. In addition, those sectors of the economy thatwould benefit from the proposed program were quite aggressive in makinginput early in the process-such as the technology sector developing RFID(radio frequency identification devices).

The policy had to be implemented quickly and had to be sold to themasses. Efforts were made to make sure that all who would listen knewabout the catastrophic effects of diseases like foot and mouth and mad-cowdisease even though we are continually reminded that this policy is notabout food safety. Many field hearings were held. I personally testified atthree of them. Each presenter was given three minutes to make input. Theinput was met with solemn reception. In retrospect, it seems that theoverwhelming majority of the input was ignored, but “stakeholders” mustadmit that they had an opportunity to participate in the process. Inputcontinues to be solicited to this day.

The apparent lack of commitment to change the policy after receivingconstituent input has resulted in distrust and conflict between theadministrators and the livestock owners. In response to what the USDA isseeing as a growing resistance to the policy, the implementation plans arebeing revised, such as the exception for animals from small herds andflocks, animals being transported to fairs and expositions with “casual andshort term commingling.” But theseadjustments represent variances in theimplementation, not the policy itself.Furthermore, the program is being marketedmore and more as an advantage to livestockowners as a way to create and maintain betterrecords effectively and efficiently.

A major stumbling block at this time is that the technology is notremotely ready to do what the proponents are hoping to achieve (typicalaccuracies of readers in field conditions with sheep are about 50 percent).But with continued work, performance is bound to improve. The questionbecomes one of will these tools be available on a voluntary basis, or will thecentral government insist on mandatory adoption of the technologies andinformation gathering and storage.

There is also the feeling that those who benefit from policies ought topay for them. So, who will bear the brunt of the cost of the proposed system?At this point, it appears that the producers of the livestock will pay the costsrather than the public at large. If the ownership of the livestock is wrappedup as a subsidiary of large multinational corporations-the cost of theprogram is worth it. For smaller scale producers, the economic burdencertainly outweighs the perceived benefits. The degree of divisiveness andconflict is mounting daily. How could it be that a policy that supposedly isabout tracking animal disease be of more benefit to large scale industrial

animal production systems than it is to smaller scale diversified operations?If this is really about the perceived horrors of diseases like BSE-then isn’t thepublic at large benefiting and therefore shouldn’t the economic burden beborne across the entire population?

An Honest ApproachSo, how might the situation look different with Holistic Management?

The first step would be to be more forthcoming about the true problem. Itcan’t simply be tracing of animals who could be involved with diseasetransmission. Why? There is no mention of tracking wildlife animals thatcan transmit diseases, such as Brucellosis, Pneumonia, Johnes, Rift ValleyFever, and Lyme Disease, among others, to other species including humans.Furthermore, if it was about tracking diseases, why would the programexempt all those small herds and flocks that have a higher degree of speciesintermixing and much more co-mingling than the large extensiveoperations? The experiences with the Exotic Newcastle Disease outbreak inCalifornia several years ago proved that the greatest risk of the spread of thedisease was in the backyard flocks of various types of birds.

The newly nominated Undersecretary of Agriculture, Bruce Knight, whowill provide oversight to the NAIS is quoted as preferring that the system be

voluntary. But, most health officials believethat a voluntary program will not be aneffective disease tracking system. So if it isn’tabout tracking disease, what could it be? In myopinion, the answer is revealed in the words ofSecretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns, “Ibelieve a fully functional animal tracking

system will keep us competitive in international markets, helping us retainand expand our market share.”

With that knowledge, it becomes clear that the current policy is notbeing “sold” based upon the true underlying “why.” It’s about protectingthe financial interests of organizations involved in trade, most importantly,international commerce, not the economic well being of the typical U.S.livestock owner, and certainly not about the health of the average U.S.citizen. This international focus dovetails well with a national agriculturepolicy that has evolved over the years wherein surpluses of commoditiesproduced in the U.S. must move to overseas markets as a way to balancetrade. High level officials have known for some time that tracking oflivestock animals would be necessary to maintain international trade.When the discovery of BSE caused the close of trading windows with Japan(most notably), something had to be done.

How might the policy formation process be different? If the problem isthe threatened shut-down of trade, then the policy ought to address that

The National Animal Identification System continued from page thirteen

narrow riparian ribbons ended up being continuously grazed, and theupland slopes barely touched.

Now, even without using the polywire, our nearly 400 custom-grazedcows are grazing at an average stock density 44 times greater (four timesas many cows on one eleventh of the land at any given time). This level ofstock density, though still a long ways from what it could be, has enabledus to clean up huge swaths of horribly overrested bunchgrasses. Withmuch greater energy flow and more efficient mineral and water cycles,these plants now have a new lease on life, the soil surface is covered withdecaying plant litter, and the elk have started to realize that these formerlyrank and nasty slopes are now covered in high quality forage. On the

irrigated pastures, we’ve increased forage production nearly 100%.We still have a long way to go, both on this leased ranch and our own

place, but as I grow older, I’m learning that worthwhile results take timeto materialize. During the tough times of growing a new business, it iseasy to get distracted and rationalize easier ways of making a living.Through the process of developing a holisticgoal, Holistic Managementhelps us figure out what actually is worthwhile, and then gives us thedecision-making and planning skills to begin living that dream. But,meaningful, gut-filling progress still takes time. My lesson over the pastten years? Be clear on what you want, plan-monitor-control-replan, bedoggedly but patiently persistent, and good things are bound to happen.

On the Howell Ranch continued from page 10

This policy is notabout food safety


specifically. In short, some honesty about true intent would be welcome.Critics have suggested that our national leadership has previously pushedpolicies based on false pretenses, and has usually suffered long-termnegative feedback. If this is about international trade, the policy wouldnecessarily be developed at the national level as it is likely that a certaindegree of continuity existed across the states, and foreign trading partnersare not likely to establish trading policies with each individual state.

The successful implementation of the policy would need to considerwho is affected as a result of the regulations that will ensue. In the currentcase, every owner of a livestock animal in the U.S. will be impacted, eventhough the vast majority of animal owners will not be involved ininternational trade. Consideration should be given such that those whobenefit from the policy provide the needed finances to make sure it becomeseffective. It could be argued that the existence of international trade makesimported items available and affordable, therefore, the public at largebenefits and should pay for the program.

On the other hand, if the primary beneficiaries are those involved ininternational trade, then the financial burden ought to fall there. Withinthe currently proposed language one thing is very clear, the small-scalelivestock owner who markets products locally will see no economic benefitsfrom this policy, yet likely will be obligated to participate at somesignificant cost. There is a sense that an objective of the program is toutilize electronic identification, in other words, the use of a specific tool hasbecome a goal. To force a particular tool as a goal/outcome instead of ameans to achieve certain benefits is a sure way not to enhance the supportof a policy.

Lastly, any proposed policy and ensuing implementation strategieswould need to identify ways to determine if the policy was working.Fortunately, the current system has provided for monitoring. However, theresult of the feedback has resulted in “tweaking” of the implementationrather than amendment of the policy itself (i.e., extension of deadlines forimplementation, exemptions for certain groups of animals, modification of

the types of RFID that would be used, etc.)Current policies and procedures within the livestock industry already

serve to provide tracking of animals. Within the cattle sector, programsexist to eartag and record cattle to be able to track Tuberculosis andBrucellosis. Within the sheep and goat sectors, a national Scrapieprogram provides for individual identification and recording ofmovements of higher risk animals. The swine industry likewise hassystems in place (including a uniform system of ear marking) to be ableto track diseases like pseudo rabies and others. In addition, the cattleindustry of the western part of the country has branding systems thatenable the ownership identity of cattle to be proven.

These systems could easily serve the stated purpose of the NationalAnimal Identification System. The primary obstacle standing in theway of this low-cost, effective approach is the lack of trust betweenpolicy makers and livestock producers. But, the approach thus far hasbeen one where the policy makers don’t trust the ability or desire ofproducers to provide information as to where animals are and havebeen. At the same time, based upon previous experiences, livestockproducers don’t trust the ability of the policy makers to provide theneeded accuracy and privacy of information for the program to succeed.

The currently proposed NAIS policy is intended to maintain tradingconduits for products produced in the U.S. that enable us to buy thingsproduced elsewhere. But, the program is being sold based upon otherpremises. Perhaps a more long term approach would be the creation ofpolicies that strengthen local and regional commerce, thereby creatingself-sufficiency rather than dependency on long distance tradingpartners.

Rob Rutherford is a Certified Educator and professor in the AnimalScience Department at California Polytechnic State University in SanLuis Obispo. He can be reached at: 805/756-1475 [email protected].

number of magazines and papers, withthe result that we were mentioned on theeco-tourism site of the UK national paperThe Guardian, resulting in threebookings immediately. We also monitoredour performance through ourconversations with guests and thecomments they made in our visitor’sbook.

When we received the followingtestimonials from a family from NewZealand, we felt that who we were andwhat we stood for had been reflected fromthe biggest picture, our holisticgoal,through our marketing message and intothe product itself.

“A week has been far too short. You have oneof the most outstanding locations I have ever seen.Thank you for all your kindness, the bread, thefruit, the games and the books to keep the kidshappy. I will remember our week-long game of‘Civilisation’ for a long time! The walks too were

chicken book. There were heaps of varieties. Thechicken that I liked the best was the Barnevelder.”

The above testimonials reflected our tonal,service and corporate values as well as created thequality of life we wanted. The use of HolisticManagement, with its capacity to create clarity ofdirection, supported by the feedback loop, togetherwith this succinct marketing process, produced aproduct and a quality of life that reflected ourvalues. We were able to move effortlessly from thevision to the daily details and back again. This isturn provided us with the economic reward wewanted, Within two weeks of the website goinglive, we had our first booking, and as we near theclose of the season, we have had consistently more guests than ever before.

Aspen Edge is a Certified Educator near Granada,Spain. She can be reached at: 00334-958-347-053 or [email protected]. To learnmore about The Lodge and Holistic Decisionsvisit their website at www.holisticdecisions.com.

Seamless Marketing and Holistic Management continued from page five

The National Animal Identification System

breathtaking and varied and a highlight for me. Iam desperately hoping you will still be here whenwe next visit Europe”

“This place is really cool. I would love it if Icould stay one more week. You’ve got really coolgames, like ‘Civilisation.’ The puppies are reallygreat with their nice soft coats. Thank you for the

Satisfied customers on a hike near The Lodge.


New HMI Board Members

HMI held its annual Board meeting onNovember 16-17, 2006. Board Officers were

elected which included Ron Chapman asChair, Ben Bartlett as Vice-Chair, SueProbart as Treasurer, and Gail Hammack asSecretary. Among other Board business, four newBoard members were added to HMI’s Board ofDirectors: Roby Wallace, ChristopherPeck, Daniela Howell, and Soren Peters.

Roby Wallace is President of EntreBusinessin Albuquerque. As a SeniorE-Myth Consultant, Robyhelps business owneroperators and otherorganizational leaders movefrom being Chief Cook andBottle Washer to CEO. Robywas trained in the E-Mythmethodology under theguidance of renownedbusiness author and visionary Michael Gerber.

Roby has lived and worked on familyranches in Texas and New Mexico, andcontinues to be involved in managementdecisions. Roby grew up in Galveston, Texas andhas a B.S. in Wildlife Management from TexasTech and a M.S. in Rangeland Ecology fromTexas A&M. He and his wife, Yvonne Chauvin,live in Albuquerque’s North Valley.

“I am excited to be part of HMI because it isa wonderful group of thoughtful people workingtogether to address the most important humanand land issues of the day,” says Roby. “Iwelcome the opportunity to use the HolisticManagement® decision model for this criticalwork, and to integrate all of my training andexperience.”

Christopher Peck is a sustainabilityentrepreneur living in Sebastopol, California. Heis the owner of Holistic Solutions and a partnerin Natural Investment Services, providingfinancial planning and portfolio managementservices to socially and environmentallyprogressive clients. A Holistic Management®

Certified Educator since 1996, he has beenteaching and practicing sustainability since

1992. He teaches financial planning andsustainable business development at NewCollege in Santa Rosa, CA. Christopher is theauthor of Developing the Artof Teaching: Guidelines toEffective Facilitation.

Christopher is interestedin serving on the HMI boardto further its holisticgoal andstrengthen its financialfoundation. As someonemotivated for many years toaddress the underlyingcauses of biodiversity loss, and stronglymotivated to help build a sustainable world,Christopher continues to be inspired by the rollHMI can play in this necessary globaltransformation.

Daniela Ibarra-Howell was born andraised in Argentina. She studied AgriculturalSciences at the University ofBuenos Aires and worked forthe Argentine Ministry ofAgriculture for four years inthe areas of landdegradation and restoration.She further completed aMasters Degree in NaturalResource Management atLincoln University in NewZealand. Having met husband, Jim, in NewZealand, Daniela settled in the U.S. and co-managed with Jim HMI’s Learning Site insouthwestern New Mexico. During this time shealso completed HMI’s Certified EducatorProgram.

Jim and Daniela settled in southwesternColorado where they own and manage theHowell Ranch. A variety of land-based ventures(contract grazing, outfitting, organic wooltextiles, and educational efforts) take place atthe ranch on a year round basis. During theNorth American winter, Jim and Daniela leadeducational trips to extraordinary ranchingfamilies around the world.

Soren Peters, of Santa Fe, New Mexico, isthe manager of the Peters Corporation whichincludes the Gerald Peters Gallery, Santa Fe

Dining, Century Bank, Santa Fe Properties, andRancho Las Ciruelas (a 1,500-acre workingranch and organic farm).He also serves on the NewMexico EnvironmentalImprovement Board and isa Director for the Santa FeArt Foundation. Hegraduated with a B.A. fromColby College with a minorin Environmental Studies.

At Rancho Los Ciruelos,Soren runs a herd of Corriente cattle. Soren hasbeen working on the family land for 15 years,starting a vegetable farm with his sister. Sorenfirst learned about Holistic Management whenhe met Allan. He was intrigued by Allan’s abilityto read the soil surface and reveal its history. Helater completed HMI’s Ranch and RangeManager Training Program.

HMI welcomes these new Board membersand expresses our heartfelt thanks to all theBoard for their many volunteer hours, helpingHMI fulfill our mission.

New Advisory Council Member

HMI is excited to announce the addition ofEdward Jackson to the Advisory Council.

EJ is currently thePresident and ChiefExecutive Officer ofProvade, the leader in on-demand managedprocurement solutions forthe Global 2000. Prior tofounding Provade in 2004,Edward served as Directorof Supplier RelationshipManagement (SRM)Product Strategy for PeopleSoft. He joined thePeopleSoft SRM team when SkillsVillage, acompany he co-founded, was acquired byPeopleSoft.

Edward is excited about supporting HMIbecause he truly believes HMI is focused on oneof the most severe problems facing us as ahuman race, the desertification of our lands. Hesays, “Allan Savory encouraged me to get on myhands and knees and truly look at the ground.As I began to understand the relationshipbetween animal and land, and moreimportantly, the decision making that affectedthese resources, I could see the clarity in hislifelong pursuit and HMI. While on one hand Iam highly concerned about the rapid depletionof our natural resources and diminishing utilityand vitality of our lands, on the other I am filledwith great optimism from the wisdom andinsightfulness that Holistic Management brings

T h e

news from holistic management international � people, programs & projects

Roby Wallace

Christopher Peck

Daniela Ibarra-Howell

Soren Peters

Edward Jackson

Book Review by Ann Adams

Sustainable Capitalism: A Matter of Common Senseby John IkerdKumarian Press, 2005 • 211 pp.


Not being a student of economics, Iwas a little hesitant to pick up JohnIkerd’s Sustainable Capitalism: AMatter of Common Sense. But I

didn’t have to get very far into the book torecognize it was far more than a critique ofcapitalist economics. As Fred Kirschenmann,Director of the Leopold Center forSustainable Agriculture at Iowa StateUniversity notes, “John Ikerd combinesinsights from philosophy, psychology,ecology, sociology, and economics toquestion many of our current free marketassumptions and to make a case foremploying common sense to build a moresustainable future for our planet.”

The bottom line for Ikerd is that socialand ethical values must be reintegrated intocapitalist economics. The only way to do thatis to give explicit consideration torelationships in the decision-making process.Our common sense tells us our lives aremade better by relationships, thus we mustpay attention to them.

Because Ikerd draws from so manydisciplines to help people understand howcapitalism arrived at its current state, thistext is an easy and fascinating read. In manyways, it helped me better understand whyHolistic Management is so effective and theimportance of understanding therelationships within natural systems(including human systems).

Ikerd begins by pulling from neglectedprinciples of classical economics–particularlythe pursuit of happiness. He notes RobertPutnam’s study in which they found thatAmericans are only half as socially connectedas they were in the late 1950s despite increasedwealth. In other words, this wealth is failing tosustain quality of life.

His definition of sustainable capitalism iswhen no one seller or buyer has a largeenough share of the market to havenoticeable effect on prices. The market placemust have interdependent relationships withtrue free trade with no coercion. Likewise,there must be informed trade with bothparties understanding the ultimate

consequences of their actions so exploitationisn’t part of the game. Lastly, decisions mustbe made by individuals.

In looking at this definition Ikerdsuggests we have moved from capitalism tocorporatism in which “we let someone elsemake our economic and political decisionsfor us.” In his mind, corporatism istransforming capitalism into a perverse formof communism. He suggests that there is anatural tendency toward corporatism withincapitalism because of its fundamentalflaw–a lack of attention to the need to renew,regenerate, and reproduce the natural andhuman resources that support productivity.

Ikerd isn’t shy about suggesting policychanges, but he does so always in the contextof governments and organizations functioningwithin the principles of living systems. Hewrites, “Sustainability is inherentlyindividualistic, site-specific, and dynamic, andthe requirements for sustainability willtherefore differ across ecosystems andcommunities at different times.” In this way,national requirements simply layout thefoundation for local efforts. Likewise,management of a sustainable economy mustbe decentralized so as to promoteinterdependent relationships. And because allliving systems have a feedback loop, we mustbuild into this economy a constant intentionof action and attention to results.

As Ikerd discusses how to manage asustainable organization he has a wholesection on Holistic Management noting thatHolistic Management is synergistic becausethe gains from holism come from greaterefficiency in the functioning of thewhole–greater coherence of thecomponents–to fulfill the shared purpose.The bottom line for the need for thisdecision-making framework is becauseNature always has the last word.

This book is available through KumarianPress, 1294 Blue Hills Avenue, Bloomfield,CT 06002, USA. Order by toll free phone800-289-2664, fax to 860/243-2867 orinternet at www.kpbooks.com

Elementary EducationalOpportunity at West Ranch

Interested in working with children? Joinus as we begin an adventure for all

participants–students one and all. Developour future resource base–KIDS! Get yourhands dirty! Share Holistic Managementwith Kids on the Land!

A valuable field experience at the WestStation for Holistic Management, in OzonaTexas, Kids on the Land will begincurriculum development and training May2007. Progressing in phases, participants willcreate a learning team, dedicated to creatingand delivering a Holistic Management fieldexperience to students in Grades 3-6. Thiseffort will lead to the creation and betatesting of a solid Holistic Managementcurriculum specifically for kids.

Participants will spend a week at the WestRanch, with three days preparing the fieldexperience, instructional delivery, and fourfun-filled days with students. Curriculum willinclude environmental knowledge and skills,scientific concepts, and science processesrooted in Holistic Management and tied tothe National Science Standards.

Peggy Maddox, Director of Education atthe West Ranch, is seeking interestedindividuals, especially those passionate aboutworking with kids. Room, board, and travelstipend provided. Please contact Peggy at325/392-2292 or [email protected].

to bear. In the end, it is quite simple for me.HMI and Holistic Management bring hope to acause that seems nearly lost and withoutremedy.”

Savory Wins Award

Allan Savory was awarded the Conservationin Agriculture Award by the Rocky Mountain

Farmers Union as part of their 100thAnniversary Celebration in Manitou Springs,Colorado on October 1, 2006.

Colorado Gathering

Colorado Holistic Management will hold its annual winter program Saturday

March 3rd 2007 in Buena Vista, Colorado. The theme will be “Profit and Product: Back to the Basics.” To register please visitwww.coloradoholisticmanagement.org, [email protected], orcall Byron Shelton at 719-395-8157. We lookforward to seeing you.


ARIZONATim Morrison 230 1st Ave N, Phoenix, AZ 85003602/280-8803 • [email protected] Bohannon652 Milo Terrace, Los Angeles, CA 90042323/257-1915 • [email protected] Burrows12250 Colyear Springs Rd., Red Bluff, CA 96080530/529-1535 • [email protected] Chamblee1563 Solano Ave. #453, Berkeley, CA 94707510/526-8240Richard King1675 Adobe Rd., Petaluma, CA 94954707/769-1490 • 707/794-8692 (w)[email protected] McGaffic13592 Bora Bora Way #327, Marina Del Rey, CA 90292310/741-0167 • [email protected] Mulville3195 Sunnydale Dr. Healdsburg, CA 95448707/431-8060 (h) • 707/756-7007 (w)[email protected] Peck6364 Starr Rd., Windsor, CA 95492707/758-0171 • [email protected]* Rob RutherfordCA Polytechnic State UniversitySan Luis Obispo, CA 93407805/756-1475 • [email protected] BensonP.O. Box 4924, Buena Vista, CO 81211719/395-6119 • [email protected] Dvergsten17702 County Rd. 23, Dolores, CO 81323970/882-4222 • [email protected] and Jim HowellP.O. Box 67, Cimarron, CO 81220-0067970/249-0353 • [email protected] Leggett2078 County Rd. 234, Durango, CO 81301970/259-8998 • [email protected] McKellar16775 Southwood Dr., Colorado Springs, CO 80908719/495-4641 • [email protected] Shelton33900 Surrey Lane, Buena Vista, CO 81211719/395-8157 • [email protected] WaltherP.O. Box 1158, Longmont, CO 80502-1158510/499-7479 • [email protected] Neely1160 Twelve Oaks Circle, Watkinsville, GA 30677706/310-0678 • [email protected] (Italy)

Wayne BurlesonRT 1, Box 2780, Absarokee, MT 59001406/328-6808 • [email protected] Kroos 4926 Itana Circle, Bozeman, MT 59715406/522-3862 • [email protected]* Cliff MontagneMontana State University Department of Land Resources & Environmental ScienceBozeman, MT 59717406/994-5079 • [email protected] GompertP.O. Box 45, Center, NE 68724-0045402/288-5611 (w) • [email protected] Swanson 5155 W 12th St., Hastings, NE 68901-1703402/463-8507; 308/385-6428 (w) • [email protected] HAMPSHIRESeth Wilner104 Cornish Turnpike, Newport, NH 03773603/863-4497 (h) 603/863-9200 (w) • [email protected] MEXICO* Ann AdamsHolistic Management International1010 Tijeras NW, Albuquerque, NM 87102505/842-5252 • [email protected] Duran58 Arroyo Salado #B, Santa Fe, NM 87508505/422-2280 • [email protected] GadziaP.O. Box 1100, Bernalillo, NM 87004505/867-4685 • fax: 505/867-9952 • [email protected] Jacobson12101 Menaul Blvd. NE, Ste AAlbuquerque, NM 87112; 505/[email protected]* Kelly WhiteHolistic Management International1010 Tijeras NW, Albuquerque, NM 87102505/842-5252 • [email protected] ProbartP.O. Box 81827, Albuquerque, NM 87198505/265-4554 • [email protected] Trew369 Montezuma Ave. #243, Santa Fe, NM 87501505/751-0471 • [email protected] Turpen03 El Nido Amado SW, Albuquerque, NM 87121505/873-0473 • [email protected] YORKErica Frenay454 Old 76 Road, Brooktondale, NY 14817607/539-3246 (h) 607/279-7978 (c) • [email protected] Metzger99 N. Broad St., Norwich, NY 13815607/334-3231 x4 (w); 607/334-2407 (h)[email protected] North3501 Hoxie Gorge Rd., Marathon, NY 13803607/849-3328 • [email protected] Thurgood44 West St. Ste 1, Walton, NY 13856607/432-8714 • [email protected] CAROLINASam Bingham 394 Vanderbilt Rd., Asheville, NC 28803828/274-1309 • [email protected] DAKOTA* Wayne Berry Williston State CollegeP.O. Box 1326, Williston, ND 58802 701/774-4269 or 701/774-4200 • [email protected] Dahlberg386 8th Ave. S., Fargo, ND 58103-2826701/271-8513(h) • 218/936-5615(w) • [email protected]

IDAHOAmy Driggs1132 East E St., Moscow, ID 83843208/310-6664 (w) • [email protected] Casey 1800 Grand Ave., Keokuk, IA 52632-2944319/524-5098 • [email protected]*Margaret SmithIowa State University, CES Sustainable Agriculture972 110th St.Hampton, IA 50441-7578515/[email protected] PilioneP.O. 923, Eunice, LA 70535phone: 337/580-0068 • [email protected] Holmes239 E. Buckfield Rd., Buckfield, ME 04220-4209207/336-2484 • [email protected] Williamson52 Center StreetPortland, ME 04101207/774-2458 x115 • [email protected]* Christine Jost Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine200 Westboro Rd., North Grafton, MA 01536508/887-4763 • [email protected] BartlettN 4632 ET Rd., Travnik, MI 49891906/439-5210 (h) 906/439-5880 (w)[email protected] Dyer13434 E. Baseline Rd.Hickory Corners, MI 49060-9513269/[email protected] Blank4625 Cottonwood Lane N, Plymouth, MN 55442-2902763/553-9922 • [email protected] Goodfellow-Heyer4660 Cottonwood Lane North, Plymouth, MN 55442763/559-0099 • [email protected] Sullivan 610 Ed Sullivan Lane, NE, Meadville, MS 39653601/384-5310 • [email protected] Bird3009 Langohr Ave., Bozeman, MT 59715406/586-8799 • [email protected]

Certified Educators

U N I T E D S T A T E S

* These educators provide Holistic Management instruction on behalf of the institutions they represent.

To our knowledge, Certified Educators are the best qualified individuals to help others learn to practice Holistic Managementand to provide them with technical assistance when necessary. On a yearly basis, Certified Educators renew their agreement to beaffiliated with HMI. This agreement requires their commitment to practice Holistic Management in their own lives, to seek outopportunities for staying current with the latest developments in Holistic Management and to maintain a high standard ofethical conduct in their work. For more information about or application forms for the U.S. or Africa Certified Educator TrainingPrograms, contact Ann Adams or visit our website at: www.holisticmanagement.org

Certified Educators


OHIOChris Norman13460 Merl Ave., Lakewood, OH 44107-2708216/221-5864 • [email protected] Weaver428 Copp Hollow Rd., Wellsboro, PA 16901-8976570/724-7788 • [email protected] Allday-Bondy2703 Grennock Dr., Austin, TX 78745512/441-2019 • [email protected] Glosson6717 Hwy 380, Snyder, TX 79549806/237-2554 • [email protected] Hamre602 W. St. Johns Ave., Austin, TX 78752512/[email protected] MaddoxP.O. Box 694, Ozona, TX 76943-0694325/392-2292 • [email protected]* R.H. (Dick) RichardsonUniversity of Texas at Austin Department of Integrative BiologyAustin, TX 78712512/471-4128 [email protected] Sechrist25 Thunderbird Rd., Fredericksburg, TX 78624830/990-2529 • [email protected] Williams4106 Avenue B, Austin, TX 78751-4220512/323-2858 • [email protected]

WASHINGTONCraig Madsen P.O. Box 107, Edwall, WA 99008509/236-2451 • [email protected] Matheson228 E. Smith Rd., Bellingham, WA 98226360/398-7866 • [email protected]* Don NelsonWashington State University P.O. Box 646310, Pullman, WA 99164509/335-2922 • [email protected] RobinetteS. 16102 Wolfe Rd., Cheney, WA 99004509/299-4942 • [email protected] Warnock151 Cedar Cove Rd., Ellensburg, WA 98926509/925-9127 • [email protected]

WEST VIRGINIAFred Hays P.O. Box 241, Elkview, WV 25071304/548-7117 [email protected] Ritz HC 63, Box 2240, Romney, WV 26757304/822-5818; 304/[email protected] Flashinski16294 250th St., Cadott, WI 54727715/289-4896 [email protected] Hager W. 3597 Pine Ave., Stetsonville, WI 54480-9559715/678-2465 • [email protected] JohnsonW886 State Road 92, Brooklyn, WI 53521608/455-1685 • [email protected]* Laura PaineWisconsin DATCPP.O. Box 8911, Madison, WI 53708-8911608/224-5120 (w) • 608/742-9682 (h)[email protected]

AUSTRALIAJudi Earl73 Harding E, Guyra, NSW 236561-2-6779-2286 • [email protected] GardnerP.O. Box 1395, Dubbo, NSW 283061-2-6882-0605 • [email protected] Gundry Willeroo, Tarago, NSW 258061-2-4844-6223 • [email protected] GriffithsP.O. Box 3045, North Turramura, NSW 2074, Sydney, NSW61-29-1445-3975 • [email protected] Steve Hailstone5 Lampert Rd., Crafers, SA 515261-4-1882-2212 • [email protected] Hand “Inverary”Caroona Lane, Branxholme, VIC 330261-3-5578-6272 • [email protected] Helen LewisP.O. Box 1263, Warwick, QLD 437061-7-46617393 • [email protected] MarshallP.O. Box 300, Guyra NSW 236561-2-6779-1927 • fax: [email protected] VirtueMary River Park1588 Bruce Highway South, Gympie, QLD 457061-7-5483-5155 • [email protected] WardP.O. Box 103, Milsons Pt., NSW 156561-2-9929-5568 • fax: [email protected] Wehlburgc/o “Sunnyholt”, Injune, QLD 445461-7-4626-7187 • [email protected]

CANADADon CampbellBox 817 Meadow Lake, SK S9X 1Y6306/236-6088 • [email protected] and Randee HalladayBox 2, Site 2, RR 1Rocky Mountain House, AB, T0M 1T0403/729-2472 • [email protected] McNaughton5704-144 St., Edmondton, AB, T6H 4H4780/432-5492 • [email protected] PigottBox 222, Dysart, SK, SOH 1HO 306/432-4583 • [email protected] SidorykBox 374, Lloydminster, AB, S9V 0Y4403/875-4418 • [email protected]

MEXICOIvan AguirreLa InmaculadaApdo. Postal 304, Hermosillo, Sonora 83000tel/fax: 915-613-4282 • [email protected] Blanco-MadridHacienda de la Luz 1803Fracc. Haciendas del Valle II , Chihuahua Chih., 3123852-614-423-4413 (h) • 52-614-107-8960 (c)[email protected] Casas-PerezCalle Amarguva No. 61, Lomas Herradura Huixquilucan, Mexico City CP 5278552-55-5291-3934 (hm) 52-55-54020090 (c)[email protected]

Jose Ramon “Moncho” VillarAv. Las Americas #1178Fracc. Cumbres, Saltillo, Coahuila 2527052-844-415-1557 • [email protected]

NAMIBIAGero Diekmann P.O. Box 363, Okahandja 9000264-62-518091 • [email protected] Nott P.O. Box 11977, Windhoek264-61-228506 • [email protected] VolkmannP.O. Box 182, Otavi264-67-234-557 or 264-81-127-0081 • [email protected]

NEW ZEALANDJohn KingP.O. Box 12011Beckenham, Christchurch 803064-3-338-5506 • [email protected]

SOUTH AFRICASheldon Barnes P.O. Box 300, Kimberly [email protected] Blom P.O. Box 568, Graaf-Reinet 628027-49-891-0163 • [email protected] LambrechtsP.O. Box 5070Helderberg, Somerset West, Western Cape 713527-21-851-5669; 27-21-851-2430 (w)[email protected] Mitchell-InnesP.O. Box 52, Elandslaagte 290027-36-421-1747 • [email protected] NeaveP.O. Box 69, Mtubatuba 393527-084-2452/62 • [email protected] RichardsonP.O. Box 1806, Vryburg 8600tel/fax: 27-53-927-4367 • [email protected] ToddP.O. Box 20, Bergbron 171227-82-335-3901 (cell) • [email protected]

SPAINAspen EdgeApartado de Correos 19, 18420 Lanjaron, Granada(0034)-958-347-053 • [email protected]

UNITED KINGDOMPhilip Bubb32 Dart Close, St. Ives, Cambridge, PE27 3JB44-1480-496295 • [email protected]

ZAMBIAMutizwa MukutePelum Zambia OfficeP.O. Box 36524, Lusaka260-1-261119/261124/261118/263514 • [email protected]

ZIMBABWEAmanda Atwood27 Rowland Square, Milton Park, Harare263-23-233-760 • [email protected] MabhenaSpring CabinetP.O. Box 853, Harare263-4-210021/2 • 263-4-210577/8 • fax: 263-4-210273Huggins MatangaPrivate Bag 5950, Victoria [email protected] NcubeP. Bag 5950, Victoria Falls263-3-454519 [email protected]

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


ARIZONAHRM of ArizonaNorm Lowe2660 E. Hemberg, Flagstaff, AZ 86004928/853-8554 • [email protected]

CALIFORNIAHolistic Management of CaliforniaRichard King1675 Adobe Rd., Petaluma, CA 94954707/769-1490; 707/794-8692 (w)[email protected]

COLORADOColorado Holistic ManagementP.O. Box 218, Lewis CO, 81327www.coloradoholisticmanagement.orgCindy Dvergsten, webmaster • 970/882-4222

MONTANABeartooth Management ClubWayne BurlesonRT 1, Box 2780, Absarokee, MT 59001406/328-6808 • [email protected]

NEW YORKBillie BestRegional Farm & Food Project295 Eighth St., Troy, NY 12180518/[email protected]

Central NY RC&DPhil Metzger99 North Broad St., Norwich, NY 13815607/334-3231, ext. [email protected]

NORTHWESTManaging WholesPeter Donovan501 South St., Enterprise, OR 97828541/426-2145 • www.managingwholes.com

OKLAHOMAOklahoma Land Stewardship AllianceCharles Griffith, contact personRoute 5, Box E44, Ardmore, OK 73401580/223-7471 • [email protected]

PENNSYLVANIA Northern Penn NetworkJim Weaver, contact person428 Copp Hollow Rd., Wellsboro, PA 16901717/724-7788; [email protected]

TEXASHRM of TexasPeggy Cole, Executive Director5 Limestone Trail, Wimberley, TX [email protected] • www.hrm-texas.orgWest Station for Holistic ManagementPeggy MaddoxPO Box 694, Ozona, TX 76943325-392-2292 • [email protected]

Network Affiliates There are several branch organizations or groups affiliated with Holistic Management in the U.S. andabroad (some publish their own newsletters.) We encourage you to contact the group closest to you:

U N I T E D S TAT E S

AUSTRALIAJudi Earl73 Harding E., Guyra, NSW [email protected]

CANADADon CampbellBox 817 Meadow Lake, SK S9X 1Y6306/[email protected]

MEXICOFundacion para Fomentarel Manejo Holistico, A.C.,Jose Ramon Villar, PresidentAve. Las Cumbres SaltilloCoahuila 25270Phone: [email protected] Blanco-Madrid, Director of EducationHacienda de la Luz 1803Fracc. Haciendas del Valle II Chihuahua, Chih. C.P. 3123852-614-423-4413 (h)52-614-107-8960 (c)

NAMIBIANamibia Centre for HolisticManagementBurkart Rust, contact personP.O. Box 23600, Windhoek 9000tel: [email protected]

NEW ZEALANDJohn KingP.O. Box 12011Beckenham, Christchurch [email protected]

SOUTH AFRICACommunity Dynamics(Newsletter in English)Dick & Judy RichardsonP.O. Box 1806, Vryburg 8600tel/fax: [email protected]

SPAINAspen EdgeApartado de Correos 1918420 LanjaronGranada(0034)[email protected]

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

2007 COURSE OFFERINGS

To learn more about these courses or to book your spot:Call 505/842-5252 or Register online at: www.holisticmanagement.org!

FEBRUARYWhole Farm Planning

Introduction to Holistic Management**February 15-17, 2007Albuquerque, New Mexico

$450

Creating Healthy ProfitsHolistic Financial Planning

February 17-19, 2007Albuquerque, New Mexico

$450

MARCHAssessing Land Health & Production for Profit

Holistic Biological MonitoringMarch 19-20, 2007

Circle Ranch, Van Horn, Texas*$450

Increasing Pasture & Animal ProductionHolistic Grazing PlanningMarch 21-22, 2007

Circle Ranch, Van Horn, Texas*$450

Creating the Farm of Your DreamsHolistic Facility/Land Planning

March 23-24, 2007Circle Ranch, Van Horn, Texas*

$450

OCTOBERWhole Farm Planning

Introduction to Holistic Management**October 30-November 1, 2007

Albuquerque, New Mexico$450

Creating Healthy ProfitsHolistic Financial Planning

October 30-November 1, 2007Albuquerque, New Mexico

$450

Increasing Pasture & AnimalProduction

Holistic Grazing PlanningOctober 30-November 1, 2007

Albuquerque, New Mexico$450

Holistic ManagementIntroductory & Financial

Planning PackageTake the Introduction to HolisticManagement & Holistic Financial

Planning courses and save!February 15-19, 2007Albuquerque, New MexicoOnly $810 (a $90 savings)

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* Room & board at the ranch is $100 a day in addition totuition.

** It is recommended that you take Introduction to HolisticManagement prior to enrolling in other courses.

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Includes detailed drawings for loading ramp, V chute, round crowd pen, dip vat, gates and hinges. Plus cell center layouts and layouts compatible with electronic sorting systems. Articles on cattle behavior. 27 corral layouts. $55.

Low Stress Cattle Handling Video $59. Send checks/money order to:

THE MARKETPLACE

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Ph: 505/867-4685 Fax: 505/867-9952

Kirk GadziaP.O. Box 1100Bernalillo, NM [email protected]

Kirk Gadzia has over 15 years experience conducting Holistic Management training sessionsworldwide and assisting peopleon the land in solving real problems. With his hands-on,results-oriented approach, Kirk is uniquely qualified to help yourorganization achieve its goals.

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Introduction to HolisticManagement Courses

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■ Spreadsheet software—works withOffice ‘95, ‘97, 2000, XP, and 2003.

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HANDS-ON AGRONOMYBASIC SOIL FERTILITY GUIDELINES

For consulting or educational services contact:

Kinsey’s Agricultural Services297 County Highway 357, Charleston, Missouri 63834

Phone: 573-683-3880; Fax: 573-683-6227 Email: [email protected]

We accept credit card orders (Visa, MC)

BUY THE DVD TODAY!Runs 80 minutes and covers the following topics: • Feeding and Balancing the Soil • The Albrecht System • Soil Testing • Considering Soil Test Results • Sulfur •

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Start Using Holistic Management Today!

Join Our Distance Learning Program

Realize Immediate Benefits Find More Details On The Web at www.wholenewconcepts.com

By Phone at 970 -882-4222 or e-mail us at [email protected]

Apply What You Learn As You Learn With Our Hands On Approach, Step by Step Workbook And Personalized

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Cindy Dvergsten, a Holistic Management® Certified Educator, has 12 years experience in personal practice,

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PUBLICATIONS

The Range AdP/U from #108 page 23

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Phone orders call 505/842-5252

Printed on recycled paper

Books & MultimediaHolistic Management: A New Framework for Decision-Making,

_ Second Edition, by Allan Savory with Jody Butterfield. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $30_ Hardcover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $55_ 15-set CD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $99_ One month rental of CD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $35_ Spanish Version (soft) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $25_ Holistic Management Handbook, by Butterfield, Bingham, Savory. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $25_ At Home With Holistic Management, by Ann Adams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $20_ Holistic Management: A New Environmental Intelligence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $10_ Improving Whole Farm Planning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $10_ Video: Creating a Sustainable Civilization—

An Introduction to Holistic Decision-Making, based on a lecture given by Allan Savory. (VHS/DVD/PAL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $30

_ Stockmanship, by Steve Cote. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $35_ The Grassfed Gourmet Cookbook, by Shannon Hayes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $25_ The Oglin, by Dick Richardson & Rio de la Vista . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $25_ Gardeners of Eden, by Dan Dagget . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $25_ Video: Healing the Land Through Multi-Species Grazing (VHS/DVD) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $30

SoftwareHolistic Management® Financial Planning (single-user license) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $249 Please specify PC or Mac, Office ‘95 or ‘97, 2000, XP, or 2003 and version of Excel you are using

TO ORDERIndicate quantity in box preceding item, print shipping address at right, mail thispage (or a copy) and your check or international money order payable in U.S.funds from a U.S. bank only to: Holistic Management International, 1010 Tijeras NW, Albuquerque, NM 87102Credit card orders: 505/842-5252, or fax: 505/843-7900. For online ordering visit our secure website at: www.holisticmanagement.org

Subscribe to IN PRACTICE_ A bimonthly journal for Holistic Management practitioners

Subscribe for 1 year for only $30/U.S. ($35/International)2 years ($55/U.S.; $65/International) 3 years ($80/U.S.; $90/International)

_ Gift Subscriptions (same prices as above)._ Special Edition: An Introduction to Holistic Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $5_ Audio Cassette Version . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$12_ Compact Disk Version . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$14

_ Bulk subscriptions available.One year for $17 each/U.S., or $22 each/International______ Please indicate number of one-year subscriptions

_ Back Issues: $5 each; bulk orders (5 or more issues) $3 each. List Please indicate issue numbers desired: ___,___,___,___,___,___,___,___,___,___

_ CD of Back Issues: #71 - 89 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$25

Planning and Monitoring Guides

_The Complete Holistic Management®

Planning and Monitoring GuideSeptember 2000, 192 page 3-ring binder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$45

_Financial PlanningMay 2000, 44 pages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$15

_Aide Memoire for Grazing PlanningMay 2000, 46 pages. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$15

_Early Warning Biological Monitoring— CroplandsApril 2000, 26 pages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$14

_Early Warning Biological Monitoring—Rangelands and GrasslandsJanuary 1999, 32 pages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$14

_Land Planning—For The Rancher or Farmer Running LivestockJanuary 1999, 36 pages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$17

Planning Forms (All forms are padded - 25 sheets per pad)

_Annual Income & Expense Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$17

_Worksheet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$ 7

_Livestock Production Worksheet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$17

_Control Sheet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$ 5

_Grazing Plan & Control Chart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$15

MAKE A TAX DEDUCTIBLE DONATION

Amount $_____________ Please designate program you would like us

to apply contribution toward _________________________________________

up to $15: add $ 5$16 to $35: add $ 6$36 to $50: add $ 8$51 to $70: add $ 9$71 to $90: add $10

over $91: add $12

SHIPPING AND HANDLINGTo rates at left, for:Canada & Mexico add $ 5 Other countries add $10

All shipping is surface or media mail.

Contact HMI for shipping rates for priority,

express or air mail.

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Questions? 505/842-5252 or [email protected]

Pocket CardsHolistic Management® Framework & testing questions, March 2000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$4

a publication of Holistic Management International1010 Tijeras NWAlbuquerque, NM 87102USA

return service requested

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U.S. POSTAGE PAIDALBUQUERQUE, NM

PERMIT NO 880

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

Documents

#111, In Practice, Jan/Feb 2007