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2008, Living Mandala
creative services by: 360 Degrees

In Association With

Common Vision

Green Friends Farm

Savory Institute

Instructor

Kirk Gadzia

Course Overview

Holistic Management is a goal driven framework for making better decisions to manage all aspects of our lives.  With a process to assess and optimize short and long term strategies, this systems-thinking approach to managing land resources can improve production, generate financial strength, regenerate ecosystems, and improve the quality of life for those who use it.

How Livestock Can Save the Planet!

For millenia every grassland on the planet co-evolved with grazing mammals that travelled in large tightly packed herds and moved often (due to predators).  It turns out that when you mimic these patterns with managing animals the effect is soil building, increased biodiversity, longer water cycles, and healthier ecosystems.  This is an important key to combat climate change AND have economically and ecologically abundant farms and ranches in the process.

Course Details

Day 1: Holistic Decision Making

Learn this goal driven framework to manage land, organizations, and homesteads of all scales.

• Make sustainability a profitable practice

• Bigger profits & better quality of life

"What permaculture lacks is a decision-making framework. What holistic management lacks is a design framework. Let's put together a dowry." ~ Darren Doherty

Day 2: Holistic Land Management

We will apply the decision making framework to the design and management of land.  Using the 380 acres at the MA Center,

• Evaluate land health through observation of ecosystem processes

• Develop systems of monitoring so feedback will guide future decisions

• Understand the "tools" of land management.

• Understand principles of restoring fecundity and biodiversity to grasslands

• Prioritize projects to assure short and long term financial, social, and ecosystem goals are met. 

Day 3: Holistic Management of Animals

In drylands and Mediterranean climates herding grass eating animals can either degrade landscapes or act as the single most effective soil building force available. Here we will learn the principals of managing animals on grasslands, orchards, and brush-scapes.  Participants will learn how to develop grazing plans that will: 

• Transition dry hillsides to green perennial grasslands, fertile orchards, perennial, or biodiverse forests.

• Bring water sources back to life

• Sequester carbon in deeper and healthier soils

• Improve soil health and biodiversity of rangelands and pastures.

•  Increase grazing and wildlife capacity. 

• Boost orchard health and fertility

• Grow healthier crops and achieve higher yields.

1. •Reverse desertification in brittle environments.
   

Course Description

Contrary to popular belief, ranching does not have to be damaging to grasslands – in fact, grasslands have co-evolved with grazing animals, and grasses and cattle need each other to thrive.

Using techniques that mimic the way wild herds used to roam across the land, you’ll learn how to “orchestrate” a score that has been playing for eons, putting us in a role as land steward rather than in conflict with the natural world. Even if you’re not a rancher, this course will help you to understand ranch management and the integral role cattle and ranchers can play in maintaining healthy ecosystems.

In addition, looking at farm or ranch community as a whole, rather than a series of separate operations or fields, can have surprising and significant results – some holistically managed ranches have seen increases in profits of up to 300%.

This course will walk you through the principles that help bring the abundance and diversity of natural systems to large-scale permaculture systems. Managing land holistically integrates land planning, financial planning, grazing planning and biological monitoring to find ways of being efficient and creative with your resources to achieve the environmental and financial results that make for a sustainable, long-term business.

The course is based on the work of Allen Savory, who pioneered the idea of Holistic Resource Management more than 40 years ago to offer land stewards a way to make grazing, land management and financial decisions that positively impact land health and productivity. More than 30 million acres of land worldwide currently benefit from Holistic Management practices. The course will cover holistic management goal setting, grazing planning, financial planning, and land planning.

Click here to download a brief overview of Holistic Management and Holistic Decision Making.

About GreenFriends

GreenFriends is a global grassroots environmental movement that promotes environmental awareness and participation at the individual and community levels in activities aimed at preserving our precious environment. GreenFriends’ baseline philosophy is that we should strive to preserve and protect our environment because not only does nature provide us with resources we need to sustain ourselves, but she also sustains all life forms on earth. GreenFriends advocates that each one of us strives to reawaken our awareness of unity with all of creation, and cultivate an attitude of love and reverence towards nature. Developing love for nature will lead to a change in our attitudes, helping us work together towards restoring the harmony between humanity and nature that has existed throughout the ages. For More information visit: http://greenfriends.org

GreenFriends: A Global Environmental Movement

GreenFriends Projects

Contact

For questions, more information, and to register,

e-mail: education@livingmandala.com or

phone: Living Mandala at: 707-634-1461

To Register Click Here.

Tuition & Registration

Organic lunch and snacks are included in your registration fee.

1. *Full course - Holistic Managment - All 3 Days  
   

    - Sept 9,10,11 ~ $300

* Days 1+2: Decision Making and Land Management

    - Sept 9 + 10 ~ $225

* Day 3 Only: Holistic Management of Animals

    - Sept 11 : $100 (Strongly recommended to attend Days 1+2)

Payment must be received to reserve space in the class on a first-come, first-served basis. No refunds are given in the week prior to a class. Refunds before the 1 week period will be subject to a $50 cancellation fee.

To Register Click Here.

What Kind of People Should Take This Course?

1. *Experienced and beginning farmers and ranchers who want to improve manageability, explore new possibilities, restore health and productivity to the land, create viable operations for the next generation, develop new markets, achieve a triple bottom line, decrease inputs, shift to grass based production, diversify, participate in a local food system and adopt sustainable practices.
   

2. *Families and people from all walks for life who seek to improve their quality of life, reduce their carbon footprint, live a lifestyle of health and sustainability.
   

3. *Entrepreneurs who desire to manage for a triple bottom line: becoming sustainable us of resources while also being financially sound and socially conscious.
   

* New and experienced landowners and land managers.

1. *Non-profit organizations who wish to get everyone on the same page, improve ownership in their purpose, and seek solutions that are socially, economically and environmentally sound.
   

2. *Community leaders who would like to improve decision making skills in relation to sustainable community development, land use planning, agriculture, problem solving and policy making
   

Will I Benefit from This Course?

You'll benefit from this course if you are looking for another way of managing land that works financially, for the people involved, and for the land.

Many people involved in agriculture are surprised and impressed when introduced to the concept of managing holistically. Typically, everyone can benefit from learning how to make better land management decisions, and everyone involved is a critical part of the decision making.

While the focus of examples and process during the course will definitely be on agriculture, the entire process can be used in the home or any business setting. Since so many farming operations are family businesses, participants can benefit most by including the major decision makers in the course at the same time.

The Next Step for Permaculturists

“What permaculture lacks is a decision-making framework.

What holistic management lacks is a design framework.

Let's put together a dowry."

"What is the best thing you can do to further your effectiveness as a a permaculture designer?  Take a Holistic Management course.”

~ Darren Doherty

To Register Click Here.

Why Is Holistic Management Important?

Holisitic Management first defines a "whole" to be managed (people, resources and money), and creates what is known as an holistic goal that mirrors these three aspect of the whole. Before implementing projects, any effects on these three aspects must be considered, and the project must simultaneously meet economic standards concerning the viability of the operations.

At present, agriculture and many other businesses are struggling to maintain viabilty. Decreased income often leads to a focus on increased production and harder work. But, if the fundamental decision making process that led to the present situation is not changed, no real progress is likely to be made. Presently, many people involved in agriculture do not realize they are working against "nature's rules" and that their efforts are likely to be unsuccessful until they learn to work with this process. In the end, nature always wins and our production systems must change to be sustainable.

Too often, conventional agriculture focuses almost solely on achieving production goals and solving specific problems, which can create unforseen and unintended consequences that eventually detract from land health, personal and family time and, ultimately, profitability.

Holistic management is effective because the resource base ultimately supports the financial goals and those of the people involved who depend on the business for their livelihood.

The course teaches participants to define their unique whole, define their unique holistic goal, and to make decisions that are economically, environmentally and socially sound towards that goal. It is a process that works and has a proven track record of more than 20 years.

Site Details - MA Center Green Friends Farm

The beautiful 180 acre grounds of the M.A. Center are becoming a demonstration & educational hub of leading permaculture, holistic management, and regenerative design practices.

Site Projects Include:

1. •1,000 tree holistic food forest
   

2. •Dynamic watershed restoration
   

3. •Broadacre land contouring & water infiltration
   

4. •Keyline patterning & ploughing
   

5. •Native reforestation & agroforestry
   

6. •Holistically managed grazing
   

7. •Soil food web management
   

8. •Solar energy
   

9. •Community garden & orchards
   

10. •Sustainability & spirituality programs
    

Keyline Plowing in the M.A Center Orchard