Hands-On Holistic Management

The solution to climate change, drought resilience, food security, and financial viability lies in our approach to management. We believe the solution to these pressing world issues is holistic management of our land, livestock, and people- leading to regeneration.

Holistic Management uses decision-making and planning procedures that give people the insights and management tools needed to work with the web of complexity that exists in nature; resulting in better, more informed decisions that balance social, environmental, and financial considerations.

The Hands-on Holistic Management Comprehensive course at Heifer Ranch is being offered as an 10- day intensive course. Successful completion of this course, along with an oral exam held with a staff member of the Savory Institute, will enable you to become an accredited professional (AP) of the Savory Institute.

This course is open to anyone wanting to learn about Holistic Management, not just those seeking accreditation.

Foundations of Holistic Management:

The first session will do a deep dive into Foundations of Holistic Management and how to manage complexity. We will learn about the four ecosystem processes (water cycle, mineral cycle, community dynamics, and energy flow) and the tools available for managing our ecosystem as well as what effects these tools have on the environment and ecosystem you manage. You will develop a Holistic Context and learn how to use filtering questions to help ensure your decisions align with your values, resources and long term goals.

Holistic Land Planning:

Holistic Management uses a decision-making process to help ensure that the actions taken to restore land and livelihoods are ecologically, socially and economically sound based on the context described by the people involved. Through the land planning process, we will learn how you can increase your profit while making decisions that improve your quality of life and productivity. Students will learn how to create the future they desire by looking at their land through a new lens that leads to abundance in efficiency and land health. This section of the course will greatly help participants as they head into Holistic Planned Grazing.

Holistic Planned Grazing

Holistic Planned Grazing is a planning process for dealing simply with the great complexity livestock managers face daily in integrating livestock production with crop, wildlife and forest production while working to ensure continued land regeneration, animal health and welfare, and profitability.

Holistic Financial Planning

Learn how to use a simple, cash-based planning procedure that allows farmers and ranchers to be profitable while maintaining the quality of life they desire and improving the health of their land base.

Basic and Comprehensive Ecological Monitoring

Learn how to complete both the Basic and Comprehensive Monitoring Procedures. Become proficient enough to monitor your own land.

A complete agenda will be sent via email to participants registering for the course. If you have questions, please email Donna Kilpatrick at ZG9ubmEgISBraWxwYXRyaWNrIHwgaGVpZmVyICEgb3Jn

In addition to classroom sessions, we will use the 1,200 acre Heifer Ranch to deepen our understanding of holism, the complexity of nature, predator-prey relationships, as well as the importance of ruminant animals in our ecosystem and their role (when properly managed) in reversing desertification and cooling the planet.

It is highly recommended that you rent lodging on the Ranch for this event, but it is not required if you live locally or close to Heifer Ranch. Activities will take place on some evenings during the training. Please make sure to select both the "Ticket" tab to pay tuition and then also select "Add On" if you wish to add lodging. Our lodging includes two meals a day.

Your instructors:

Donna Kilpatrick specializes in ecosystem restoration and land stewardship. She leads the regenerative agriculture programs and enterprises at Heifer Ranch in Perryville, Arkansas where she serves as the Director of Regeneration and as the Heifer Ranch Savory Hub leader. The 1,200 acre ranch is a thriving, living ecosystem with stacked enterprises that include beef cattle, pigs, sheep, poultry and bees, raised in an integrated, holistically managed system. Donna lives at Heifer Ranch with her partner and her corgi Austin- who is phenomenal at catching frisbees despite his short legs.

Dylan Kennedy is a farmer, designer, educator and part-time artist based in Jabez Kentucky. Dylan's career in farm management was born of a deep passion for agroecology and the role of humans within their ecosystems. His favorite projects are those that blur the lines between conservation and agriculture while engaging local communities in the stewardship of natural resources. Dylan has 15 years experience in building and retooling regenerative farm systems across the USA in a variety of ecoregions. He is a Certified Permaculture Designer and an Accredited Professional through the Savory Institute. website - Ketelwood.com

Ken Smith is a native Texan, former naval officer, mechanical and nuclear engineer, business owner, and entrepreneur whose journey from corporate supplier to fossil fuel companies to sustainability to regeneration advocate to holistic management spans over 40 years. He is a Senior Certified Sustainability Professional, a Savory Institute Accredited Professional Educator, and hopefully a good steward of the earth. Ken resides in Plano, Texas, with his wife, Susan, and their pit lab mix, Stella.

Heifer Ranch is a 1,200 acre living laboratory. This course will utilize traditional conference room facilities as well as outdoor spaces, including time with our livestock and out in our pastures. We will also embrace opportunities to build relationships and share experiences through campfires, stargazing, group meals, wagon rides and other non-facilitated group time.

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