#076, In Practice, Mar/Apr 2001

Did you ever wonder where the term

“Generation X” came from? I

realized I didn’t know the origin

when I began to explore the theme of

generations for this article, so I was surprised

to find out that I was potentially a member

of that generation. That realization left me

rather nonplussed for a number of reasons.

One, I thought I was a babyboomer and that

my son was a member of Generation X.

Two, I guess I did have some judgements

about Generation X, so I wasn’t too keen

on being lumped in with them. The whole

experience led me to think about how

much a generation (one’s peers) influences

and defines you and how much you are

influenced by extended family and history.

A Matter of Definition

Born on the cusp of Generation X, I felt

neither a part of the babyboomer generation

who seemed too old or Generation X whom

I taught in high school and college. From

that experience, I was aware that I felt

more influenced by my family in many

ways than the historical events of my time.

I feel that those relationships and the others

that have become a part of the fabric of my

life have influenced and defined my

allegiances and values.

In my research, I found that Generation

X was so called because it had no historical

event or personality to define it and was

unlike any other generation before. The

most current generation has now been

labeled Generation Y, defined by its position

in time and the English alphabet (Y follows

X, so what happens when we reach Z?).

Advertising and marketing have played

a big role in defining these generations and

marketing products to them, but who knows

how much people within those generations

have accepted or been influenced by those

definitions (or which countries and cultures

are most influenced by such marketing

charades). Certainly those people who have

not already defined allegiances or values

for themselves will be more susceptible

to accepting those definitions offered

by others.

I remember, as a young adult feeling

different from my peers. In my family, that

sort of individuality was privileged and

encouraged. Being a twin, I had a ready

support system to confirm my reality that

our “difference” was good. This has not been

my son’s experience. I don’t know if his

experience is a reflection of his personality,

his status as an only child, a reflection of the

times, or some other factor. I know it makes

his “differences” more challenging for him in

his social situation, even though our family

encourages him to determine what he likes

separate from what his peers think. I believe

this challenging time is when he must define

his allegiances and values for himself, to

begin the prioritizing we all must do.

A Matter of Choice

While generation can technically mean

the average span of time between the birth

of parents and their offspring, it also defines

a type of object developed from an earlier

type (i.e., a new generation of machines). I

believe that those of us currently searching

to live life in a more thoughtful manner

(out of our own self-interest) are members

of a new generation of humans.

While each generation has had access to

a certain amount of information, there has

been no other point in history where we

have had this mix of technology and

in t h is I s su e

The Birth of a New Life

Sharlett Driggs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3

Turning Round the Family Farm

George King . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

Every Ship Must Have Its Captain

George King . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

A Future in Cattle Farming

Wayne Knight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

LAND & LIVESTOCK—A specialsection of IN PRACTICE

Tropical Dairy Farming

Jim Howell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

Harvesting Sunshine In the

Land Down Under

Jim Howell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11

Savory Center Bulletin Board . . . . . . .15

Books In Brief . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16

Development Corner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16

Readers Forum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17

Marketplace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20

George King: Poster child for Generation

Why. Read about his views on Holistic

Management, agriculture, and the

transition of responsibility from one

generation to the next on page 4.

Generation Whyby Ann Adams

MARCH / APRIL 2001 NUMBER 76

HOLISTICMANAGEMENT IN PRACTIC EP r oviding the link between a healthy environment and a sound economy

continued on page 2

2 HOLISTIC MANAGEMENT IN PRACTICE #76

The Allan Savory

Center for Holistic Management

The ALLAN SAVORY CENTER FOR

HOLISTIC MANAGEMENT is a 501(c) (3)

non-profit organization. The Center

works to restore the vitality of

communities and the natural resources

on which they depend by advancing the

practice of Holistic Management and

coordinating its development worldwide.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Lois Trevino, Chair

Rio de la Vista, Vice Chair

Ann Adams, Secretary

Manuel Casas, Treasurer

Allan Savory

ADVISORY BOARD

Ron Brandes, New York, NY

Sam Brown, Austin, TX

Gretel Ehrlich, Santa Barbara, CA

Doug McDaniel, Lostine, OR

Guillermo Osuna, Coahuila, Mexico

Bunker Sands, Dallas, TX

STAFF

Shannon Horst, Executive Director;

Kate Bradshaw, Associate Director;

Allan Savory, Founding Director;

Jody Butterfield, Co-Founder and

Research and Educational Materials

Coordinator ; Kelly Pasztor, Director

of Educational Services; Andy Braman,

Development Director; Ann Adams,

Managing Editor, IN PRACTICE and

Membership Support Coordinator

Africa Centre for Holistic Management

Private Bag 5950, Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe

tel: (263) (11) 213529; email:

[email protected]

Huggins Matanga, Director;

Roger and Sharon Parry, Managers,

Regional Training Centre; Elias Ncube,

Hwange Project Manager/Training

Coordinator

HOLISTIC MANAGEMENT INPRACTICE (ISSN: 1098-8157) is publishedsix times a year by The Allan SavoryCenter for Holistic Management, 1010Tijeras NW, Albuquerque, NM 87102,505/842-5252, fax: 505/843-7900; email:[email protected].;website: www.holisticmanagement.org Copyright © 2001.

Ad definitumfinem

Generation Why continued from page 1

knowledge available to us. We now have

more access to more accumulated wisdom

(past and present), as well as the ability to

communicate and interact around the world

with greater physical ease. That, of course,

is both a blessing and a challenge for

Generation Why.

So who is Generation Why? It is the

name I have given to a generation of

people toward which I feel an allegiance.

It is a generation where individuals no

longer respond to problems by looking

for solutions, but define their lives as they

want them to be and make decisions

toward that definition. It is a generation

that has learned to move beyond how to

why. Whether we are 8 or 80, choosing

to be a part of Generation Why has

had a profound effect on many people’s

lives and the environment they influence.

While anyone can learn the skills

necessary to be a part of this generation,

I would assume that learning them earlier

in life helps to imprint them. Certainly this

seems the case of those who contributed

to this issue. Whether they are first or

second generation holistic managers, they

appear to have been influenced by their

family’s willingness to experiment with

something new because of a solid

foundation of values that directed their

steps. For each of them, it has been an

intergenerational experience, not one

defined solely by outside influences.

Another common attribute I found among

these young contributors was their enthusiasm

and passion for the lives they are creating.

I found it contagious and uplifting. Likewise,

I appreciated their willingness to share their

stories (the good, the bad, and the ugly) in

such an open and forthright manner. The

suppleness of their youthful decision-making

reminded me of an analogy I heard once

about how it is sometimes easier to change

the direction of a wheelbarrow once it is in

motion than to try and do it from a standstill.

I think that as I have gotten older and

been affected by what I have perceived as

“mistakes” or “poor decisions,” I have become

more reticent about making decisions in haste,

wanting to make the right one before I take

action. In my youth, I was perhaps more

cavalier in my decision-making, willing to

absorb whatever consequences, or perhaps

not thinking about consequences at all.

The wheelbarrow analogy reminds me

that motion and movement can be a starting

point for change, and there’s nothing like

passion and commitment to create motion and

action. That is what these stories inspired in

me. They became reminders to take time to

focus on what feeds my soul and make some

movement toward it. If I know what I want to

accomplish and why I want to accomplish it,

the journey toward that end will be a

rewarding one.

HOLISTIC MANAGEMENT IN PRACTICE • MARCH / APRIL 2001 3

My parents, Leland and Faye Driggs,

have been ranching in Eureka,

Montana as the third generation

on our family ranch. I’m not sure when they

first began studying Holistic Management,

but Dad began mentioning certain things

about it to my sister, Amy, and myself about

two years ago. I thought it was really great

for the ranch, but didn’t think a whole lot

about applying it to my own life except

with a few gardening practices.

One day I went to the Savory

Center’s website just out of curiosity

and decided to order At Home with

Holistic Management . I’ve lived in

Seattle for 11 years now and have

had a relatively successful life here.

I have been serving as the Vice

President of the Board for Seattle

Habitat for Humanity and have

been employed in the construction

industry as an estimator and project

manager. My most recent projects

included Construction Manager of a

$20 million medical research facility

and Project Engineer for the

incredible house being built for

Howard and Sheri Schultz—CEO

of Starbucks and his wife.

I’m relatively well paid for

what I do, and from all outward

appearances in an urban setting, I’m

“successful.” But I was finding that money

was floating through my fingers and my

life was truly frenetic. I wouldn’t say I

was unhappy, because I’ve always had

workaholic tendencies and truly enjoy

the work I’ve done. But I’ve definitely

been caught up in a pace of keeping up

in a city that probably has more young

millionaires (via Microsoft) than

anywhere else in the country.

Changing Plans

Then in October of ‘99, I discovered

I was going to be a mother. Shortly

thereafter it became clear that I was going

to be a single mother. Not only did I have

to work through numerous emotions, but

it became obvious I was going to have to

make some serious plans from a practicality

basis—primarily financial. Fortunately, my

motherhood to be easy—but I wasn’t

going to let people convince me that it

was going to be horrible either.

I also had to prepare myself for negative

reactions from a lot of people, presented in

a well-meaning manner or not. One coworker

told me one day that he “felt sorry” for me

and “wished that things weren’t like this” for

me. He said “in his generation” (he was about

my parents’ age) this “kind of thing didn’t

happen much.”

I simply disagreed with him. Of course it

happened. However, most women lost their

jobs (if they had them), moved in with their

families, went on welfare, had abortions, or

gave up their children for adoption. I felt

fortunate that I could make this decision,

look forward to having my child, and

maintain self-sufficiency.

Putting the Plan Into Ac t i o n

How fortunate that I had so many tools

in front of me to cope in a much more

positive manner. And using the Holistic

Management™ Financial Planning

worksheets became a critical part of this.

Planning for profit became my planning to

take a 3-month maternity leave. It was

critically important to me that I have this

time with my baby and provide a healthy

start for my child.

It became immediately apparent that I

“nickel and dimed” myself out of a lot of

cash every week. Lunches and dinners out

cost anywhere from $5 to $50 a pop. Then

there was a $5 trinket here, a $30 book

there—lots of things that either weren’t

necessary or could be obtained through

other methods. It was time to really plan

my meals, pack my lunch, and watch my

grocery budget. I trained myself to go to

the library and check out a book rather

than buying it.

Part of this change also came naturally

as I started to live a slower and quieter

lifestyle—which wasn’t too difficult the

more my pregnancy advanced! I splurged

on an expensive pre-natal yoga class, as it

helped keep me calm and flexible. Other

job provides great insurance coverage, so we

were set there. But I needed to make sure I

could provide for myself and my child on

my own, and be ready to take maternity

leave. It was time to sit down and make

some serious plans for the future.

With At Home, I worked through a lot

of this planning. First, there was the goal

setting—what did I want for my future and

my child’s future? I wanted stability—both

emotional and financial. I also wanted good

family support from the rest of my family—

but it was important to me that this was

emotional support, because I didn’t want

to lose my independence and self-sufficiency

and start becoming a financial “burden” to

my parents. My career was also important for

my personal goals, and for financial support

to both of us. Lastly, I wanted respect—self-

respect and respect from my family and

peers for the decisions I was making.

Then it was time to start announcing

what was happening to family and friends.

Growing up in small-town Montana I had

seen most teenage, unplanned, unwed

pregnancies bring forth a lot of difficult and

often negative emotions. It was important

to communicate to my family that I was

seeing this as a positive change in my life.

I was 32 years old, had a good career and

financial stability for the future, and was

looking forward to this new little person

joining my life. I wasn’t expecting single

Sharlet and Liam on their houseboat.

The Birth of a New Lifeby Sharlet Driggs

continued on page 4


than that—life was becoming much more

home-centered.

The first big challenge came when I was

sent home on bed-rest a month earlier than

I had anticipated for my maternity leave.

But as I again re-evaluated my savings

account and how long it would carry me,

I saw that I would still be able to have my

three-month leave. And in order not to go

completely crazy with staying home alone—

I put in a vegetable garden to keep

myself occupied.

N ew Challenges Are Born

On June 21, my beautiful and healthy

son—Liam Emmett Driggs—was born.

Although it sounds like a cliche—it was the

most difficult, painful, terrifying, wonderful,

amazing, spectacular experience I have ever

had in my life. I knew I would love my son,

but I had no idea how all-consuming it

would be, and how happy it would make

me. Family and friends fell in love with

him immediately too.

There were more challenges, however. I

had a Cesarean delivery (after 20 hours of

labor!), so recovery was going to be longer

and harder than I had planned. By now,

lots of family and friends were rallying—all

in a positive way. But, of course, the day

came when it was time for friends and

family to return to their own homes. It

was time for Liam and I to be on our own,

and for me to start facing going back to

work again.

Shortly thereafter my original childcare

plan—friends that live nearby—fell through as

one of them decided to go back to college

and wouldn’t be available fulltime. My two

back-up plans weren’t really good options.

Licensed childcare in Seattle is $850/month—

for the more inexpensive ones! I didn’t

have this kind of extra money and didn’t

really feel it was an appropriate time to ask

for a raise, after having been on leave for

two months.

On top of that, even if I could afford it,

I discovered that the waiting list to get into

these childcare centers was at least another

three months or longer. Even more so—I

wasn’t emotionally ready to leave my

child in the care of others. I literally had

nightmares that I would go to the childcare

Sailing Home Free

Granted, my career has taken a change.

I’m working purely on estimating projects

with blue-prints at home so the work isn’t

nearly as exciting, creative, or high-profile

as working on the Schultz residence. I’ve

also taken a leave-of-absence from my

Board position at Habitat, but it’s a very

conscious decision that has brought a lot

of peace and well-being into my life. I can

even work fewer hours (I used to work

10-12 hour days) and still be in better

shape financially because my life is more

conservative.

And now I get to watch my son as today

he struggles to sit upright on his own. If he

were in childcare 8-10 hours a day I’d miss all

of this. He smiles and laughs constantly, and

brings me more happiness than any high-

profile career ever could. My career might

not be as creative as it was, but he is now

my creative project.

As Holistic Management emphasizes, it’s

a continual process. Every few weeks I’m

re-evaluating what’s working and what’s not,

and making incremental changes. Right now

I’m working on a seed idea that in a year I

may propose to my company. I’d like to

make the telecommuting even more serious

by moving back to Montana where I can be

closer to my parents. I think it would be

wonderful if they and my son could see

each other more often.

Whether this comes to fruition and

still looks like a good idea in a year, who

knows. But Holistic Management has been

incredibly important in helping me work

through so many decisions. Looking for the

“other option” through more creative

thinking is so instrumental in looking for

solutions that at first don’t seem obvious.

It’s exciting, challenging, and truly fulfilling

to find solutions that can work for

everyone. My ship (by the way I live on

a houseboat) feels secure and sailing well.

I expect there will be a lot more challenges

in the future, but I also expect to be

prepared to face them and work through

them successfully.

Sharlet Driggs lives in Seattle, Washington

and can be reached at [email protected]

facility to check on him, and they would

have left him laying on the floor in the

hallway! I would wake up crying in the

middle of the night, panic-stricken about

what I was going to do.

So it was time to get out the goal-setting

tools, and do some creative thinking and

planning. What was my top priority?

Spending time with my baby. What was

the most important practical aspect I had

to face? Supporting us financially. What

was a creative approach to achieving

these goals?

I decided to discuss my situation with

my supervisors and propose that rather

than come back into the office full-time

and ask for a raise, I would work from

home as much as possible at my current

pay-rate. It turns out that this is a win-win

situation for everyone. Our office is short

on space—so having me work from home

helps them out. I can have my friends

take care of Liam on a part-time basis and

spend a lot more time with him myself.

I can also accomplish as much at home

as I did in the office because I’m not

interrupted by people dropping in with

office gossip, or expected to attend

meetings that aren’t really pertinent

to my work.

I’m also saving money by not having to

pay for expensive childcare costs, lunches

and dinners out with co-workers, parking,

keeping up a corporate wardrobe, or a

breast pump to feed my baby. I even get to

skip two hours of commuting in horrible

traffic every day, and my overall stress level

is tremendously alleviated. And thanks to

the computer (God Bless, Bill Gates), the

office and I can stay in contact as much

as necessary.

The Birth of a New Life continued from page 3

Holistic Management

has been incredibly

important in helping

me work through so

many decisions.


The results we achieved were far greater

than we ever could have imagined. To go

from unintentionally destroying our ecology

to deliberately and consciously rebuilding it,

has been an amazing experience. Every year

over the past four years the results seem to

double on top of themselves.

I started here running 4,200 breeding

merino ewes, 1,200 wethers and approximately

500 breeding cows on 6,000 acres. We have

increased the acreage to 10,000 acres (4,000

hectares) with the purchase of an adjoining

farm and are now running 2,500 breeding cows.

We decided to move to straight cattle from

predominantly sheep for many reasons,

mainly economical. Sheep were too expensive

to run in this high rainfall area, along with

concerns about fly prevention, hygiene,

shearing, foot paring (trimming), and low

commodity price. With cattle we could control

the cost of production much more effectively.

We also wanted to make

sure we did the grazing

planning effectively, and

this decision was the

easiest way to make the

management simple.

One of the things

that Holistic

Management has

allowed us to do, while

dramatically increasing

our stocking rate, is

massively increase our

biodiversity. We have

many more birds (both

in numbers and species)

than we used to. Trees

are regenerating again

and are healthy.

We also have thicker

pastures.

Holistic Management

has also helped us

control our cost of

production. I constantly

remember Allan

Savory’s quote, “profit is

a function of cost of production—not sale

price.” With that in mind, I have reduced the

labor on this farm from five hired men to just

myself, and our cost of production is below

40 cents per kilogram of beef. (Previously the

cost of production was substantially greater

than the price we received.)

We are able to do this because we have

Turning Around the Family Farmby George King

continued on page 6

Ifirst heard about Holistic Management

when I was studying at Marcus Oldham

College in 1995. A friend there was talking

about the principles of Holistic Management,

and I was attracted to the logic of the entire

process: working with nature instead of

fighting it, reducing production costs to

increase profitability, creating a sustainable

future. The more I learned, the more I

realized that Holistic Management is so

ogical it just had to work.

Trouble in Paradise

In 1997, I took over management of our

family farm at Coombing Park, Carcoar in the

central tablelands

of New South

Wales, Australia.

The property

here was once

(in the ‘50s and

‘60s) one of the

best-managed

properties in

New South Wales.

They had the most

modern pasture

improvement and

super phosphate

programs. They

were importing

genetics from

Scotland for the

cattle stud, and

the progeny

were sought after

from all parts of

Australia. They

were sure they

had discovered

the best system for

managing the

farm, so they decided it would be best to

not make any changes.

But when I started farming here after my

grandfather had passed on, the property was

completely uneconomical. The asset base had

deteriorated to a point where it was incapable

of returning financial gain. The fences were

mostly not stock-proof; the dams were

unserviceable (mostly filled with silt); and the

pastures were almost all annual grasses, so we

had a drought every season regardless of

the year. As soon as the growing season

had passed, the annuals dried off and there

was basically no more growth except for

weeds. Our expenses climbed as we tried

to control them.

The animal performance from the

sheep and cattle was appallingly bad.

Because of poor water and grasses that had

no nutritional value, cows were licking holes

in erosion banks in an attempt to satisfy

their mineral deficiencies. They also

suffered from worms terribly because

they were set-stocked in a 30-inch

(750 mm) rainfall.

Astounding Results

But things began to change when Dick

and Judy Richardson (Dick is a Holistic

Management™ Certified Educator) from South

Africa came to visit with a mutual friend.

Within a month, we had mobbed 20 mobs of

stock into one and had begun Holistic

Management training as a family. Both my

parents, Berkeley and Penny King, and myself

attended this training.

The Kings have created a series of gates and lanes at Coombing Park that allow for easy

cattle movement with minimal labor. Responding to a whistle, the herd of 2,500 cattle will

move through the gate within half an hour.


Holistic Management or some similar

process. I believe it has given us a second

chance to be a part of an industry that

continues to evolve.

I think the future of agriculture lies in

being able to consistently supply the market

with a safe product because that is what

consumers want. Holistic Management seems

to provide the tools to meet this need while

lowering the cost of production for the

producer. At the same time, we regenerate

our farmlands through increased biodiversity

and lessen the effects of seasonal variations,

which appear as droughts and floods.

Likewise, as we become more profitable both

hen we started practicing Holistic Management, for many

reasons it was very difficult for us to reach a common holistic

goal. The main inhibitor was the age or generation gap between

my parents and myself. Dad and Mum wanted to be easing up a bit

and having more leisure time, more weekends off, days off, etc. I

wanted to have less weekends away, spend less on consumables,

work longer hours, have less staff and lower costs, increase

productivity, have no holidays, and have more money for

production items and capital improvement, etc.

Because we were in such poor financial

shape and poor ecological state, I saw my way

as the only way to ensure/guarantee that we

could succeed. Personally, I think “compromises”

just end up in a lose-lose situation, so I did not

want to go down that path.

Both my parents could understand the

importance of getting the property back on

track, but at their age they did not want to enter

into another battle so to speak. I, however, was

adamant that we achieve a positive outcome. So I became

responsible for that outcome.

This decision was very important because initially we found that

the decision-making team turned into a “committee” with no one

person responsible or accountable for any part of the operation.

With such committee “mentality,” we lacked the commitment to

complete tasks or complete them with a certain level of quality.

So I took the role of team leader for our farm because I was the

one implementing the changes: designing the paddock plans, moving

the stock, monitoring, etc. However I still rely on both my parents

as part of the decision-making team even though it is very clear that

I am the final decision-maker. Ironically, because of this

arrangement, I feel even more relaxed about keeping my parents

informed about what’s happening and what my thoughts are.

From our experience, I feel it is important to have one person

responsible for an operation. Once you are passionate about

something, so much can be achieved in terms of work, negotiations

with suppliers and principle financiers or demands or requirements

on professionals such as accountants.

Passing the Baton

As I look back on the experience of how our family was able to

make this transition of leadership successfully, I have to credit my

father’s willingness to pass the baton to me. I think many parents

assume that their children aren’t ready for the

responsibility and don’t give them the chance to

try. This lack of trust can seriously undermine

the potential for that family’s business.

Many/most fathers want more than anything for

their sons to be successful, but they have spent

their entire life building a business that has

“become their life.” What do they then do when

they hand their life/business to their son? Such

changes can be hard, especially when there isn’t

a plan in place to address those new challenges.

In our case we decided that Mum & Dad would renovate the

main house for a guest house and a Bed & Breakfast, which will

provide them with financial independence from me, and enable

them to pursue something that really interests them. In the

meantime, I get to face the challenge of pushing the grazing

business until it is self-sustaining.

Because my relationship with my parents is one of total trust,

love, and respect we find that we enjoy what we are doing here

with the business and with our personal lives. Such trust helps us

face the challenges that inevitably arise in a way that makes our

relationship grow stronger and our work more successful. I am very

fortunate that my parents were confident enough within themselves

to see the benefits of Holistic Management and the importance of

not allowing past conditioning and paradigms to stand in the way of

our success and our family’s happiness.

—George King

Every Ship Must Have Its Captain

It is important to

have one person

responsible for

an operation.

W

We used to lose nearly

5 percent of equity

each year, but now we

have achieved an

8 percent return on our asset.

no weed control expenses, no erosion control

expense, and no pasture improvement costs.

Because of these changes we have achieved

a 13 percent turn around in our results over the

past four years. (We used to lose nearly

5 percent of equity each year, but now we have

achieved an 8 percent return on our asset.)

It is very easy for me to openly say that

I do not think we would still be here today

given our starting point had it not been for

Turning Around the

Family Farmcontinued from page 5

ecologically and environmentally, we bring

stability to our communities.

I believe that agriculture must be a

positive experience for both the producer

and the consumer, only then can we turn


Ihave always loved the land, cattle, game

and the mystery of natural processes.

However, so many negative aspects of

farming had crept into our lives (input prices

going crazy, labor laws and cost of labor

giving us the jitters, and cattle prices

stagnating) that we didn’t see much of a

future for the cattle industry.

We had purchased a property prior to

the severe interest rate hikes we experienced

here in South Africa in 1998. But as interest

rates started to soar, we had to sell good

cattle to prevent our debt load from getting

out of control. Our whole way of life was

suddenly threatened and it looked as if

there was no clear way to get out of

the jam.

To add to my negative perceptions, it

was evident that our less productive

veld was suffering from severe bush

encroachment. All the chemicals we had

been using to combat bush encroachment

had proved to be useless in the long-term.

Light stocking rates seemed to only

aggravate the situation.

B eyond Wagon Wheels

My parents, Tom and Wendy, had made

use of certain aspects of Holistic

Management for many years. (They worked

with Allan Savory and Stan Parsons in the

1970s). They had small camps [paddocks] in

wagon wheel configurations and had been

aware of grass species and the effect of

grazing. The idea of utilizing large herds of

cattle and concentrating them on a small area

has been part of the strategy for a long time.

However, they had certain paradigms that

limited the success of their grazing practices.

The critical aspect of graze and recovery

periods proved very difficult to manage in

practice (without the help of the Aide

Memoire for Holistic Management™ Grazing

Planning). Large herds also created problems

in traditional management styles. As a result,

we never had sufficiently long recovery

periods for the veld [range].

Since 1994, I have been aware of the

benefits of large herds, but I couldn’t see a

practical way of introducing them in our

local conditions. For five years we had

experimented with running herds of up to

200 cows on certain areas of the farm, and

they responded very positively with the

sickle bush dying back and the grass species

composition improving dramatically. These

small positive results, however, seemed to be

completely overshadowed by the negative

mood that prevailed.

A Positive Outlook

In May 1999, my wife, Hilary, and I

attended the first module of a Holistic

Management training program run by Dick

Richardson in South Africa. After the first

three days of training we came home very

enthusiastic. We were beginning to see the

whole picture. Over the next six months or

so, we completed the training and our whole

approach and attitude to farming changed.

One thing that helped so much was using

the Holistic Management™ Financial Planning

procedure. It has given us a fantastic sense of

purpose and direction combined with our

holistic goal. The financial plan and

associated monitoring enable us to make the

important decisions proactively or change

them when we find our situation has

changed. It took effort to make the time to

complete the financial plan initially, but the

results have been so dramatic that we

continue to make the additional effort.

We have made blunders, and will very

likely continue to do so as we learn our way

in new and uncharted territory. But I can

confidently say that our family business is

more aware now of what we need to do to

survive. We have significantly reduced

expenditure where we once believed we

were spending the bare minimum. We have

also increased the productive potential of our

land. And most all, we see a future in our

struggling industry. Yes, there are going to be

sacrifices and hard times to come, but we

have a unified plan and our creativity and

perseverance.

As a young couple coming into an

established family business, Holistic

Management has changed our lives for

the better.

Wayne Knight and his wife Hilary farm

near Potgietersrus, South Africa.

This article is reprinted from

The Holistic Reporter, November, 2000.

Next IssueIn our next issue, we will

continue this theme as we hear

from the new holistic managers.

Learn how they have been influenced

by Holistic Management and how

they view the world.

Please send suggestions and

comments to:

Ann Adams

IN PRACTICE

1010 Tijeras NW

Albuquerque, NM 87102

505/842-5252

[email protected]

These photos taken from the same area of

Coombing Park show the highly ineffective

water cycle George faced when he began

mangement. An impro ved water cycle has

reduced both flood and drought symptoms

on the Kings’ property. (See photo on page 5.)

around the family farm and rural economies.

When we accomplish that objective then

everyone wins because a society is only as

sustainable as its food source.

George King lives in Coombing Park, Ne w

South Wales. He can be reached at 02 6367

3021 or [email protected].

A Future in Cattle Farmingby Wayne Knight

8 LAND & LIVESTOCK IN PRACTICE #76

LAND L I V E S TO C K& A Special Section ofIN PRACTICE

MARCH / APRIL 2001 #76

traditional large animal veterinarian by training and a specialist

in embryo transfer, Percy Sharp of Beatrice, Zimbabwe, is one

of those “mainstream guys gone crazy” that you can’t help

but admire. Percy grew up on the family farm, which the Sharp

family still owns and operates, and until the early ‘90s, managed the

farm in line with his conventional agricultural/veterinary training.

The farm survived all those years, but it didn’t thrive. Percy had a

grander vision, and realized that continuing down the same path

would only propel him and his family further away from that

vision. Percy knew he had to start thinking outside the box. Now

the Sharp dairy, in every aspect of its management, is one of the

great examples of truly sustainable, holistically sound agriculture.

Tr o p i c a l l y - Adapted Dairy Genetics

From the late ‘70s and into the mid ‘80s, Percy followed the

conventional wisdom and A.I.’ed his dairy herd of 150 cows with

American Holstein semen. Zimbabwe lies in the tropics, with much

of the country receiving about 30 inches (750 mm) of rain over a

short four-month rainy season. The grass grows fast and furious

while things are wet, then drops off in quality quickly as the dry

season progresses. Nonetheless, it’s this bulk of forage that these

tropical farmers and ranchers rely on to survive the 7 to 8 months

till the next rains. This low quality forage combined with a very

heavy external and internal parasite burden, presents major

production challenges. It soon became apparent to Percy that the

American Holstein couldn’t cut it in the African brittle tropics. So

instead of fighting and trying to adapt the environment to the cow

(Percy’s operation has always relied heavily on direct grazing to

provide the majority of fodder), he began a search for a breed more

closely matched to what his environment had to offer.

Percy identified the Sahiwal as the breed most likely to fit the

bill. A dual-purpose breed from Pakistan, it is the highest milking

heat and parasite-adapted Bos Indicus breed in the world. The

resultant Holstein/Sahiwal crossbred was a dramatic improvement,

but poor milk let-down in up to 40 percent of the cows posed a

major problem. Further research confirmed this to be a common

drawback to the Sahiwal, but, fortunately, work in tropical

Queensland, Australia has resulted in the Australian Fresian-Sahiwal

(AFS), and the Aussies have been able to successfully breed out

this milk let-down problem. The AFS is recognized as the highest-

producing, tropically adapted dairy animal in the world, and

Percy has been importing semen since 1993, with no more straight

Holstein used since that time. He has also infused a fair amount

of Ayeshire/Senepol semen (Senepol is a Red Poll/African

Ndama cross).

The result is a mostly black herd of moderate-sized tropical

dairy cows with “a little ear,” making milk on tall tropical grass

year-round. In addition to improved milk production over the

purebred Holstein under natural grazing conditions, other

improvements have been hardier calves and heifers, less fertility

problems, better carcass quality of cull cows, and better beef

quality characteristics of male progeny.

What about the Land?

Percy had long been aware of the poor grazing efficiency

realized through conventional, more-or-less continual, low density

This mobile milking parlor, just one of Percy Sharp’s inno vations,

means cattle waste no energy and their dung is distributed evenly .

Tropical Dairy Farming-

Innovations in the HighRainfall Savanna

by Jim Howell

A

IN PRACTICE • MARCH / APRIL 2001 LAND & LIVESTOCK 9

continued on page 10

grazing. He also could see the benefits of high animal impact around

his dairy barn, where the herd converged twice daily all year long.

Despite the lack of any time control, the closer to the barn you got,

the better the grass became. Percy figured if he could get that kind

of impact all over and combined it with good time control, he might

really have something, but he never knew how to get it done on a

practical level. In the high rainfall brittle tropics, grazing periods have

to be very short and stock densities high to meet the needs of both

the animals and the land.

At low stocking rates and low stock densities, animal

performance can usually be maintained at reasonable levels, but

the land deteriorates through high levels of partial rest. To break

the rest, stocking rates and stock densities have to be much higher,

but that puts tremendous stress on the animals, unless they can be

moved very frequently. Frequent moves necessitate lots of paddocks,

which, with conventional fencing, are often uneconomical and an

aesthetic disaster.

Simple portable electric fence, however, allows the best of both

worlds, and when Percy witnessed one of his veterinary clients,

Hendrik O’Neill, moving large herds of cattle at very high density as

frequently as every 15 minutes (by moving a single strand of electric

wire), he had the practical answer he needed. In mid-1996 he got

started, and the effects on his land and forage have been very

obvious, with a major shift toward more palatable, broad-leafed

grasses, a major improvement in the color and vigor of his forages,

and much increased forage production overall due to high utilization

combined with adequate recovery periods.

Taking the Parlor to the Cow s

One negative, however, was the

increased distance the cows had to walk

to milking due to the nature of the new

paddock layout. Also, nutrients were still

being transferred to the dairy barn, and

the buildup of manure, mud, and

microorganisms continued. Instead of

letting this “negative” get the best of him,

Percy decided to see if he could convert it

to an opportunity. A few years prior, Percy

had purchased a used “tandem” parlor to

eventually replace his aging herringbone.

A tandem parlor enables the crew to

handle each cow individually; i.e., each cow

can enter the parlor on her own and then

be released individually as well. This way

slow-milkers don’t hold up fast milkers.

Anyway, Percy decided to weld skids onto

this 6-stanchion rig and see if his Chinese

built “walking tractor” (looks like a

combination of a lawn mower and a

4-wheeler) could pull it. That proved to be no problem, and a small

diesel engine, a small vacuum pump, a small trailer full of 20 gallon

churns, and 6 milking units later, the Percy Sharp “mobile milking

parlor” was in business.

For the first few years of operation, the cows grazed a daytime

break of grass, walked into the parlor for the evening milking and,

when released, walked directly out onto the fresh nighttime break.

After milking was completed, the parlor was pulled forward across

where the cows were grazing and parked in place for the next

milking. This way the cows effectively waste no energy traveling to

and from the parlor. Another major advantage of bringing the parlor

to the cows has been the decrease in mud. During the rainy season,

most Zimbabwean milk cows are caked in mud up to their bellies

due to walking down water-logged lanes twice a day or standing in

pens. Percy’s cows are always sleek and clean without a speck of

mud. Percy claims that just that advantage alone has made the

whole effort worthwhile.

Starting last December, Percy made a holistic adjustment to

the operation. As the rainy season

commenced and the grass transformed

from the dry straw of the dormant season

to the lush leaves of the wet season, and as

the whole herd of 150 cows came on line,

things got a little hectic.

Better grass meant more milk

per cow, and with the whole herd lactating,

that meant lots of milk, period. The Sharps

process and direct-market all of their

production (see below), and they found

they just couldn’t keep up with the

quantity they were producing. Not only

that, milking was taking too long with only

a 6-stanchion parlor, and there was no time

to get anything else done.

The solution: once a day milking.

Production per cow has dropped 30

percent, but the amount of feed

supplemented during milking has also

dropped 40 percent. Total milk solids have

improved considerably, and where it used

to take 2.9 liters of milk to make one liter

of their direct-marketed fermented product, now it only takes 2 .6.

Another benefit has been an improvement in cow body condition,

Since the early ‘90s, Percy Sharp has been

thinking outside the box.

When a cow is released after having

been milked, he calls out the number of

another of that milker’s designated cows.

Believe it or not, that cow, on her own,

will work her way through the herd

(most of which are contentedly standing

or laying down just behind the parlor)

and right into the stanchion

with cows now returning to heat after calving quicker than with

twice a day milking.

Average production per cow-day is about 20 pounds (9 kg) with

once-a-day milking. During the rainy season when the grass is green,

cows were being supplemented with 5 pounds (2.2 kg) per head of

an 18 percent protein, 65 percent TDN pellet, and during the dry

season this was kicked up to 7.5 pounds (3.4 kg). Now with the

once-a-day milking, consumption has dropped to 3 pounds (1.3 kg)

during the green season, and should stay down after the grass dries

off (in April/May) as well.

Your Turn, #272

After lots of mechanical trouble with the engine and vacuum

pump, Percy eventually decided the holistically sound thing to do

was to abandon them and switch to hand

milking. With Zimbabwe’s abundant and

inexpensive labor resource, this was both

economically and socially viable. Now six

milkers milk the same cows once a day. Initially

each milker milked whatever cow happened to

lumber up to his particular stanchion, but some

of the crew started to complain that they were

always getting all the cows with the big slow

milking bags.

They wanted a fairer system, so Percy

assigned specific cows to each milker, making

sure each one got his share of the slow-milking

cows. At milking time, one man stands at

the entry of the parlor’s alley. This guy has committed to memory

which cows go to which milker. When a cow is released after having

been milked, he calls out the number of another of that milker’s

designated cows. Believe it or not, that cow, on her own, will work

her way through the herd (most of which are contentedly standing

or laying down just behind the parlor) and right into the stanchion.

That’s probably hard for you to believe. I had to see it to believe it

myself, but I assure you that’s how it works.

Birds and Bugs

Following the moving mob of milk cows are the laying chickens.

They are always a couple hundred yards behind the cows, which

works out to about two days worth of moves. This gap between the

cows and the chickens is critical. Here’s why.

Holistically minded farmers and ranchers in Africa are obsessed

with dung beetles. Because the beetles bury dung at exactly the

depth where grass roots can most effectively use it, they perform

loads of soil fertility building work absolutely free. The dung beetles

need material that’s not too wet and not too dry. In most conditions,

the dung is buried the day it’s dropped. If the laying chickens were

right there next to the cattle, they would scratch through the cow

pies before the beetles had a chance to bury them, plus they would

zealously consume the little guys before they had a chance to get

much work done.

The simplest solution was to hold the chickens back until the

dung beetles moved on to where the cows had just vacated. By the

time the chickens come along, any dung the beetles missed is too

dry for the beetles anyway, but it’s just right for the chickens to

scratch through and pick out the fly larvae. It’s beautiful how it all

works together.

Value-added Dairy Products

The full 20-gallon churns are hauled by flatbed trailer (also

pulled by the walking tractor) to the original dairy barn where the

cooling tank is. But Percy no longer cools his milk! Instead he is

now processing it all into a product called mukaka wakakora ,

which means “milk that’s growing.” The milk is brought into a

room in the old dairy barn complex, which is maintained at

a constant temperature of 82 degrees F (28 degrees C). It is first

filtered, with the cream taken off the top and made into butter,

then a yogurt culture added and the mixture turned into drums.

Twelve hours later the drums are stirred to break up the contents,

which are jelly-like at this point. After another

eight to ten hours the curds and whey separate,

and the curds, which by this time have taken

a form similar to thick plain yogurt, are

packaged into 500-ml plastic bags. The whey

is fed to the hogs.

Percy’s wife, Linda, then sells it all at a

roadside thatch-roofed shop located right

on the farm. She also sells the butter, eggs

from the layers, and a variety of other local

staples. This mukaka wakakora is one of

the protein staples in the area and sells like

hot cakes. Even during the economic disaster

that has plagued Zimbabwe for most of the

past year, they have been able to sell all of their production.

Dairy regulations in Zimbabwe do not allow for a milking

parlor without running water and a concrete floor. To get around

the problem, Percy has talked the government inspectors into

allowing him to operate the mobile parlor as “an experimental

research project,” and to let them become involved in monitoring

the project. So far the quality of his milk has been superior to that

of the Zimbabwe average, so no problems yet. As far as legally

selling milk and milk products direct to the consumer, Zimbabwe

isn’t hung up on such things.

Milking cows and tending to livestock is the way most of

Zimbabwe’s people live. It would never dawn on a Zimbabwean

that a farmer couldn’t competently milk a cow and sell the

product in a fresh, safe, and healthy form. Problems arise when

we start trying to store the stuff and haul it to town. Life in

Zimbabwe presents countless challenges that North Americans

never even have to think about, but in terms of not burdening

small farmers with food and safety standards; they’re ahead of us

in many respects.

Good ideas that are both brilliant in their simplicity and

elegant in their common sense are tough to come by. Percy

Sharp’s farm is one of those rare finds where one not only

discovers one good idea, but a whole stack of paradigm-busting

breakthroughs.


Tropical Dairy Farmingcontinued from page 9

Better grass meant

more milk per co w.

The Sharps found

they couldn’t keep up

with the quantity

they were producing

HOLISTIC MANAGEMENT IN PRACTICE • MARCH / APRIL 2001 11IN PRACTICE • MARCH / APRIL 2001 LAND & LIVESTOCK 11

During the Northern Hemisphere winter months, my wife,

Daniela, and I organize and lead educational agricultural tours to

the Southern Hemisphere. We’ve led groups through much of

southern Africa and Argentina, and last April headed to Australia

for our first guided tour Down Under. Altogether we visited eight

operations, six of which were family-operated grazing properties in

northeastern New South Wales. Three of these ultra-efficient,

holistically sound operations are highlighted in this article.

hen most of us imagine Australia’s livestock industry, we

tend to visualize vast tracts of bleak, sandy, red desert,

uninhabited by all but a few modern day frontiersmen with

their scraggly sheep and cattle, struggling to coax a living from one

of the earth’s driest and least fertile landscapes. This image isn’t far

from true. Australia is, in fact, the world’s driest continent, and its

soils are the world’s most ancient and, therefore, most highly leached.

The thinnest and sorriest cattle I’ve ever seen were near Alice

Springs, right in the middle of that red, sandy desert. Roughly the

size of the continental United States, the land Down Under only

supports 19 million people, compared to 280 or so million

Americans. That statistic alone tells us a lot about the country’s

inherent carrying capacity.

While the above description holds true over the majority of the

continent, most of us would be surprised to learn that Australia also

contains some of world’s most abundant and productive grassland.

In fact, most of Australia’s stockmen opt to make their living in the

strip of country that extends a couple hundred miles inland from

the country’s East Coast. This swath of Australia comprises the

Great Dividing Range, with its wet eastern slope and progressively

drier western slope. In the north, the climate is tropical and is

characterized by a summer rainy season. Moving south, the climate

becomes more temperate and the rainfall pattern spreads over

most of the year. At the bottom of the Great Dividing Range, a

Mediterranean climate dominates, with precipitation predominantly

in the winter months.

Our tour concentrated on the western slope of the mid-latitude

Great Dividing Range, in the province of New South Wales. This

region is grass-growing heaven. It is a beautiful, undulating, broken

landscape, blessed with a mild temperate climate, very palatable

and nutritious native and introduced forages, and usually just

enough precipitation to grow plenty of this high quality grass,

but not so much that the forage becomes excessively fibrous

and unpalatable.

Keeping It Simple

At the risk of making myself look bad, I have to say that the

family operations we visited make the average American rancher

look like a part-time hobbyist. A 300-head cow/calf outfit is pretty

big-time across the USA, but if you tell an Aussie you run 300 head,

he’d figure you must have names for each of the old girls. The

typical Aussie wouldn’t know what to do with just 300 cows. The

smallest operation we visited (Lucella, owned by Brian and Rosemary

Marshall) runs 400 brood cows (of primarily Murray Grey breeding)

year-round on 1,843 acres (749 hectares). Calves are all held over and

sold as grass-finished yearlings at 850 to 900 pounds (390 to 410 kg).

The Marshalls feed no hay, spray no herbicides (other than what the

government forces them to apply), spread no fertilizer, have no use

for a tractor, and drive a Mercedes! None of these activities passes

toward the family’s holistic goal (except the car). For the Marshalls,

they don’t make sense ecologically, economically, or socially.

What does make sense is a simple, straightforward grazing

operation, capitalizing on free sunshine in their forage-rich

environment. They’re located in

a potentially very productive

area in northeast New South

Wales (near the town of

Tamworth), with an average of

28 inches (700 mm) of rainfall

that generally comes evenly

spread throughout the year.

Winters are mild, so the cool-

season native grasses stay green

all through the winter. Summers

are quite hot, but the balance of

native warm season perennials,

assuming adequate precipitation,

keep things green right through

the scorching summer months.

Brian is a Holistic

Management™ Certified

Educator, and spends a good

deal of his time traveling

around Australia teaching other livestock producers how to make do

with a lot less, while simultaneously improving quality of life and

enhancing the health of the land. Since he’s gone so much, most of

the chores are left to Rosemary and their two youngest daughters still

at home, but that usually only amounts to a couple of hours of work

a day moving temporary electric fence. Management is streamlined

and uncomplicated—a great example of creative simplicity generating

profit from sunshine.

I commented above that the Marshall’s area is “potentially very

productive” for a reason. ENSO, which stands for the “El Niño

Southern Oscillation”, makes any kind of agriculture in Australia very

risky business, even in the typically productive Great Dividing Range.

Severe droughts are a frequent reality. So even though this description

of the Marshall property sounds fairly ideal for a grazing operation,

“potential productivity” isn’t always reached. As a matter of fact, it

frequently isn’t reached, and this results in good managers being

H a r vesting Sunshine in the Land Down Underby Jim Howell


While Brian Marshall is of f

running Holistic Management

training sessions, his tw o

daughters spend a couple hours a

day moving the family herd of

400 brood cows.

W

extremely wary of impending dry spells. More on that below.

C ows, Sheep, Worms, and Wi r e

Our full day spent on the farm of Tim and Karen Wright was

one of those experiences that is hard to stop thinking about. The

Wrights also farm in a productive region of New South Wales, near

the town of Armidale. Average rainfall is 26 inches (640 mm) and it

comes fairly well spread, but winters are a bit tougher than down in

Tamworth, and dry spells are a little more frequent. Tim and just one

hired man manage nearly 9,000 acres (3,600 hectares) carrying 1,000

head of cattle and 7,000 sheep. One of Australia’s earliest students of

Stan Parson’s Ranching for

Profit school (Grazing for Profit

in Australia), Tim was also

one of the first to begin

implementing the cell grazing

style of management that

Parsons was promoting. He’s

since been through Holistic

Management training as well,

and describes what he’s now

doing as “Planned Cell Grazing.”

His property is now managed

as four main grazing cells

or blocks, with each cell

containing about 50 permanent

paddocks. Sheep are now

managed in mobs of 1,000 to

2,000 instead of 200 to 300, and

cattle herds, which once only

counted 30 to 40 pairs, are now

amalgamated into herds of 200

to 250. Average paddock size is

down to 38 to 45 acres (15 to

18 hectares).

Management and Results

Tim admits that the learning curve was long and steep, but his

persistence has paid off. His operation is now supporting a stocking

rate 30 percent above his region’s average, and his land has improved

dramatically. Problem weeds have declined significantly, and plant-

available soil phosphorus has doubled. Bare ground is nearly non-

existent, and the number of plant species showing up in his

monitoring transects has increased from 30 to 50. This is all a result

of careful grazing management—no soil amendments, no seeding.

The key is to make sure that plants have adequate recovery in this

drought-prone region, and to keep grazing periods short and intense

and stock densities high.

Tim never plans for a recovery period of less than 70 days, and in

times of drought, he will combine herds from the different cells to

achieve recovery periods of up to 150 days. By combining herds and

making this nearly half-year recovery period possible, enough

precipitation (even in dry times) nearly always comes so pastures

recover by the next grazing. During a drought in the early ‘90s, Tim

survived by aggressively implementing his land plan, which included

some intensive paddock subdivision, making these long recovery

periods possible. His neighbors, who were hauling in truckloads of

outside forage, joked that Tim must have somehow figured out how

to get his stock to survive on wire.

Tim emphasizes that his management has resulted in extremely

effective water and mineral cycles, so any rain received is used to its

fullest. In fact, he attributes all of the increased productivity of both

plants and animals to much improved ecosystem processes.

He likes to maintain

stock densities of at least

150 dse’s/acre (dse means “dry

sheep equivalent,” which is

how everything is measured in

Australia). They figure 10 dse’s

are the equivalent of a lactating

cow. Cattle and sheep graze in a

leader/follower pattern, with

the cattle leading. The cattle

consume much of the rougher

forage, thereby opening the

sward and rendering the finer

forage more accessible to the

sheep. Average grazing periods

at the 150-dse/acre density are

typically two days (sometimes

one day during very fast

growth) for each herd, so two

to four total days of grazing for

each cattle/sheep combined

grazing period. Tim says each

paddock will get about eight

days grazing total per year,

spread over two to three

grazing periods. Tim claims

that sheep are always more profitable than cattle, but the cattle are

necessary to keep them profitable. Without the cattle, forage would

get too rank to be readily converted by the sheep. Of the 22,000 dse’s

on the property, about 12,000 are in the form of cattle and 10,000 in

the form of sheep.

The Financial Picture

Economically, things are going quite well. Since commencing with

planned grazing, stocking rate has not only increased by 30 percent,

but Tim’s cost of production has decreased by 25 to 30 percent, due to

reduced labor, machinery, and animal health costs. Tim produces fine

wool Merinos, with a micron of 17 to 18. At the time of our visit, wool

of such quality was worth between US$9.50 and US$12.50 per kilogram,

and the average yield across all of his ewes and wethers is 4 kg. That’s

US$40 to US$50 per sheep just for the wool! For 19 micron wool, the


H a r vesting Sunshine in the Land Down Under

continued from page 11

With Holistic Management, Tim Wright (middle) has improved his land

dramatically and now has a stocking rate 30 percent higher than his

region’s average.

IN PRACTICE • MARCH / APRIL 2001 LAND & LIVESTOCK 13

price is half that. Believe me, you don’t

hear any gripes out of Aussies with fine

wool Merinos these days. With no

supplementary feeding, no spraying, no

chemical fertilizing, no drenching, and

even no vaccinating (just good grazing

management), that $50 is nearly all

profit. As far as cattle go, finished 900-

pound steers ready for market were

worth 40 cents per pound at the time

of our visit, and believe it or not, the

Aussies are ecstatic with those prices.

The year previous they were about

50 percent cheaper.

Top Priority—Soil Fertility

I mentioned that Tim doesn’t apply

any soil amendments in the form of

chemical fertilizers, but that doesn’t

imply that all soil amendments

are out of the question. He’s done about

as much land development (fencing and

stock water) as possible to maximize his capture of solar energy.

Now he figures the only way to improve still further is to focus on

soil fertility. I doubt if there are many American farmers familiar with

the practice of applying “worm juice” as a fertilizer, but in Australia it’s

actually being done. Worm juice is a sort-of “distilled” byproduct of

earthworms digesting organic matter. When added to soil in very

dilute quantities, it supposedly does an amazing job of stimulating an

incredible level of microbial activity. Of course, the healthier the

populations of soil microbes, the more readily the nutrients from soil

organic matter are released as plant-available nutrients. The better

the soil structure (and therefore water holding capacity) too. Well,

at the time of our visit, Tim had recently commenced producing

his own worm juice. It can be purchased commercially as a

product known as “RUM,” but Tim thinks he can make a better

product on his own.

The worm juice factory basically consists of a V-shaped tub about

six feet long and three feet deep, full of barnyard manure and

thousands of earthworms. To make a long story short, water gets

pumped into the top of this tub, and when it slowly oozes out the

bottom, you’ve got worm juice.

Tim proudly proclaims that he’s finally got “everything humming.”

Stock performance is good, the land is improving every year, and

profits are excellent. We look forward to spending another day

with the Wrights on a future trip. Their farm is a superb model of

holistically sound agriculture.

Cattle Breeding and Community Building

Peter Howarth is one of those guys with an uncanny knack for

getting things done. Not only that, if he decides to take something on,

you can bet he’ll take it on in a big way. He is one of Sydney’s most

successful businessmen and property developers, and in the mid-’80s

decided he wanted to be in the cattle business. True to form, a few

years later he owned the largest herd of registered Devon cattle in the

world, and had established Australia’s largest pool of purebred polled

Simmentals.

Peter and his wife, Judy, farm in one of southeast Australia’s most

idyllic and picturesque spots. Near the town of Nundle and just west

of the crest of the Great Dividing Range, they own two properties

totaling 20,000 acres (8,100 hectare)—Wombramurra, the home place,

and Wyallia—ranging from 2,300 to 3,300 feet (700 to 1,000 meters) in

elevation. They also own a 7,000-acre (2,800-hectare) property on the

Liverpool Plain, perhaps Australia’s most fertile and productive

cropping country, about an hour and a half drive from Nundle. The

farms at Nundle support 3,000 cows, about 700 of which are registered

breeding stock (500 Devon and 200 polled Simmentals), and the

balance commercial brood cows. Most of the commercial cows are

also of Devon or Simmental breeding, or Devon/Angus F1 crosses,

which are bred to polled Simmental bulls.

A Husbandry Mission

Peter is determined to produce the perfect animal for Australia’s

grass-based commercial cattle industry. For the export market, he is

convinced that this three way cross will fit the bill. For the domestic

market, a Devon sire will be used to produce an earlier maturing,

earlier finishing animal. All weaned calves are shipped to the 7,000-

acre flat property on the Liverpool Plain to be finished on grass.

Now, with a more holistic focus than when he initially entered the

cattle business, Peter is more appreciative of the Devon breed than

Tim’s “worm juice” distiller is an important part of his soil fertility program.


ever before. Though it is a relatively rare and poorly known English

breed, Peter is quick to point out their valuable economic traits. He

says they are highly fertile, docile, and can finish well in all seasons of

the year, on good as well as poorer country. In fact, he is convinced

the Devon has the best foraging ability of any of the British or

European breeds of cattle. For those of us in temperate climates who

are keen to develop an ecologically sound, forage-based beef industry,

this breed may warrant consideration.

In addition to the cattle, the farm also runs 10,000 Merino sheep

and 4,000 Boer/cashmere cross goats. At 22 microns, their wool is too

coarse to fetch the fantastic premiums received by Tim Wright, but

they are working to get it down to at

least 19 to 20 microns. In addition to

meat and fiber, the goats provide

valuable weed control against the

blackberry and thistle infestations

common to the area. The grazing

patterns of all the herds—cattle, sheep,

and goats—are carefully planned to

produce a high level of animal impact

and a recovery period ranging from

90 to 120 days, depending on growth

rates of plants. The ability to plan

these relatively long recovery periods

and achieve high stock densities (in

country that is traditionally set-stocked

year-round) has resulted in

tremendous improvements to their

pasture species composition and plant

vigor. With their evenly spread annual

precipitation of 30 to 37 inches (760

to 940 mm) and mild winters, this

country heals quickly with well-

planned grazing management.

A Town called Nundle

The Howarths’ agricultural pursuits are truly impressive, but for

Peter and Judy, the land and the livestock are only part of the story.

Upon being introduced to Holistic Management, they realized their

“whole” extended beyond the farm gate and into their community,

and what they saw wasn’t pretty. The town of Nundle was all but

abandoned, and no young people were staying home. They reasoned

that with a dying or dead community, their operation simply wasn’t

sustainable in the long term. Nundle needed to be rejuvenated, so the

Howarths got to work. They essentially bought the town, fired up the

local shops, the motel, and the gas station, converted the abandoned

bank into a five-star guest house, started an art gallery, got the schools

going, and employed lots of people in the process. The locals started

to patronize their hometown again, tourists began to show up, and

many more young people are deciding to stay. Each business is now

supporting itself, and the Howarths are selling each business back to

the people who are managing them. The Nundle/Howarth

partnership is truly an inspiring success story.

In addition to all of the above, this amazing couple has also built

a thriving backpacker’s lodge right on the farm. The Howarths’

son manages this business. Two big busloads of modern-day

adventurers/explorers/thrill-seekers descend on the lodge every

night. They are welcomed by one of the farm’s more colorful hired

hands—complete with beat up Akubra hat, rural Aussie twang, and

sharp country wit. He informs them that they are visiting a genuine

Australian sheep and cattle station, and then gives them a sheep

shearing demonstration. Those who want and need a trim themselves

are offered a free haircut after the sheep are shorn.

And finally, plans are underway

to develop an “Earth Sanctuary.” This

will entail fencing off a 6,000-acre

(2,400-hectare) area of pristine forest

that has never been cleared. It is

home to several species of kangaroos

and wallabies, plus dozens of other

species of unusual native marsupials.

Once fenced off, all of the non-native

feral cats, rabbits, and foxes will be

removed, giving the natives a chance

to thrive. An interpretive center and

an exotic cabin complex will be

constructed (designed by their

architect daughter) to cater to visitors,

and a full-time biologist will be

employed. Even though the idea is to

create a native preserve, they plan to

continue grazing the valley bottoms

to keep the grass healthy and

minimize fire danger.

Our Australia trip was packed

with mind-stretching learning, lots

of new ideas to go home and try, great

camaraderie between our tour clients

and ranching hosts, and even a little typical tourism and adventure in

Sydney and Kakadu National Park. There is a lot more I could write

about; not only about the operations described above, but also about all

the other farms and stations I didn’t mention. One was Coombing Park,

the focus of another article in this issue. Another was deep in the

outback in the Kimberly. We had to fly in and out in a little 6-seater

plane, camp under the stars, and trek through swamps, but I’d have to

write a book to do justice to the whole experience. We plan to return

to Australia this April, and are excited to see the progress, new insights,

and new learnings of our generous friends Down Under.

Jim and Daniela’s 2001 tour will travel to both New Zealand and

Australia, commencing April 15 and finishing May 1. You can

contact them at 970/249-0353, ho [email protected], or visit their

web page at www.scranchtours.com. There still may be spots

available.


Peter Howarth not only owned the largest herd of registered

Devon cattle, he also bought up a town as part of an

economic revitalization project he developed.

H a r vesting Sunshine in the Land Down Under

continued from page 13


National Learning Site

The Savory Center will soon begin a large-

scale project in the Lost Rivers Va l l ey of

Idaho. The project has been funded initially by

the United States Forest Service (USFS) and the

Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)

as a result of a workshop Allan Savory gave to

the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) in

August of 1999. This project will serve as a

Holistic Management learning site. Our task is to

work with a broad diversity of representatives

in the local communities to restore land

productivity and tie improved productivity to

i m p r oved economic and social conditions

within the community.

The Savory Center is partnering on this effo r t

with USFS, NRCS, and Mackay Action, a local

economic development corporation. This project is

part of a nation-wide effort, under USDA, called

the Largescale Watershed Restoration Projects,

which includes 14 other projects around the nation

(see website www. f s . fe d . u s / l a r g ewa t e r s h e d p r o j e c t s

for more information on the larger initiative). We

are especially grateful to members Chance Gowa n,

Linda Hestag, and S t eve Cote for the work they

h a ve done in this region of the country. Their

work created a platform for establishing this

learning site when the USDA showed interest in

supporting a Holistic Management project.

Smithsonian Exhibition

Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman recently

opened a new Smithsonian Exhibition

about the North American prairie. “Listening to

the Prairie: Farming in Nature’s Image” describes

the evolution of the vast grasslands region, as

well as the progressive prairie farmers and

ranchers who have found innova t i ve ways to

farm the land and protect the environment.

One of the ranching families included in this

exhibition is the Mortensens. Clarence and Jeff

M o r t e n s o n from Hayes, South Dakota have been

i n vo l ved in a decades-long project to improve the

ranch environment through planned grazing which

has nearly eliminated erosion, multiplied fo r a g e

production eight-fold, and caused the underground

water level on their ranch to rise by four fe e t .

The Mortensens, who belong to the

C h eyenne River Sioux tribe, acknowledge that

Holistic Management has helped them improve

the native plant population and revitalize springs.

Gathering Down Under

New Zealand will host an international

Holistic Management Conference in

This is a great way to get the word out about

Holistic Management, and we appreciate Kim’s

c r e a t i v i t y. If other producers are interested in also

promoting the Savory Center’s work through their

direct marketing, please contact Ann Adams at

[email protected] or call 505/842-5252.

Annual Appeal

The response to our annual appeal is still

going strong as we go to press. We have

r e c e i ved double the amount of donations that

we usually receive, and greatly appreciate

eve r yone’s generosity. We would also like to

thank Savory Center volunteer, Maggie Knight,

for her help in contacting donors.

If you still haven’t sent in a donation,

please take time to do so.

Colorado Branch Meeting

The Colorado Branch meeting in January of

this year was a great success with good

attendance and much planning for the upcoming

international celebration and gathering in July

(see flyer). Certified Educator Cindy Dve r g s t e n

was elected as the new president for the Branch,

and speakers D i c k and Pat Richardson h a d

eve r yone’s attention during their presentations

on the Ecological Footprint and microscopic

creatures of the soil.

Jim and Daniela Howe l l also gave a talk

about their international tours to the

p r o g r e s s i vely managed farms and ranches of

our holistic network around the globe, and

Cathy McNeil and Rio de la Vi s t a discussed their

c o n s e r vation work in the San Luis Va l l ey.

Social Investing Awa r d

Pr o g r e s s i ve Investment Management has

been awarded the 2001 Social Inve s t i n g

Award in the category of Private Money

Manager by Business Ethics . Co-founded by

Leslie Christian, a Savory Center member,

P r o g r e s s i ve Investment is considered to be “head

and shoulders above its peers.” While relative l y

small-sized for an investment firm (assets under

management are $182 million with 10 full-time

s t a ff members), it has a proven track record of

i n vesting in socially-responsible companies and

community investment while realizing a

f i ve - year annualized return of 26.2 percent.

Christchurch on April 19-20, 2001. Titled

“The Future Resource Base—Continuing the

Challenge for Change,” this conference is

jam-packed with speakers and workshops that

will provide a wealth of experience for all

those who can attend.

The goal of the conference is to support the

many younger people who are embracing

Holistic Management—in New Zealand, Australia,

and around the world. Speakers include Ernesto

Sirolli, Callum Coats, Allan Savory and Jody

Butterfield, wo r l d - r e n owned botanist Dr.

Christine Jones, and many others. You can also

participate in a pre-conference field trip through

N ew Zealand.

For North American bookings contact

Daniela Howell of Sun Country Ranch Tours at:

970/249-0353 or www.scranchtours.com. All

others contact Bruce and Suzie Ward at:

61-2-6721-1105 or [email protected]

PR Campaign

U n d e r wa y

Part of our annual

plan for 2001 was

to increase public

a wareness about

Holistic Management.

To this end the Savo r y

Center has contracted

with Holistic

Management™ Certified

Educator Tina Pilione

from Louisiana to help send out press releases

about the Savory Center and its members to

appropriate media.

We hope this increased presence in the

media will lead to more opportunities to share

this information in greater detail either through

ove r v i ews or workshops. If you have any

i n formation about Holistic Management or

individuals who have had great results using it,

please send that information to Ann Adams at

[email protected] or call 505/842-5252.

Cattle Producers Promote Center

Kim Barmann of the CS Ranch in Cimarron,

N ew Mexico has come up with a great idea to

promote the Savory Center while she promotes

her direct-marketed, grass-fed beef. Kim sells 25

and 50 pound boxes of choice-cuts to consumers

directly and includes a flyer about her operation

and how it is managed holistically. Kim has also

asked the Savory Center to produce a flyer that

explains our work so she can include it with

her materials.

S a vory Center Bulletin Board

Tina Pilione

C o r r e c t i o nIn the “Village Banking” article on

page 15 of IN PRACTICE #75 there was an

incorrect caption. The woman identified

as Mrs. Ndlovu is actually Esilina Nyati.

We apologize for any confusion.

- - E d i t o r


market value of $10,000, the Smiths can donate

the stock and reduce their income tax by $3,850.

In addition, they also avoided the capital gains

taxes of $1,200 they would have incurred if they

had sold that stock for $10,000 (assuming a 20%

capital gains tax). You can determine this figure

by multiplying the stock appreciation of $6000

($10,000-$4,000 = $6000) by the capital gains tax

(20%). In this example, the $10,000 donation will

have cost the Smiths only $4,950 because they

saved a total of $5,050 ($3,850 of income tax +

$1,200 of capital gains tax).

Example C

If, on the other hand, the Smiths have stock

that has depreciated in value, they are better off

selling the stock, realizing the loss and donating

the proceeds. Assume in this example that the

donor has stock that cost $20,000 but has a

current market value of only $10,000. If the

Smiths sell the stock, they may be able to

deduct the $10,000 capital loss and the $10,000

charitable donation.

As always if you are unsure about a

donation or have questions, contact your tax

advisor and/or attorney. For a free, simple

booklet that discusses all of the above,

contact me at 505/842-5252.

Lynch for stock transfers. That way if you have

stock you want to donate, you can just have

your broker or agent transfer the stock from

your account to ours. But sometimes people

aren’t sure what type of stock transfer would

benefit both themselves and the Savory Center.

If you don’t have a professional to answer these

questions for you, please feel free to call me,

and I’ll answer your questions or suggest the

best route to have them answered. In the

meantime, let’s take a couple of examples to see

how planning can affect a donor’s taxes.

Example A

Assume Mr. and Mrs. Smith want to donate

$10,000 to the Savory Center. If they write a

check for $10,000, they will get a tax deduction

of $3,850 (assuming a 38.5% tax rate). That

means that their $10,000 donation actually only

cost them $6,150 because of the reduction of

their income tax.

Example B

Now let’s assume the Smiths want to donate

$10,000 via some long-term appreciated stock. If

the stock cost $4,000 but has a current fair

Books In Briefby Peter Donovan

hoist a sail to catch the wind when it does come.

Ripples from the Zambezi tells the gripping

story of how Ernesto Sirolli learned to catch the

wind of passionate, skillful, creative, intelligent,

and self-motivated entrepreneurs—the

acknowledged powerhouse of the economy

as well as of social change.

Sirolli’s experiences as a volunteer for the

Italian government in Africa during the 1970s

convinced him that “development” schemes were

anything but. After absorbing Schumacher’s Small

Is Beautiful: Economics as if People Mattered and

the person-centered psychology of Carl Rogers,

Sirolli put his radical, antidogmatic ideas to the test

in rural Western Australia. Instead of trying to

motivate people, he made himself available as

coach and advocate for anyone who was serious

about starting or expanding a business enterprise.

By treating economic development as a

byproduct of personal growth and self-

actualization, Sirolli was able to make a quantum

leap in the effectiveness of business coaching, as

well as create local miracles of economic

development. He has devoted himself since to

teaching committed civic leaders how to do

what he has done.

“In every community, no matter how small,

remote, or depressed, there is somebody who is

scribbling figures on a kitchen table. If we can

be available, for free and in confidence, to help

that person go from the dream to establish an

enterprise that can sustain that person and his or

her family, we can begin to change the economic

fortunes of the entire community.”

Sirolli’s ideas are not just good. They are

inspiring, inflammatory; they resonate—and they

are based on 15 colorful years of failing and

succeeding at hoisting the sail in Australia, New

Zealand, Canada, and the U.S.

The underlying philosophy has to do with

empowerment rather than control. “A shift from

strategic to responsive development can only

occur,” Sirolli writes, “if we are capable of

believing that people are intrinsically good and

that the diversity, variety, and apparent

randomness of their passions is like the chaotic

yet ecologically sound life manifestations in an

old-growth forest.”

The message is that bottom-up, person-

centered, responsive economic development

works—and if well understood and led at the

community level, it works better than

anything else.

Peter Donovan is the editor of Patterns of

Choice, a syndicated news service. For

subscription information or more information

contact him at: pdono [email protected].

Ripples from the

Zambezi: Passion,

Entrepreneurship, and

the Rebirth of Local

Economies

by Ernesto Sirolli.

New Society Publishers,

1999.

Many people wish to strengthen their

local economies, reduce dependence on

multinational corporations, build

community by doing things, or achieve self-

fulfillment through meaningful work. Yet these

results are not coming from the top-down,

programmatic, and strategic approaches typically

used by governments, economic development

bureaucracies, and even by community groups,

nonprofits, and advocacy organizations.

As E. F. Schumacher observed in Good Work,

we cannot expect to raise the wind that will

push us to a better world. What we can do is

s I’ve gotten to know many of the

members as part of our annual

fundraising campaign, they have

asked me about the different options for giving

and donating. So in this issue of IN PRACTICE,

I would begin a series of articles about the

different ways people can support the work

we do here.

You may have noticed some of the

advertisements we have put in the back of

IN PRACTICE to educate readers about these

different options. Over the next couple of

issues, I’ll explain some of those options in

more detail. The key idea I want you to

understand is that we value and need the

support of all our members, and we can’t

do our work without your help. But we

also realize that our members need the

opportunity to offer support in many

different ways.

Stock Tr a n s fers

One thing we’ve done to make things easier

for donors is to set up an account with Merrill-

D evelopment Corner by Andy Braman

A


The year 2000 was not an easy year, but

one thing that has been strongly

reinforced is that the Holistic Management™

model does work. I would like to share what

it has done for me in an attempt to encourage

you to use the process, focus on your holistic

goal, and make things happen the way you

want them to happen.

We began our financial planning in

October with the first step of the Holistic

Management™ Financial Planning process:

identifying any logjams in your businesses

that are blocking overall progress towards your

holistic goal. Dick [my husband] and I are

involved in several enterprises and we

identified a logjam for each, but the one overall

logjam we had was insufficient communication

between us. We were communicating “by fax.”

In addition, we identified that we were

not using the process of Holistic Management

sufficiently on a daily basis to ensure

movement towards our holistic goal.

Circumstances were dictating our lives and

not the other way round. We were becoming

reactive instead of proactive. We were still

doing our planning—financial planning, grazing

planning, land planning, and were monitoring

it all. The major events were happening. But

on a daily basis we were being dictated to by

our “to do” lists. To address this we identified

the need for policies in our lives. In doing so,

the need to focus on our holistic goal became

so obvious.

Our first policy was a Time Management

policy. The intent of the policy is to create

effective time management to ensure

movement towards our holistic goal. And

this has effectively dealt with our logjam. We

now have daily, weekly, and monthly meetings

where we focus on our holistic goal before

determining what actions need to be taken

that day, and we use the marginal reaction test

to prioritize what we each need to do that day.

Suddenly there seems to be a degree of

order in the chaos. And although there are

times when I still panic about how and when

we will get it all done, I feel a lot more in

control. The challenge now is to ensure that

this policy becomes a habit.

I read a book a while ago by E. Goldratt

called The Critical Chain in which he notes

that when people plan backwards from any

objective, they have a tendency to put time

buffers into the critical chain (the step by step

R e a d e r s fo r u m

action sequence to accomplish the outcome).

People do this to give themselves leeway, but

this habit just allows us to procrastinate.

Goldratt teaches us that we should put the

buffer at the end, and then when a specific

task is complete, we should immediately move

onto the next task and still have the security

of the buffer at the end. This does require lots

of self-discipline, and the motivation can only

really come from our holistic goal.

One of the discussions that took place

when we were discussing logjams revolved

around the publication we produce, The

Holistic Reporter . Compiling The Holistic

Reporter every four months is one of the most

stressful tasks I do. I really do try to follow

Goldratt’s suggestions and plan it all well

advance. But it invariably comes down to

the wire, and we end up pressed against a

deadline. And once the end result is finally

complete, we mail it out to a meagre 150

subscribers. I really had to question the

effectiveness of all this time and effort.

We have been very disappointed by the

renewals to The Holistic Reporter and IN

PRACTICE this year. And we cannot put our

finger on why it has happened. While this

poor response has been discouraging, working

through the Holistic Management™ Financial

Planning guide helped us to find a possible

solution to this dilemma.

Our efforts in marketing Holistic

Management need to be more effective, but so

do our efforts in providing support for Holistic

Management practitioners. So we decided to

replace The Holistic Reporter with a four-page

newsletter that we will send out to all people

who have attended our training (whether they

are subscribers or not) to

keep them in touch with events and

developments in Holistic Management

throughout Southern Africa.

There will be no fee for this. We

considered this to be a wealth generating

expense for us. The current effort now made

in producing The Holistic Reporter will then

be channelled into writing articles and letters

to publications that have a substantial

readership. Why restrict our efforts to a

readership of about 150 when we can submit

articles to publications such as the [South

Africa] Farmers Weekly with a readership

of 135,000?

For those of you who do subscribe to

IN PRACTICE, you will be aware of a big

marketing campaign that IN PRACTICE

undertook in July this year. We strongly

support this campaign and, by planning to

stop The Holistic Reporter, we will submit

more of the articles we would have published

ourselves, to IN PRACTICE. By supporting

IN PRACTICE we are directly supporting a

movement that is truly making a difference

worldwide.

I have really enjoyed the last few editions

of IN PRACTICE and have been really

surprised by the extent of the International

Movement. Our efforts look minuscule in

relation to the whole. We need to get out there

and make things happen. But the only way it

is going to happen is through your help. We

need to share our experiences, learn from

each other, and through word of mouth make

people realize that we can make a difference.

Judy Richardson

Vryburg, South Africa

Excerpted from

The Holistic Reporter

My name is Roberto Molinari, and I work

in Cultural Resources Management in

the Parks Service of Argentina. For the last ten

years I have built a management framework

for the Parks Service, and in the process

discovered that very little knowledge exists

about how to effectively manage the systems

we have created.

But this year I had the opportunity to

learn about Allan Savory’s work (Holistic

Management). Wow!!! I was waiting for

something like that for years. It really is

terrific, and I now have enthusiasm and hope.

Roberto Molinari

Submitted by email

Argentina

Judy and Dick Richardson

on vacation in Alaska.

#076, In Practice, Mar/Apr 2001

Documents

Transcript of #076, In Practice, Mar/Apr 2001