Iwrote my first contract at age 16. I had

loaned a friend $500 to “tide her over”

until she got a job. In the contract, I stated

the possessions she owned that I would

receive if she didn’t pay back her debt; they

were not worth $500. That was only one of

many mistakes I made in creating that

contract. But, perhaps the biggest mistake I

made when I signed that agreement was not

taking seriously the document and the

ramifications it would have on our friendship.

In the years that followed, the debt was

not repaid in full and the friendship withered

under the lack of trust that resulted from an

ill-conceived document that was ultimately the

result of youthful naivete. I feel lucky that this

mistake cost so little as I have heard stories of

similar scenarios where the stakes were much

higher and the social costs greater.

I have thought about those lessons as I’ve

prepared my will and agreed to be a part of

someone else’s. I don’t want to fall into the

trap of just filling in the spaces without

thinking about the bigger picture of what I

am legally and morally committing to—the

social, economic, and environmental legacy

I am leaving behind.

With a will or estate plan, you are dictating

actions for a yet undetermined moment when

many things are likely to be quite different

than the future you currently picture. In turn,

such dictating can profoundly affect people’s

lives in many different ways. Often in ways

you couldn’t foresee.

Perhaps that is why people shy away from

creating wills and estate plans. They can be

tricky things to do well even with competent

legal and accounting help. However, I believe

that people’s clarity about what they want

and their willingness to discuss those options

with those involved will limit the outcome

of any estate planning more than any laws.

While my not so youthful naivete may

be surfacing with that statement, I would

challenge you to look at all the options and

tools available to you, and to answer the

following questions before focusing on the

legal restrictions: “What do I really want to

leave as a legacy, rather than what I think I

should leave as a legacy?” “What would be the

consequences from such a decision?” “How do

I feel about those consequences?” “What are

the options available to me?”

Asking myself those questions has been a

really eye-opening experience for me as I’ve

created and been involved with wills and

estate plans. For example, discussions about

guardianship of children or ownership of

property have uncovered assumptions about

family obligations and privilege, and led to

productive exploration of values, feelings, and

creative options.

Even after you have created a will that

fulfills all the “legal” requirements and family

wishes, there may be many questions that

arise from such discussions or as people

continue to think about the ramifications of

a will or a more involved estate plan. In that

way a will or estate plan is just a starting

point, not an end point in planning. It’s like a

financial plan that you monitor and control.

Holistic planning (whether financial, land,

grazing, estate, or whatever) is about keeping

the big picture in mind and looking at the

social, economic, and environmental

consequences of that planning and the

management that will bring that plan to

fruition. It is an opportunity to step back

from day-to-day management and evaluate

relationships, events, interests, and myriad other

factors in the context of your holistic goal.

That’s the powerful thing about holistic

planning. It encourages us to look at reality,

evaluate our role in the present, explore

options with those important to us, and

determine how we can create the future we

want for our whole. I can’t imagine a greater

gift to our children and communities than the

kind of contributions that come from a life

well-lived and a legacy well-planned.

in t h is I s su e

The West Ranch—A Legacy Born

Ann Adams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

The Impact of Planned Giving

Lee Dueringer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Where There’s a Will, There’s a Way

Noel McNaughton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

LAND & LIVESTOCK—A specialsection of IN PRACTICEOn the Trigg Ranch—Tough Challenges,

Big Possibilities

Jim Howell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

Grazing Planning Practicalities in the

Dry, Cold Steppes

Jim Howell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10

Savory Center Bulletin Board . . . . . . .13

Savory Center Supporters . . . . . . . . . .15

Certified Educators . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17

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

Planned giving is more than just

allocating assets. When David West

left his ranch to the Savory Center, he

provided us many new opportunities

to fulfill our mission. In this picture

Allan Savory and West Ranch Manager

Joe Maddox complete work on transect

monitoring as part of the Savory Center’s

management contract with the estate.

To read more about the Savory Center's

plans for this facility turn to page 2.

Holistic Estate Planningby Ann Adams

MAY / JUNE 2003 NUMBER 89

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

2 HOLISTIC MANAGEMENT IN PRACTICE #89

The David West Ranch of Ozona, Texas

arrived unexpectedly at the Savory

Center’s doorstep in the fall of 2001,

and I think it would be safe to say that

neither the Savory Center nor the West Ranch

will ever be the same again. While we will

share many stories about the West Ranch in

future issues of IN PRACTICE, this article

focuses on how David West’s planned gift

has already created a legacy.

Building From the Ground Up

In 1991, David West wrote a will that

named the Savory Center as the recipient of

his estate. In 2001, when he died, that estate,

including his 11,000+ acre ranch, was worth

approximately $6.5 million. He wanted the

Savory Center to use that estate to create a

Holistic Management research and education

facility. Although the estate remains in

probate, the Savory Center began working

toward fulfilling David West’s vision through a

management contract with the estate executor,

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

Rio de la Vista, ChairAllan Savory, Vice-ChairLeslie Christian, SecretaryGary Rodgers, Treasurer

Richard SmithManuel Casas

ADVISORY BOARD

Robert Anderson, Chair, Corrales, NMSam Brown, Austin, TX

Leslie Christian, Portland, ORGretel Ehrlich, Gaviota, CA

Cynthia & Leo Harris, Albuquerque, NMTrudy Healy, Taos, NMClint Josey, Dallas, TX

Dianne Law, Laveta, CODoug McDaniel, Lostine, OR

Guillermo Osuna, Coahuila, MexicoJim Parker, Montrose, CO

Dean William Rudoy, Cedar Crest, NMYork Schueller, El Segundo, CA

Jim Shelton, Vinita, OKRichard Smith, Houston, TX

FOUNDERS

Allan Savory

Jody Butterfield

STAFF

Tim LaSalle, Executive Director; Shannon

Horst, Senior Director, Strategic Projects Kate Bradshaw, Director of Finance andAdministration; Kelly Pasztor, Director of Educational Services; Lee Dueringer,

Director of Development; Ann Adams,

Managing Editor, IN PRACTICE andMembership and Educator SupportCoordinator , Craig Leggett, Special ProjectsManager; Mary Child, U.S. Education Programand Case Study Development Coordinator;Constance Neely, Director of InternationalTraining Programs Development; Jessica

Stolz, Bookkeeper.

Africa Centre for Holistic Management

Private Bag 5950, Victoria Falls, Zimbabwetel: (263) (11) 213529; email:rogpachm@africaonline.co.zwHuggins Matanga, Director; Roger Parry,

Manager, Regional Training Centre; Elias

Ncube, Hwange Project Manager/TrainingCoordinator

HOLISTIC MANAGEMENT IN PRACTICE (ISSN:

1098-8157) is published six times a year by The

Allan Savory Center for Holistic Management,

1010 Tijeras NW, Albuquerque, NM 87102,

505/842-5252, fax: 505/843-7900; email:

savorycenter@holisticmanagement.org.;

website: www.holisticmanagement.org

Copyright © 2003.

Ad definitumfinem

The West Ranch—A Legacy Bornby Ann Adams

including hiring Savory Center and HRM of

Texas members, Joe & Peggy Maddox, as

Ranch Manager and Director of Education.

When the Savory Center took over

management, the West Ranch was an example

of a common ranching philosophy in West

Texas: “you can’t ranch without oil or gas.”

Gas revenues had increased wealth for the

West Ranch while the land base continued

to deteriorate.

So, one of the first assignments for Joe

Maddox and intern Tom Redfern from

Australia was to gather baseline monitoring

data from 11 transects. That monitoring

indicated that approximately 68 percent of the

soil is bare with 70 percent mature capping;

40 percent of the grasses are overrested and

49 percent are dying. Predominant plants

include prickly pear and redberry cedar, both

low successional plants. In other words, there’s

lots of room for improvement.

Luckily, that’s just the kind of ranch the

Savory Center wanted. And its location in

The Savory Center has been blessed

with many kind and generous

members. Many of you have

responded to our annual appeal for donations

after determining the amount you can afford

in a given year. But you may not be aware

of the increased impact you can make by

considering a planned gift, beyond your

usual donation.

Like any other large decision, we

encourage you to discuss these ideas with the

professionals you hire and with those who

are connected to those funds. Such planning

should be a time of collaboration, not conflict.

To help you decide which option might be

best for you, here is a brief summary of the

different types of gift. After reading through

them, please fill out the form at the right and

send it to us in the enclosed envelope so we

can better serve you.

• Cash—Still the Simplest - Gifts of cash are

fully deductible—up to a maximum of 50

percent of your adjusted gross income.

Moreover, some employers will match your

charitable gifts, meaning your gifts are worth

even more. Check to see if your company or

firm has a matching gift program, or would

be willing to create one.

• Gifts of Life Insurance - If you own a life

insurance policy, consider giving the policy

as a charitable gift. To receive a charitable

deduction, name The Savory Center as both

the owner and beneficiary of that policy. If

the policy has a cash value, you can take a

charitable deduction approximately equal to

the cash value at the time of the gift.

• Gifts of Real Estate - Many members of

The Savory Center own farms and ranches

that may be sold in the next generation, or

that are now returning limited income. Gifts

can be made outright, as a bequest, or placed

in an income-producing trust to benefit the

The Impact of Planned Giving

by Lee Dueringer

HOLISTIC MANAGEMENT IN PRACTICE • MAY / JUNE 2003 3

Texas was an added benefit because we

could more actively collaborate with HRM

of Texas, a collaboration that has benefited

both organizations immensely in fulfilling

their missions.

Peggy Jones, Executive Director of HRM

of Texas, says “the West Ranch is one of the

most exciting things to happen to HRM of

TX in years. This is a grand opportunity to

experience Holistic Management put to the

test by starting from scratch on poor land in

a very dry climate. It has given us a place to

meet in that part of the state, and thus has

greatly improved the sense of community

between HRM of TX and the ranchers and

agency people in that area. Even our kinship

with the Savory Center has blossomed over

our common affection for and interest in

the West Ranch.”

That collaboration has already resulted in

a handful of planning meetings and field

days, necessary during this transition time for

the ranch and also for providing a learning

opportunity for our members and the local

community. The foundation for these

meetings is the West Ranch holistic goal as

we all work to determine the best way to

improve the land base and infrastructure.

This focus is essential if the West Ranch is

ranchers and university and government

officials, David West’s vision of his ranch as a

research and educational center for Holistic

Management is already thriving—even before

the distribution of his estate.

David West’s gift has increased The

Savory Center’s asset base, which in turn

gives us more leverage on numerous projects

and offers us more flexibility in our funding.

Likewise, his gift helped us move toward our

vision of managing more learning sites

where we have ownership of the property

so we can have the decision-making power

to provide a learning environment that

demonstrates what people can achieve

with Holistic Management.

Like the Africa Centre for Holistic

Management in Zimbabwe, the West Ranch

will be a place where we can improve the

land base, help the local community thrive,

and offer assistance to interns, and visitors

who seek solutions to the challenging issues

we face as people concerned about the

environment and the health of rural

communities. And as we have watched the

Africa Centre’s influence grow in its

community, so too will we see David West’s

gift continue to grow and expand, touching

many lives for years to come.

to successfully transition from a ranch

dependent on gas revenues to one that

thrives from the sustainable wealth based on

the photosynthetic process (currently that

means leasing out “pasture” and hunting).

Fulfilling the Vision

With current plans for another HRM of

TX field day on June 14, more interns from

the U.S. and Mexico to arrive in late spring or

early summer, an ongoing invitation to the

Ozona public schools and the local 4-H to

use the West Ranch as an outdoor education

site, and continued involvement of local

Peggy Maddox, Allan Savory, and Joe

Maddox at HRM of TX field day .

donor during his or her life.

• Appreciated Stocks or Bonds - If you own

stock, it is almost always worth more tax-wise to

contribute stock than cash. Giving the stock means

the donor receives both an income tax charitable

deduction for the full market value of the stock at

the time of the gift and avoids paying the capital

gains tax on the increased value of the stock.

• Bequests - Deferred giving is important in

building a long-term endowment for The Savory

Center. Many of you have already advised The

Savory Center that we will be receiving a bequest

in your will. Doing so allows donors and their

families to gain all the benefits of the bequest

property or cash during life, with The Savory

Center receiving the property or cash only after

their passing.

• Life Income Gifts - With money market rates

at a low and many stocks paying less than one

percent in dividends, your gift of cash or stock to

The Savory Center, made in the form of a “Life

Income Gift,” can actually increase your income. A

life income gift allows the donor to transfer assets

over to The Savory Center now, and yet continue

to receive the income from the cash, stock, or

other property contributed.

Friends of The Savory Center

Please complete and return this reply form in the enclosed business reply enve l o p e

■ Enclosed is a gift for The Savory Center (amount $__________ )

■ Please charge my gift (amount $__________ ) *■ My company has a matching gift plan

■ I have already provided for The Savory Center in my will.

■ Please send me additional information on planned giving

Name: __________________________________________

Address:__________________________________________

City: ____________________________________________

State/Province:_______________ Zip/Postal Code __________

Country__________________________________________

Phone/Fax:________________________________________

* Credit Card #:____________________ Exp. Date ________

For further information about these choices, please call or write

Lee Dueringer , Director of Development at 505/842-5252, 505/843-7900 (fax),

or leed@holisticmanagement.org (email). We would be pleased to provide

you, your attorney, your accountant or your tax

advisor with additional information and

assistance in making sure your commitment

to The Savory Center’s mission is fulfilled.

Mail this form to:

The Savory Center

1010 Tijeras Ave. NW

Albuquerque, NM 87102

4 HOLISTIC MANAGEMENT IN PRACTICE #89

For many people Holistic Management

is synonymous with good planning.

You create a holistic goal and plan and

manage toward it. Part of the holistic goal is

the future resource base description. In the

case of farms and ranches, this describes, and

even shows, a map of the desired condition

and layout of the land. The future resource

base description helps you in your holistic

land planning and making sure the whole

under management moves in the desired

direction. It is an integral part of the ongoing

monitoring and planning.

Having a future resource base description

is a good first step, but if you want to create

that kind of landscape then you need to look

at all the tools available to you. And, if you

want to get the most out of exploring your

options creatively, it helps to include others

in the whole who will be influenced by your

decisions as well as talking to others about

how they’ve handled their estate plans. Such

exploration and ensuing discussions can be

challenging stuff, but the rewards have been

great for those who have forged ahead.

Unfortunately, even good land managers

can sometimes fall short when it comes to

dealing with the people stuff for the long-

term health of their land and their estate,

such as preparing a will or estate plan. But

remember, there is not much use having a

goal or future resource base description for

the whole if the legal owner doesn’t take

steps to ensure appropriate ownership of

that land after his/her death.

If you are managing holistically, you have

a head start on holistic estate planning, as

the family has written a holistic goal that

describes what everyone wants. The financial

and biological planning is taking you in that

direction. But if you have no will or estate

plan, you are heading for a crisis that can

affect your family for generations because

the government will be left in charge of

figuring out what to do with your estate.

Trust in Your Planning

Cal Brandley, a former solicitor for Alberta

Agriculture, counseled hundreds of farm

families on legal matters. One of the issues

he pushed hardest was the need for a will.

“Here’s a typical scenario,” he told me one

think that planning what to do about their

estate will somehow cause them to die.

Others don’t know how to divide their assets

among their children, so put off making a

will. Cal said such people would tell him

“they’ll figure out how to divide it after I’m

gone.” He said nothing could be further from

the truth. Many families have been torn apart

by disagreements over who should get what

because they are trying to figure these things

out while grieving the loss of a family

member (not the best time to have to make

any decision). Ironically, many families don’t

always have much say in what happens with

the estate anyway—the government decides

for them. When a person dies “intestate” (i.e.,

without a will), the government in most, if

not all, states and provinces, appoints a trustee

who oversees the allocation of assets. It is

expensive, and often very unsatisfying for

all family members. Cal used to say “You

wouldn’t invite your neighbors to divide up

your estate after you are gone, so why would

you let the government do it?”

Preparing for Change

Perhaps you have struggled for years to

pay off the ranch, and leave it to your family.

But you left no will, and had no estate plan.

There is a good chance the family will have

to sell the place in order to pay the estate

and/or capital gains taxes that suddenly

become due. That would be enough to make

you turn over in your grave, wouldn’t it?

And a will, plus a bit of estate planning,

could have prevented it.

It is never smart to die without a will,

even if all you have is a modest house in

town and a few furnishings. But a landowner

dying without an estate plan and a will is

an outright crime. Too much is at stake.

If you died tomorrow, (or later this

afternoon, or as soon as you finish reading

this sentence—any of these scenarios is

entirely possible), who would take over the

operation of your business? Do your spouse

or children have all the information they

need to deal with the legal and tax

obligations they will have to face? It can be

hard enough under normal circumstances,

but when they are grief-stricken, leaving

them with an accounting nightmare and

Where There’s a Will, There’s a Wa yby Noel McNaughton

time. “A son has been working with his father

on the home farm or ranch for a number of

years with the understanding that he will

inherit the ranch when the old man dies, but

they have nothing on paper.

“Eventually the son marries, and at some

point his wife asks him what they have if the

dad dies. The son tells her he will get the

farm, but she points out they have nothing

on paper, so legally they have nothing.

“The son talks to the dad, who says

‘What’s the matter, don’t you trust me?’ The

son assures the dad he trusts him, so the dad

says ‘Oh . . . you think I’m going to die?’ The

boy says ‘Oh no dad . . . you’ll never die,’ and

goes home and climbs the walls. He’s

trapped—he can’t get his dad to put their

agreement in writing, so he can’t provide

his family with any real security.”

The sad thing about such an arrangement

is that the lack of planning can result in a

lack of trust that can hurt relationships while

all parties are alive and has the potential for

even more damage when a parent dies.

Communication is critical, if challenging. For

holistic managers, the holistic goal can be an

easy entry point into estate planning. You can

use a yearly holistic goal check to begin

having those kinds of conversations that not

only can be the basis for an estate plan, but

can also engage other family members and

decision makers in the current management

of that whole.

A will is an absolute essential part of your

estate planning no matter how uncomfortable

the process might be. That’s why it is

essential to get people you trust to help you

with the legal document and with sorting out

the personal and family issues that may arise

as you create that legal document.

People get funny ideas about wills. Some

For holistic managers, the holistic goal can be

an easy entry point into estate planning.

HOLISTIC MANAGEMENT IN PRACTICE • MAY / JUNE 2003 5

no knowledge of the business dealings of the

ranch is nothing short of cruel.

Are one or more of your children

involved in the ranch? Do you have written,

legally-binding agreements with them? If not,

stop reading and do it right now. Yes, it is

that important.

If you don’t feel comfortable talking with

your family about who should get what

when you die, hire a facilitator. Many of the

Certified Educators listed in IN PRACTICE are

trained to facilitate planning meetings and

have a deep knowledge of the Holistic

Management® decision-making process.

A meeting facilitator can

be invaluable in helping

everyone feel heard, and

in coming to an amicable

agreement about how

the estate should be

handled. And don’t make

planning your will a big

secret. The best way to

know what your family

wants to see happen

with the ranch after you

are gone is to ask them.

Some people worry

about how to divide

their assets. They don’t

want to give the whole

farm or ranch to one

child, but they also don’t

want to bankrupt that child by making them

take a big loan to pay off his or her sibling’s

“share” of the ranch. Cal used to counsel

farm and ranch couples to treat their kids

equitably , rather than equally . If they had

three children, and had paid for university

educations for two of them, and maybe

helped them buy houses in town, he said it

was equitable in many instances for the child

that stayed behind to help run the ranch

to receive it in the will.

After everyone agrees on what they

would like to see happen after you die (and

remember, you still get the last word), get

your lawyer and accountant involved to

make sure everything happens as planned. It

may cost some money, but it’s an investment

that will pay handsomely in the long run.

E verybody Wins

Hard as it may be emotionally to part

with the farm or ranch, if none of your kids

wants it, you will be doing them a favor by

selling it to someone who does want it, well

before you are likely to die of old age. As Cal

feel if these conversations never happen.

Staying on Top

When Elizabeth and I got married, we had

five children between us (my three and her

two). We talked at some length about what

should happen with our estate should we

chance to die, and then we got a lawyer to

help us write a will. (Don’t write a will on

your own. It is too easy to make simple

mistakes that nullify it.) We have updated

the will three times in the past 13 years, as

our estate has changed. We will continue to

update it as needed.

We believe this is

important, and Cal

Brandley would agree. I

remember him telling me

about a couple who

wrote a will when their

oldest daughter was a

baby. They left everything

to her at that time. They

later had a son, who

worked with his father

for 20 years on the

understanding he would

own the farm when the

dad died. They had no

written agreement. When

the parents died, the

daughter got the farm, as

they had never updated

their will. Such a scenario demonstrates how

critical it is to do not only the initial planning,

but also the monitoring of your plans and

making adjustments to them.

While our holistic goal doesn’t usually

change much after the first couple of years,

the tools we use, our assets, our knowledge,

and our experience base is constantly evolving

and changing. Things don’t always turn out the

way we planned, but that doesn’t mean we

can’t correct course and keep moving toward

our holistic goal. With estate planning and an

up-to-date will that reflects your holistic goal,

you create a family trust (in the truest sense

of the word) that will serve your family in

your current day-to-day management as

well as the future generations.

Edmonton, Alberta-based Noel

McNaughton is a journalist, personal

coach, Holistic Management ® Certified

Educator and grass farming enthusiast.

He can be reached at 780/432-5492

or noel@mcnaughton.ca or

www.ravenseyeconsulting.com.

Brandley used to say, it is way easier to

divide cash among several children than to

divide a ranch.

None of our children is interested in

running our farm, which is a combination of

grass and woodlot. We are waiting for a local

forestry company to offer a landowner’s

program for growing aspen. When they come

up with it, and if it is attractive enough

financially, we may plant all the pasture to

trees, and create a 100-year plan for the

farm, guiding future generations in the

management of the woodlot. This will be

done in consultation with our children. We

will not, however, try to “rule from the grave”

by putting any kind of conditions in our will

that prevents them from selling the farm if

they would rather not own it jointly.

We no longer live on our farm, but

perhaps you want to stay on the ranch after

you retire. A variety of arrangements will

allow you to do so. The simplest is to sell

everything but the home quarters, with an

agreement that it will go to the buyer when

you die. Or, sell it all and have a “life estate”

in it. Talk to your lawyer about other

possible arrangements.

The key to remember is that there are

infinite possibilities to create the results you

want for yourself, the land, and for future

generations. It takes time and the courage

to talk about things we’ve been conditioned

not to discuss. However, if the older

generation leads the way in setting up such

planning sessions and asking questions

of all those in the family who will be

influenced by such estate planning, it can

ease the stress that the younger generation

may be currently feeling and certainly will

When Noel (third from left in back) and wife Elizabeth (second from left in front)

combined families, they needed to revise their estate plan. Keeping such documents

current is an important part of any ongoing holistic estate planning. This picture

was taken at Elizabeth's daughter's wedding.

6 LAND & LIVESTOCK IN PRACTICE #89

Conscious management toward a triple bottom line, where

decisions are simultaneously evaluated in light of social,

financial, and ecological soundness toward a holistic goal, is

a concept unique to Holistic Management. This is the Land and

Livestock section, so most of what appears here is weighted toward

discussions of grass, soil, sunshine, rain, and grazing planning—all the

ecology stuff. However, as Allan Savory realized several decades ago,

an ecologically regenerating ranch is ultimately doomed to fail if

expenses exceed income, and family members and ranch staff are

pulling in opposite directions. In many, if not most, situations, the

people and money issues are actually the most daunting challenges.

Sorting out relationships, clarifying and articulating shared values,

developing disciplined financial habits, and climbing out of a draining

debt load are not only challenging pursuits—for many of us, they are

painfully dreaded pursuits. It’s just way more fun to build fence,

move cows, and watch the grass grow.

With that said, it’s encouraging, eye-opening, and inspiring to come

across a ranching family that is heads and tails above the norm in the

social and financial realms. I recently had the chance to visit such a

family on the Trigg Ranch, just north of Tucumcari, New Mexico.

Rick and Kristen Holmes (and daughters Caitlin and Hilary) are the

managers and part owners of the ranch. Both are currently enrolled in

the Savory Center’s Ranch and Rangeland Manager’s Training Program.

We met last summer when my wife, Daniela, and I hosted the first

session of their program at our ranch in western Colorado. I’ve been

trying to get down for a visit ever since, and finally worked it into

my winter schedule last February.

Ranch History

Kristen’s maiden name is Trigg, and her ancestors founded the

ranch in 1918. Her grandfather, Steve Trigg Sr., his father D.C., and

Steve’s brothers partnered on the vast XIT Ranch in the Texas

Panhandle in the early years of the 20th century. They were some

of the first cattlemen to introduce Black Angus cattle into the West,

upgrading the native Texas Longhorns into a more marketable brand

of beef. During World War I, they hit a good lick peddling their black-

hided cattle to the federal government, and when circumstances led to

the dissolution of their XIT lease, the brothers headed straight west to

the current location of the Trigg Ranch to start new lives. Originally

238,000 acres (96,300 hectares), the surviving lineage of Steve Sr. still

holds title to just under 50,000 (20,200 hectares). The ranch was carved

out of the famous (and enormous) Bell Ranch, which still lies to the

north and west, and a big chunk of it was part of the massive Pablo

Montoya Spanish Land Grant. Like lots of New Mexico, it’s an area

rich in tradition and colorful local history. The Triggs have taken the

time and made the effort to capture their own history on the ranch.

Numerous photo albums of the old days, and a memoir written by

Kristen’s Aunt Adaline, document scores of important events,

memorable stories, and daily ranch life through the years.

Kristen’s father, also named Steve, ran the ranch throughout most

of the past 60 years after the death of Steve Sr. He took over at a

young age and developed a rigid set of management policies that

didn’t bend much over the years. Kristen and her sister Sally (who

was also at the ranch at the time of my visit) remember their father

with tremendous affection and respect (he passed away in July 2002),

but they’re quick to point out that he was the boss and wasn’t overly

open to suggestions. Since the early 1970s, Rick has spent most of his

adult life working on the ranch, and he can’t recall Steve asking for

much advice either.

Family Bonds

While Steve may not have been much of a collaborator, he

evidently did something right to maintain family harmony. His sisters

Adaline and Louise were adamant about keeping the ranch intact and

under Steve’s management after their mother passed away in 1976.

They didn’t create a family war and fight for their share of the pie.

They loved the ranch and knew Steve deserved to continue to derive

his living from it. They valued generational continuity and a

connection to place.

Louise, Adaline, and Steve successfully passed these same values

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

MAY/JUNE 2003 #89

The Holmes family—Hilary, Caitlin, Rick and Kristen. “It’s

encouraging, eye-opening, and inspiring to come across a ranching

family that is heads and tails abo ve the norm in the social and

financial realms.”

On the Trigg Ranch—

Tough Challenges,

Big Possibilitiesby Jim Howell

IN PRACTICE • MAY / JUNE 2003 LAND & LIVESTOCK 7

onto the current generation of Triggs in charge of the ranch. Prior to

Steve’s death, the family established a creative set of legal structures

(including a family limited partnership, a trust, and a corporation) to

prepare for the smooth passing of the ranch onto the next generation.

The fact that Steve and his family had the foresight to take these vital

actions says a lot about Steve’s character and leadership qualities.

Without going into any details, these legal structures have enabled the

ranch to maintain the extremely strong financial position that was

generated by Steve’s management over the years (more on that below).

Continuing with the theme of “family working together,” the Triggs

have established an annual tradition that they call “work week.” All of

Kristen and Sally’s generation (which includes two brothers, Eric and

another Steve, as well as several cousins), plus all of their children, get

together for a week in the summer and tackle a meaningful ranch

project. Several years ago, the family decided that comfortable, inspiring

accommodation was lacking when

they came for visits, so during work

week in recent years, they’ve been

remodeling/refurbishing one of the

original ranch houses where Kristen’s

grandparents lived. It’s a beautiful,

expansive stone house at the head

of a dramatic canyon, and no doubt

will receive lots of use as future

generations of Triggs continue to

work on and visit the ranch. The

whole family maintains a reverence

for their grandmother Bess, who was

Steve Sr.’s wife, and has wonderful

memories of spending time up at

“Nana’s house” in their youth, so

remodeling the house is also a means

of preserving a meaningful part of

family and ranch history.

Financial Frugality

So that’s a taste of the social/people side of the ranch. As with all

families, little nagging conflicts will always be present, but with their

common purpose and aligned values, the likelihood of molehills

turning into mountains seems slim. Moving into economics, the ranch

is in very sound financial health due largely to Steve’s extremely frugal

spending habits over the years. The ranch is totally debt free, with no

money owed on either land or cattle. A healthy cushion of operating

capital also eliminates any need for operating credit. On our trips

visiting ranches around the world, the most financially stable, and

often the most financially prosperous, are the operations that keep

things simple and focus on basic essentials. That’s definitely been the

Trigg philosophy for many decades.

Black Angus Longhorns and Bighorns

Steve wasn’t into anything fancy, including cattle. With the

exception of a brief experiment into Charolais bulls in the ‘70s (which,

according to Rick and Kristen, was totally out of character for Steve),

he never bought a fancy bull from a fantasy world seedstock producer.

He actually was reluctant to buy a bull period. At branding, Steve

would occasionally direct the man with the knife to “let that one go,”

and those lucky few bull calves grew into herd bulls. Rugged terrain

also lent to the establishment of a few groups of wild cattle. The continued on page 8

ranch’s convoluted, steep, rocky canyons and buttes led to the natural

selection of a strain of bovines more akin to wild bighorn sheep than

domestic cattle. Bull calves from these “wild bunches” also added to

the bull battery. No cattle are ever vaccinated (except for a couple of

initial shots at branding), and they’re never wormed or treated for

external parasites in any way. Bulls are never pulled, and the cows are

left to calve as nature sees fit, which in their part of New Mexico

means a calving bulge in the spring.

Historically, cows were kept in the herd for years, and were never

individually identified in any way. As long as she could hold her

condition and breed back, she had a home. The only significant

direct input into the cowherd is a little protein cake during the cold

months of mid-winter. About three years ago, they also started to

use an abundant and renewable resource to raise the winter plane

of nutrition—cholla cactus. They burn off the spines with a

propane burner and the cattle maul

the defenseless succulents (see

“A Renewable Winter Feed

Source,” page 8).

The result after all these years is

a herd of small framed, easy keeping,

incredibly tough, and very fertile

black cattle. When they’re fat in the

summer, they might weigh 900

pounds (409 kgs). My visit coincided

with the widespread drought

currently sweeping most of the West,

and grass was scarce at best across

the ranch. Considering their meager

rations, these little black cattle were

all in excellent condition. They had a

good shine for late winter, and the

few calves that had already hit the

ground were frisky and healthy. The

cows are feminine and the bulls are small but thick, and very easy

fleshing. They don’t look anything like the Black Angus cattle typical

of the breed today. And they aren’t. With the exception of their black

hides, they have a lot more in common with their Texas Longhorn

ancestors than their Angus contemporaries.

Historically, the ranch sent all the weaned calves to a nearby leased

ranch and marketed them as yearlings, or ownership was retained

through the feedlot. Incidentally, their adaptation to their wild, rocky

home didn’t diminish their performance in the feedlot. Feeders were

continually amazed at how efficiently these funny little cattle would

gain in the pen. They’ve since lost the leased ranch, so are now

marketing calves at weaning. They’ve been selling to ranchers who

lease winter wheat pasture to grow out yearlings through the winter

and spring.

The calves have developed a reputation for being so tough and

maintenance free that Rick and Kristen can’t meet the demand. Rick

says that, when it comes to settling on a price, “we don’t have to do

any haggling.” The ranch has historically run 1,000 cows (give or take),

and has averaged a weaned calf crop of about 800, with average

weights of about 400 pounds (181 kgs). That’s pretty good for an

extremely low input, survival-of-the-fittest management philosophy.

If success is measured by profitability and happy customers, it’s hard

to argue with their results.

Family work week at the Trigg Ranch.

8 LAND & LIVESTOCK IN PRACTICE #89

K eys to Ranching for Profit

Gregg Simonds, vice president of Ensign Ranches of Utah,

Wyoming, and Nebraska, emphasizes that profitability in ranching is

determined by three primary factors—cow fertility, cow longevity, and

low feed costs (which means not feeding hay), and that “everything

else is recreation.” Those are exactly the factors Steve Trigg emphasized

all those years. Allan Savory emphasizes a fourth factor, which he

places at the top of the profitability list—stocking rate. A ranch has to

efficiently utilize its forage resources, which means that stocking rate

has to be pushed as high as possible under well-planned grazing, while

also leaving the appropriate forage drought reserve. Unless a ranch is

using its grass (in a sustainable and regenerating manner), maximum

profit per acre—the only truly important economic measure—will never

be reached. Fertility and low feed costs mean nothing if they’re not

examined in light of profit per acre.

Also entering this equation is cow mature body size. A ranch that

is maximizing its stocking rate with large framed cows will always

carry less animal numbers than a ranch stocked with small cows. For

example, on the Trigg Ranch, we estimated the long-term historical

stocking rate at about 1,000 of these small-framed black cows. If they

wean 800 calves weighing 400 pounds (181 kgs), that’s 320,000 pounds

(145,455 kgs) of total production. If they had cows that could wean

500-pound (227-kg) calves at the same age, we figured the number of

cattle they could run might drop to 800 cows, since the cows would

have to be bigger, produce more milk, and therefore eat more grass.

Assuming the same 80 percent weaning rate, that’s 640 calves

weighing 500 pounds, which is also 320,000 pounds of total production.

But when you figure those 400-pound calves will always bring 5 to

10 cents more per pound than the 500-pound calves, those small cows

come out much more profitable. As a percentage of total body

weight, the big cows would probably need more protein and energy

supplementation to maintain acceptable body condition during the

winter as well. This is the reason the beef industry’s obsession with

weaning weights and per head production hasn’t resulted in more

profitability. Steve Trigg must have known that all along.

Having said all that, Rick and Kristen nonetheless have long

thought they needed to upgrade their cowherd with a little more

mainstream type of bull. They’re also concerned that after years and

years with no outside gene infusions, inbreeding might be starting to

become a problem. I would encourage them to stick with what they

have. The results speak for themselves. There is definitely room for

improvement with their selection and culling policy, but they’ve got a

set of cows that are supremely adapted to their country. If they really

think a few new genes might be necessary to slow down some

possible negative consequences from inbreeding, sourcing bulls from

similar country and from ranchers with stringent, straightforward

culling criteria is a must.

To reiterate, placing an inordinate degree of focus on complicated

selection criteria, fancy genetics, and traits other than fertility is almost

never profitable. Keep it simple, push stocking rate under sound

grazing planning, and let nature sort things out.

Back to the Land

That’s the good news. We’ve covered the social and financial

dimensions of this outfit—now for a little ecology. Like nearly every other

western ranch, the Trigg Ranch has been living on biological capital for

a long time. It’s been a slow and gradual decline. Steve probably wasn’t

conscious of it. Rick, Kristen, and the rest of their generation have been

aware of it for a long time, but Steve’s inflexible management style stifled

most serious attempts to address it. Now, with Rick and Kristen in the

driver’s seat, the whole family is excited about turning this trend around.

Eroding soil, mesquite and cedar proliferation, stunted grasses, bare

ground, and blue grama monocultures (a low-growing warm-season

perennial grass that is highly resistant to continuous grazing—or

overgrazing) are the norm across much of the ranch.

Rough Country Logistics

As they plan how to address this ecological decline, Rick and

Kristen are faced with several genuine challenges. One is the tough

nature of most of their country. On the drive down to the ranch

across northeastern New Mexico, easy rolling short grass prairie is

overwhelmingly dominant. This landscape persisted all the way to the

tiny town of Mosquero, just 17 miles (27 km) north of Trigg Ranch

headquarters. Rick and Kristen had told me they were in rough country.

Tough Challenges, Big Possibilities

continued from page 7

A Renewable Winter Feed Source

The Trigg Ranch uses cholla cactus as a winter protein/energy

supplement. It contains about 10 percent protein, and taking

into account the cost of the propane and the time it takes to burn,

provides the same amount of nutrients as commercial protein cake

for one-third the

cost. When

favorable moisture

conditions are

present, the cholla

grows right back

as well. Rick

Holmes is seen

here torching the

spines off a cholla.

A singed cholla

is a fantastic

attractant—without

sharp spines for

defense, the cattle

attack it like candy,

and create lots of

good impact.

The cattle leave

the cholla “trunks”

and create a well-

disturbed soil

surface.

IN PRACTICE • MAY / JUNE 2003 LAND & LIVESTOCK 9

Based on the view out my windshield, I just couldn’t believe it. I

began to think that maybe their definition of rough was different

from mine. Then all of sudden, everything changed dramatically.

Just south of Mosquero, the landscape quickly transformed into a

maze of cedar-studded canyons and cliffs. It’s not impossibly rough

(with the possible exception of a couple of paddocks where the

wild sheep-cows hang out), but it’s rough. Figuring out how to create

big herds of cattle, and then move them in a logistically feasible

manner, requires a serious commitment. In this sort of country, it

takes several years of trial and error before the best way to get from

“here to there” with several hundred (or several thousand) animals

becomes apparent. The chance of having demoralizing and energy-

sapping wrecks is high (100 percent in my experience). But I’ve

never seen a case where determination and “sticking with it” failed

to overcome logistical obstacles to sound grazing planning.

The important thing, I think, is to not expect to walk before you

crawl, not expect to run before you walk, and not expect to sprint

before you run. It will take a long time before things are really

humming, and that’s true even on flat country, let alone vertical

cliffs. You just have to be aware of it and not give up.

C ow Culture Considerations

It’s not just the logistics of moving cattle from one canyon or plateau

to the next that’s challenging; dealing with the entrenched habits of the

cattle is also tough. Animals that have lived their whole life in one

canyon or mesa understand how to make their living there. They know

where the grass is sweetest. They know which mesquite plants taste

good and which ones are too bitter to bother with. They know the

easiest route to water, the best places to give birth, the coolest spots

when the temperature climbs to 110 F, and the best hollows to take

cover in when the mercury plunges below zero. They know their place,

and have developed a culture to successfully survive within it. It’s really

no different than any other critter, including ourselves.

When we decide all our cows need to be in one herd, animals that

aren’t familiar with their new surroundings suddenly lose all the

advantages they had back in their old neighborhood. The combination

of all those tidbits of knowledge that result in survival (which

translates into calves to sell) suddenly no longer applies. They also

have to figure out how to get along with a bunch of new faces they’ve

seldom had to deal with previously. This all creates stress, not just on

the livestock, but on the people trying to implement the change. It can

also break the bank account and can lead to even worse ecological

conditions without careful planning, and continual monitoring,

controlling, and replanning.

The goal of the manager is to accomplish this transition from

sedentary, overgrazing, land degrading herbivores to moving, impacting,

resource-revitalizing herbivores with a minimum of overall stress. It

will be stressful, no matter what, but it should also be fun, motivating,

and satisfying.

So that’s what Rick and Kristen and I talked about for most of a

day—making the transition. Understandably, the complexity of their

challenge had left them unsure where to get started. Taking into

account the above realities of logistics and bovine culture, Rick and

Kristen got started by first identifying regions of the ranch that made

sense to manage as distinct units, or grazing cells, at least initially. They

looked at topography mostly, as well as water sources, trying to

imagine how a herd of cattle could get up and around and down and

through all these mesas and canyons, where they could get a drink,

The Trigg Ranch is a maze of cedar-studded canyons and cliffs. “Nana’s

House” is shown lower left.

what fences needed significant attention, etc.

In most cases, they could visualize making things work, but it took

some creative thinking. They also looked at how the cattle currently

are spread out around the ranch, and allocated these different bunches

to different grazing cells. We surmised that even though a cow will

tend to spend most of her life in a fairly small area, she certainly must

have ventured over the rim and down into the adjacent canyon at least

a few times. On the other hand, a cow that’s spent her whole life down

in the Creek Pasture probably never made the 15-mile (23-km) trek

north to Wild Horse Flat.

Combining existing small bunches of cattle within an area that they

already know (and with other cattle they most likely know), even if

they don’t know it intimately, is potentially a lot less stressful than

pushing them into totally novel surroundings already occupied by a

bunch of strangers. Just imagine how you’d like it.

Rick and Kristen ended up identifying three regions of the ranch

that they felt made sense to manage as distinct grazing cells. Each cell

ended up having five to six paddocks. We did a practice grazing plan

for the coming growing season for each cell, just so they could see

how it could all potentially come together. The prospect of a majority

of the ranch being free of grazing pressure for most of the growing

season was exciting. Time control, stock density, and herd size will still

be a long ways from the ideal, but they’ll be a whole lot more well-

managed than anytime in the past. They’re going to keep thinking

about it all, and between now and summer rains, refine this quick and

dirty plan to make it even more achievable. Once they’ve made this

first step and have a few seasons under their belts, have monitored

carefully, adapted accordingly, and are comfortable that things are

moving in the right direction, it will be time to test further refinement

of their fencing layout and grazing planning toward the ranch’s

holistic goal.

It was a pleasure to meet a ranching family with so many positive

things going for them. With people and financial issues well under

control, Rick and Kristen are well-poised to begin working on the

ecological side of things. With locally adapted cattle, the support of

the entire family, a healthy financial cushion, and a strong desire to

improve, the Trigg Ranch really is bursting with possibility.

To learn more about the Trigg Ranch and their projects,

visit www.triggranch.com.

Doc and Connie Hatfield

Brothers, Oregon:

Jim Howell’s article, “Springtime Begins in the Fall,” successfully tied

the general principles of holistic planned grazing with some very

pertinent specific realities of how cool season grass plants grow.

In a number of his other pieces, Jim also addresses the challenges

of laying litter on the ground in low production, brittle environments.

In our cold desert country, if you manage at a high stocking rate and

graze every pasture every year sometime between April and August

(which is our yearling cattle high gain period), very little litter will be

placed on the ground. All the forage is high quality at that time and

will be consumed, with the exception of a few areas of high animal

impact where the vegetation becomes soiled and trampled before it

can be grazed.

In our experience, our best litter-laying technique is supplementing

our cows in the winter with about five pounds (2.2 kgs) of dairy

quality alfalfa per day and feeding it on the snow and sagebrush. Over

26 years, this has changed our 8,000 acres (3,240 hectares) of winter

country to more of a grassland with less brush. However, we’re pretty

sure, after reading Jim’s article and thinking about it, that while the

government’s (Bureau of Land Management/BLM) long-term

monitoring shows a significant improvement in trend (more grass

plants, more litter, and less brush), we are probably limiting our total

grass production by grazing that country every year from October

through February and sometimes March. We are removing many of

those fall-initiated lead tillers during the fall, winter, and early spring,

thereby stunting productivity during the following growing season.

Our second successful litter laying is done in the spring (March

through mid-May), primarily with mouths, not hooves. That requires a

year’s worth of old grass and new green leaves a couple of inches tall

in the bottom of the plants. When the cows root around in the plant

to get to the green, most of the ranker stems from the previous

growing season spill onto the ground.

In light of the above observations, we would like to know Jim’s

10 LAND & LIVESTOCK IN PRACTICE #89

Doc and Connie Hatfield

Grazing Planning Practicalities

in the Dry, Cold Steppe

In Holistic Management , Allan Savory and Jody Butterfield state,

“Occasionally when testing a decision we disco ver a gap in our

knowledge that research could help to bridge. If such research exists,

we have to ensure that it is relevant to our own situation and

in line with what we hope to achieve in our holistic goal.” In

IN PRACTICE #87, I wrote an article titled “Springtime Begins in the

Fall,” summarizing several decades of research by Dr. Lee Manske

of North Dakota State University. It generated some good discussion

between myself, Doc and Connie Hatfield of Brothers, Oregon, and

Tony Malmberg from Lander, W yoming.

The following is an edited version of our exchanges, most of

which is centered on the practical aspects of applying Manske’s

findings to real life ranching situations on cold, dry brittle

rangelands. As you read through this article, bear in mind Allan

and Jody’s statement abo ve. Each of us has to evaluate these grazing

management specifics in light of our own “whole under

management” and our own holistic goal. I believe that Manske’s

work fills a significant gap in our understanding of nature’s

dynamics on rangelands dominated by cool season grasses. It’s up

to each of us to evaluate where that knowledge might fit in our

own operations. The same applies to the specific grazing planning

details discussed belo w. — Jim Howell

IN PRACTICE • MAY / JUNE 2003 LAND & LIVESTOCK 11

response to the following question: In the Great Basin cold desert,

could grazing every other year on a majority of pastures actually

produce more usable forage plus litter than an every year carefully

timed grazing? The opportunity for the extra boost in the current

season’s production from grazing lightly at the third leaf stage only

exists for a few weeks at most, and would be hard to apply to much

area with a year-round cow operation like ours. Also, even if it is more

effectively done with a seasonal yearling operation, the problem of

no litter still remains. So, might every other year grazing increase

both production and litter co ver?

Jim Howe l l

Montrose, Colorado

In regard to your first question, I think every other year grazing

can potentially produce more usable forage plus litter, but not

immediately . If a paddock is producing 10 animal days per acre every

year (on average) from a single grazing, I don’t think it will yield

20 ADA or more every other year until litter has had a chance to

accumulate, more plants have had the chance to establish, and

existing plants have developed greater vigor—in other words, until the

ecosystem processes have all improved significantly. That might take

quite a while. In my experience, nothing happens fast in these cold,

low-production brittle environments with short growing seasons.

On our place (with 14-inch precipitation, cool-season perennials,

and with most growth occurring in May and June), in the small plots

where we have given a two-year recovery period, i.e., every other year

grazing, the vigor of the plants in the second season is superior to

those that were grazed for just one 1-3-day grazing period the year

before. There is also lots more potential litter making material, but I

don’t think production is double. This coming summer will be the first

year that we will go back onto paddocks that have had a two-year

recovery period, so we’ll have a better idea next fall about how

production (ADA) is affected by giving this extended recovery period.

Our biological monitoring will also indicate if we’re moving in the

right direction in terms of reducing bare ground, increasing litter,

decreasing plant spacing, etc.

At this point, our long-term plan, following the Holistic

Management® Aide Memoire for Grazing Planning, is to graze a

paddock heavily one year, then not graze it at all the following year,

then graze it lightly to moderately for 3 years, then heavily again (after

those 4 years of light, moderate, or no grazing). This creates a bank of

ranker material in the first four years, much of which will get laid on

the ground during the fifth year of heavy grazing. We’d like to be able

to graze every other year, but to start out with that means we’d have

to halve our stocking rate, which we just can’t afford to do.

Under this alternate plan of treating our land paddock by paddock

and grazing four out of five years at different levels of intensity and

at different points in the growing season, and still following the Aide

Memoire, we’ll be able to maintain an economically viable stocking

rate and cash flow, while also allowing for the accumulation of older

material to provide litter.

Regarding the effect of winter grazing on production potential, I

always assumed that winter grazing had a benign, if not positive, affect

on any grass. But after learning about fall tiller development, I can

definitely see that severe winter grazing, especially if it’s repeated year

after year, could have definite negative consequences. So, as you noted,

being on your winter country every year from October to

February/March could be hindering your potential, since lots of those

fall tillers will be removed. Varying the severity and timing of grazing,

on a paddock-by-paddock basis from year to year, including an

occasional year of no winter harvest, are steps that may be taken to

address this. These actions can be easily planned in the context of

Holistic Management® grazing planning, and any action needs to

be taken in light of all the other factors affecting the whole ranch

(financial implications, animal performance considerations, etc.).

Tony Malmberg

L a n d e r, Wyo m i n g

Iread Jim’s article with great interest since I’d also read Dr. Manske’s

work several years ago. Based on Dr. Manske’s research, I went to

twice per season

grazing on our

ranch.

John Likins,

a Lander

BLM range

conservationist,

cautioned me

against using a

study conducted

in northern Great

Plains range

conditions to

modify the

management in

our more brittle,

less productive

sagebrush steppe.

It turns out that

John’s caution

was well-

founded. As we

implemented

“twice-over

grazing” at a high

stocking rate, the increased plant palatability exported all of our

potential litter-making material. I can’t say if this was exported in beef

or if less residual cover allowed litter to blow away. I think a major

part of the equation was that an increase in plant palatability (twice-

over grazing kept most plants in a vegetative, leafy condition) did not

allow for stemmy material to accumulate, break off, and become litter.

The supple, vegetative leaves were less prone to breakage by hoof

action, and our high stock densities and high stocking rates resulted

in very efficient (maybe too efficient) removal.

Our litter cover didn’t decrease, but it didn’t increase either, and

those initial years of grazing twice in the same season were good

precipitation years and should have resulted in increased ground cover.

What did decrease very significantly was production. I stopped seeing

expression of the high yielding bunchgrasses. They just shut down. In

1999, with a good moisture year, our yield fell from 10.3 ADA to 8.3,

Tony Malmberg surveying the sage grouse

population on his ranch.

continued on page 12

and the current drought, probably exacerbated by those years of

twice-over grazing, has brought us down to 4.2 ADA.

Now, taking into account Jim’s distinction between different types

of brittle environments, I would make the distinction between our

area and the Northern Plains as follows: our sagebrush steppe is highly

brittle/low production, while the northern plains might be semi- to

highly brittle/moderate production. In other words, the study site

was less brittle and higher producing than we are.

With this added awareness of a production axis added to the

brittleness scale, coupled with the fact, as reiterated by Allan Savory in

“Completing the Feedback Loop” (IN PRACTICE #87) that part of the

definition of recovery is a supply of litter, I would be very cautious

of grazing regrowth or secondary tillers in a low production brittle

environment. The increased production resulting from the early light

grazing will go much further as a supply of litter and increased plant

vigor for the following year. Once we get the soil surface covered with

a layer of mulch, we might predict a different grazing planning

strategy; i.e., with greater soil surface cover and more effective

ecosystem processes, production may eventually increase to the point

that two grazings in the same growing season are possible without

any adverse affects.

Most of us graziers managing low production brittle

environments haven’t yet seen a completely covered soil surface.

I have not seen less than 25 percent bare ground on our low

production, brittle environment ranch. If we get below that, we might

be amazed at where our monitoring and feedback loop will lead us.

Until we do, I’ll leave the second grazing to increase plant vigor and

provide a litter supply.

Jim Howe l l

Most western ranchers are running on huge expanses of low

production, topographically chaotic country with low paddock

numbers, scarce labor resources, and tight financial circumstances.

Because of these common constraints, planning a light early grazing,

followed by a second heavier grazing later in the year, is a challenging

feat to manage in most situations.

Finally, the decision to take any of this information into account

needs to be considered within the full context of the whole being

managed. For many reasons, twice-per-season grazing (or early light

grazing, or every other year grazing, or any other practice alluded to in

this article) may not pass testing toward the holistic goal of a particular

operation, even if it is logistically possible. If a particular practice does

pass, make sure it is still planned within the context of the Holistic

Management® Aide Memoire for Grazing Planning, and definitely

monitor under the assumption that you’re wrong, because (at least

initially) you probably will be.

12 LAND & LIVESTOCK IN PRACTICE #89

Grazing Planning Practicalities

in the Dry, Cold Steppe

continued from page 11

A Lesson Learned

The photo pictured here is a good example of the response an

early light grazing can have on cool-season plants. The photo

was taken on our ranch on August 6, 1999. It shows an ungrazed

plant (headed out on left of book) and a grazed

plant (on right with several vigorous secondary

tillers). The pasture was grazed at a light stocking

rate from June 1-7 that year, which would have

coincided with the post-third-leaf, pre-flowering

period. The elapsed recovery time, when the

photo was taken, would have been

approximately 60 days. Precipitation that year

was above normal, especially during the critical

month of April, which brought 6.44 inches (164

mm)—4.56 inches (116 mm) better than average!

The point is that this type of response is

possible with sufficient well-timed moisture. In

this specific example, the moisture pattern was

more typical of the Northern Great Plains than

the Wyoming sagebrush steppe, and the grass

responded exactly as Manske’s work predicts.

I used this pasture again from September 1-14

that year. Since then, the extended drought

has prevented this sort of grass growth from

occurring. If only I had left that regrowth in 1999. It was my last

chance before the drought to get litter cover, and I grazed it. Oh,

the cost of experience! —Tony Malmberg

HOLISTIC MANAGEMENT IN PRACTICE • MAY / JUNE 2003 13

It is with great anticipation and

excitement that I join The Savory Center

staff to further the work and vision of

Allan and the very capable team led by

Shannon Horst these last 11 years.

I decided to apply for this position last

December when my wife, Judelon, and I

were traveling in Spain and Morocco. After

viewing miles and miles of eroded

landscape that have been mismanaged by

human ignorance or exploitation for

centuries, all we could think about,

because of our exposure to Holistic

Management, was what needed to be done

to correct it, and we were stunned by the

magnitude of the task. I called Shannon

Horst right then to let her know that the

impact of this realization had been

significant enough to shift my

commitments from California to The

Savory Center and its work.

I am humbled by my selection as the

new Executive Director. The tasks are large

and the challenges many to help this

essential organization accomplish the

global reach it desires and the world needs.

Meet Our New Executive Director

As Chair of The Savory Center's Board of

Directors, it is my privilege and

pleasure to introduce our new Executive

Director.

However, I first wish to acknowledge the

grace and contributions that Shannon Horst

has given the organization and the movement

at large over her 12 years with The Savory

Center, 11 of which she served as our

Executive Director. Shannon has dedicated

her life and considerable talents to the growth

and well being of the organization and the

spread of Holistic Management globally. She

has led us to the current stage of stability and

phenomenal opportunity for all involved. In

the process, she created multiple jobs for

herself, several of which she will be taking

forward in the time ahead.

We are very lucky and pleased to have

Shannon’s continued leadership and energy

with us. Among her several on-going roles,

she will be directing the development of The

Savory Center's new international

headquarters at La Semilla in Albuquerque. It

is very gratifying that it was her choice to

initiate this transition and open the way to

bringing in additional leadership capacity for

the organization in this time of growth.

I am extremely grateful for the assistance

of the Search Committee members who

worked diligently to find an exceptional

candidate to recommend to the Board of

Directors. Leslie Christian and Richard Smith,

now both members of the Board of Directors,

Advisory Board Chair Robert Anderson,

Dianne “Sam” Law, who has just joined our

Advisory Board, and our co-founders Jody

Butterfield and Allan Savory all joined me in

this search process. After a concerted

outreach effort, we received close to 100

applications for the position. There were so

many excellent candidates, and they brought

such tremendous enthusiasm and passion to

their applications, that it made our task

exceptionally difficult. We sincerely hope that

many of the applicants will continue to be in

contact with us and develop other

opportunities together.

By the end of this process, after several in-

person interviews with the Search Committee

and Savory Center Staff and Board members,

as well as several other advisors and

Tim LaSalle has led the most dynamic

Agricultural Leadership Program in the U.S.

for the past 26 years. As President/CEO and

Educational Director of the California-based

Agriculture Education Foundation, he

developed what a colleague called “the gold

standard” of such programs in the U.S. and

overseas. In the course of his work he

traveled internationally every year with a

class of 30 agricultural leaders and has thus

developed a broad network of contacts and

colleagues around the world.

Tim grew up on his family’s farm in

California, received degrees in dairy science

and population genetics and is now

completing a Ph.D. in Depth Psychology. He

managed his own dairy farm for several years

until recruited by Cal Poly (San Luis Obispo,

California) at the age of 25 to teach in the

Dairy Science Department. He had become a

full professor in 1986 when the Agriculture

Education Foundation lured him away to

direct its California Agricultural Leadership

Program. During his tenure there, he grew

and refined the program to its current status

and exceptional educational offering.

Tim was referred to Holistic Management

several years ago and quickly took it upon

himself to connect with The Savory Center.

After a day of learning about it in

Albuquerque with Allan Savory and Shannon

Horst, he proceeded to incorporate Holistic

Management into his leadership program

curriculum. This has provided him the chance

to develop his knowledge and understanding

of Holistic Management and incorporate it

into his life.

Please join me in welcoming Tim and his

wife, Judelon, to Albuquerque, to The Savory

Center, and to our shared work in the world.

We look forward to creating as many

opportunities as possible for Tim to meet you,

our circle of friends. He will be attending the

HRM of Texas’s Rendezvous on September 26-

28 so we hope to see many of you there!

Tim’s e-mail address will be

timl@holisticmanagement.org as of April 15th.

Again, I want to thank everyone who

assisted in this process, everyone who applied

for this position, and everyone who will help

us grow the organization and fulfill its

mission in the years ahead.

With appreciation,

Rio de la Vista,

Chair, Board of Directors

colleagues, we came to a unanimous choice.

Thankfully the person we chose also

chose us and will be joining us April 15th.

S a vory Center Bulletin Board

Tim LaSalle

continued on page 14

14 HOLISTIC MANAGEMENT IN PRACTICE #89

Board of Directors Expands

We’re pleased to announce that Richard

Stowers Smith, who has served on our

Advisory Board since

2001, has now joined

The Savory Center’s

Board of Directors.

Upon graduating from

Yale University, he

worked in a family

business and then

commenced a career in

investment banking,

starting with Lazard

Freres & Co. in New

York, and ending with Rotan Mosle, Inc., in

Houston. For the past 15 years he has been

President of Ventex Management, Inc., a private

equity investment firm in Houston. And for

the past 35 years has also managed the Stowers

Ranch, near Hunt, Texas, a cattle, hunting, and

nature tourism operation that has been in his

family since 1904.

He was first exposed to Allan Savory’s

thinking in 1980 and immediately recognized its

relevance and importance. Soon after, his family

and their ranch manager attended several

Holistic Management courses and incorporated

the new ideas on their own ranch. Richard’s

concern for the protection and restoration

of rangelands and his desire to reverse

desertification wherever it occurs, has made

him an active advocate of Holistic Management

ever since.

Richard has also served on the boards of

the Houston Ballet, the Contemporary Arts

Museum of Houston, and the Houston Child

Guidance Center, of which he was President,

and for many years has been actively

supportive of his wife Josephine’s involvement

in education and the environment. We feel

Bulletin Boardcontinued from page 13

Richard S. Smith

appointment to the Advisory Board he spoke

eloquently of its meaning to him: “In

illuminating the vital relationship of all life

forms, The Savory Center offers a promise to

the world and to the earth—that we might live

abundantly and peacefully upon this planet. It

honors me to support the work of the Center

toward the fulfillment of that promise.”

Dianne “Sam” Lathrop Law comes to the

Advisory Board following a 20-year career as a

corporate executive with Polaroid Corporation

where she was involved in worldwide corporate

communications, corporate education, leadership

development, and long-term strategic planning.

She holds Masters degrees in Organizational

Communications from Boston University and

Environmental

Leadership from Naropa

University. Sam became

familiar with Holistic

Management as an

environmental graduate

student and after

attending a course taught

by Allan Savory in 1998.

She looks forward to

bringing her experience

in organizational processes and communication

to the exciting task of growing the Center and

to the transitions this entails. Sam currently

makes her home in southern Colorado where

she and her sister are about to begin the

“green” renovation of Uptop, a ghost town they

own on 300 acres in the Sangre de Cristo

mountains which will one day be home to a

retreat where corporate leaders can meet, out

of the public eye, with the top minds in

environmental thinking and economics.

fortunate to now have the benefit of his

energy, insights and commitment on our

Board of Directors.

New Advisory Board Members

In March, the Savory Center added two

new members to its Advisory Board. Dr. Dean

Rudoy received his

education at The Johns

Hopkins University and

Fordham University and

the core of his training

in clinical psychology at

the New York

University-Bellevue

Medical Center. He has

served on the graduate

faculties of the New

York University School

of Medicine, the University of New Mexico, and

Webster University. He is past president of the

New Mexico Psychoanalytic Society, and

currently serves on the Board of Directors of

New Mexico Voices for Children.

For 26 years, Dean has worked as a

psychotherapist, teacher, consultant, and

researcher with a focus on children, adolescents,

and their families. He has also produced four

plays on adolescent life issues, and published

articles and books in the fields of psychology,

sociology, and political science. Over the years,

Dean has also served as a consultant to both

national and international political and research

organizations and several U.S. Senators.

Over the past year, Dean has assisted us

with the development of the La Semilla project,

which has benefited greatly from his many

skills and tireless advocacy. In accepting his

Correction

In the March/April #88 issue of IN

PRACTICE, we regrettably forgot to list two

trainees in our current Certified Educator

Training Program. Heather Amundson is the

Assistant Coordinator of the River Country

Resource Conservation and Development

Council in Wisconsin and Larry Dyer is a

research associate at Michigan State

University. Our apologies for the oversight.

Dean Rudo y

In Memoriam

Long time Advisory Board member Bunker Sands, died March 4 after

a year-long battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 54 and leaves

behind a daughter and two grown sons, and his wife, Gayle, who is

expecting twins in May.

Bunker was an Executive Director of the Dallas-based Rosewood

Corporation, which owns and manages a variety of hotel and ranch

properties. He first got acquainted with the Center in the mid 1980s

when he attended courses with the intention of managing the ranch

properties holistically. His successes in doing so have been recounted in

past issues of IN PRACTICE, most recently in April 1998 (#59).

Bunker had a keen interest in the development of wetlands, which

he worked tirelessly to create. Today his constructed wetlands cover over 2,000 acres on the

Texas working cattle ranches, providing essential nesting and wintering areas for migratory birds.

In honor of Bunker, The Savory Center will develop the Bunker Sands Wetlands Garden

adjacent to our new international headquarters (to be built in 2005) at the La Semilla Nature

Center in Albuquerque.

Sam Law

Bunker Sands

1948 - 2003

HOLISTIC MANAGEMENT IN PRACTICE • MAY / JUNE 2003 15

S a vory Circle ($5,000-100,000)

The Arntz Family Fund, San Rafael, CA

Sam Brown, Austin, TX

Harriett Dublin, Midland, TX

Bud & Mary Lou Flocchini, Reno, NV

The Flora Family Foundation Menlo Park, CA

Cynthia & Leo Harris, Albuquerque NM

M.A. Healy Family Foundation, Taos, NM

The William & Flora Hewlett Foundation,

Menlo Park, CA

The Hunter Fund, Cleveland, OH

J. Rukin Jelks, Jr., Elgin, AZ

Clint & Betty Josey, Dallas, TX

The Lumpkin Family Foundation, Mattoon, IL

Doug McDaniel & Gail Hammack, Lostine, OR

James & Carol Parker, Montrose, CO

Jane Reed, Cave Creek, AZ

Rosewood Corporation, Dallas, TX

Dean William Rudoy, Cedar Crest, NM

Bunker Sands, Dallas, TX

Allan Savory & Jody Butterfield,

Albuquerque, NM

The San Francisco Foundation,

San Francisco, CA

The Tides Foundation, San Francisco, CA

Patrons ($1,000-4,999)

Thomas Brown, Hershey, NE

Leslie Christian & Heather Anderson,

Seattle, WA

Bruce Condill, Arthur, IL

Nancy Dickenson, Santa Fe, NM

Lee & Jill Dueringer, Scottsdale, AZ

Paul Engler, Amarillo, TX

Stephen, Judy, Betty, & Jack Greenhalgh,

Salt Lake City, UT

Shannon & Taylor Horst, Albuquerque, NM

William Jenkins, Goodlands, KS

Craig & Jessica Leggett, Los Lunas, NM

Bonnie Lesser, Taylor, MO

Larry Madge, Sweet Grass, MT

Kim McDodge & Terence Dodge, Portland, OR

John & Sandra McDonald, Essex, England

New England Small Farm Institute,

Belchertown, MA

Kelly & Robert Pasztor, Albuquerque, NM

Progressive Investment Management, Seattle, WA

Richard & Josephine Smith, Houston, TX

John & Cynthia Sparks, Albuquerque, NM

C. Pat & Nancy Spurlock, Payson, AZ

Mike & Vicki Turpen, Albuquerque, NM

Andree Wagner Peace Trust, Arcata, CA

Herb West, San Anselmo, CA

Drausin Wulsin, Cincinnati, OH

Jake Flake, Snowflake, AZ

Brigitte Fleeman, Mountain View, CA

Mark Frasier, Woodrow, CO

Floss, Jerry & Tony Garner, Brownlee, NE

John F. Gerber, Amherst, MA

John C. Glenn, Pensacola, FL

Robert Gloy, Grant, NE

Donald A. Gonzales, Santa Fe, NM

Goodrich Ranch Co., Lampasas, TX

Bob Gray, Newbury, VT

Arlin Grimes, Driggs, ID

John & Charlotte Hackley, Jacksboro, TX

Caroline J. Hadley, Carson City, NV

Louis I. Hagener, Havre, MT

John M. Hall, Nice, France

Robert D. Henry, Newburg, ND

Susan Scott Heyneman Foundation, Fishtail, MT

Rodney & Carol Hickle, Center, ND

Duane Hilborn, Albuquerque, NM

Jerry Holtman, Taber, AB, Canada

Robert L. Homer, Albuquerque, NM

Gerda & Dayton Hyde, Chiloquin, OR

Taylor & Becky Hyde, Chiloquin, OR

William P. Jones, Harlowton, MT

Roxanne Jordan, Forestville, CA

Miles Keogh, Buffalo, WY

Dale Lasater, Colorado Springs, CO

Laurence Lasater, San Angelo, TX

Dianne Law, Laveta, CO

Joy Law, Hollister, CA

Ellen and Stan Lee, Bloomington, IN

John & Jane Leeser, Taylor, MO

Brad Little, Emmett, ID

Jo Luck, Little Rock, AR

Bill & Debbie Mackay, Custer, MT

Sue Lani & Craig Madsen, Edwall, WA

Kate McBride, Aspen, CO

Patrick McCarty, Parachute, CO

Donna & William McCormack, Prineville, OR

Joseph P McElligott, Ione, OR

Mike & Catherine H. McNeil, Monte Vista, CO

Douglas McRae, Forsyth, MT

Arnold G. Mendenhall, Hickman, NE

Joe Middleton, North Fork, CA

Bill Milton, Roundup, MT

Anne and Rich Morris, San Juan Bautista, CA

Robert Nelville, Purdys, NY

The Tom Norton Family, Madras, OR

Pulakos & Alongi, Ltd., Albuquerque, NM

John W. Ravenscroft, Nenzel, NE

Margaret Phelan Reed, Beaumont, TX

James F. & Colleen Reeves, Wimberly, TX

Frank & Katherine Russell,

Lethbridge, AB, Canada

B e n e factors ($500-999)

Ken Alston, Earlysville, VA

Robert & Shelley Bernick, Salt Lake City, UT

Don & Bev Campbell, Meadowlake, SK, Canada

Edith Cather, Parkersburg, WV

Ron Chapman, Albuquerque, NM

Mary Child, Sugar Grove, WV

Rio De La Vista, Monte Vista, CO

John & Leslie Flocchini, Gillette, WY

Don & Randee Halladay,

Rocky Mt House, AB, Canada

Blake Holtman, Taber, AB, Canada

Christine Jurzykowski , Glen Rose, TX

Joe & Peggy Maddox, Ozona, TX

James A. McMullan, San Antonio, TX

Gary Rodgers, Highlands Ranch, CO

York Schueller, El Segundo, CA

HR Stasney, Houston, TX

Jack and Teresa Southworth, Seneca, OR

Bill Thompson, Denver, CO

Liz Williams, Austin, TX

George & Elaine Work, San Miguel, CA

Don Youngbauer, Forsyth, MT

Friends ($100-499)

Ann Adams & Ellen Ashbrook, Tajique, NM

Eve Adams & Betsy Cahill, Las Cruces, NM

Mary & Dan Adams, Payson, AZ

Michael & Susan Ahlers, Hartley, IA

Dieter Ali Albrecht, Beijing, China

Christina Allday-Bondy, Austin, TX

Steve & Rachel Allen, Crawford, CO

Donna Attewell, Mill Valley, CA

John Ball, Jr., Germantown, MD

Monte Bell, Orland, CA

Mike Benziger, Glen Ellen, CA

Jody Birks, San Miguel, CA

Duncan K. Blair, Patagonia, AZ

Eric Brown, Hershey, NE

Tamsin & Bruce Boardman, Bluff Dale, TX

Don Bouma, Jr., Carpenter, WY

Andy & Geni Braman, Albuquerque, NM

Bill Burrows, Red Bluff, CA

Manuel Casas, Huixquilucan, Mexico

Celtic Jewelry, Santa Fe, NM

Nate & Angela Chisholm, Madison, WI

Combined Federal Campaign, Baton Rouge, LA

Peter Day, Kilauea, HI

Dick DeVore, Wichita, KS

Michael D’Mura, Peoria, AZ

Byron and Wayne Eatinger, Thedford, NE

Aspen & David Edge, Granada, Spain

Kathryn Ehrhorn, Benson, AZ

Ella Erway, Hanover, NH

John Fairbairn, Arkville, NY

The Savory Center Supporters

continued on page 16

We’d like to offer our deep appreciation to those who made financial

contributions to the Savory Center in the last year. Your contributions

enabled us to expand our community-based conservation ef forts in

Africa and in the U.S. and better support our practitioners and

educators around the world with new and impro ved educational

programs, materials, and research. Together we can make a dif ference!

16 HOLISTIC MANAGEMENT IN PRACTICE #89

Tom White, Lakin, KS

Don Whitten, Colorado Springs, CO

Dennis & Brenda Wohlgemuth,

Crooked Creek, AB, Canada

Peter Young, Plainfield, VT

Friends ($1-49)

Victor Abdul-Nur, Pueblo, CO

Ivan & Martha Aguirre, Hermosillo, Mexico

Dave Baker, Isanti, MN

Cindy Bohna, Hornitos, CA

Denise Bostdorff and Dan O’Rourke,

Wooster, OH

Scott Butterfield, Santa Barbara, CA

Mary Cannon, Mt. Prospect, IL

Patricia Cavicchioni, Saratoga, WY

Kirkwood M. Cunningham, Boulder, CO

Allen Darrow, Albuquerque, NM

Michael Diem, Cascade, ID

Peter Donovan, Enterprise, OR

Rita Donham-Burgess, Cora, WY

Ken Gallard, Taos Ski Valley, NM

Mark Gordon, Buffalo, WY

Berkeley Harris, Diamond Bar, CA

Margaret Holske, Cortez, CO

Jay Holzmiller, Anatone, WA

Paul Kane, Sterling, IL

Jim & Sue Keating, Bennington, KS

Lawrence Levine, Sunnyvale, CA

Priscilla Marden, Jackson, WY

James Matthews, Buena Vista, CO

James E. McCollum, Great Falls, MT

Kirk Mills, Arvada, CO

Ralph B. Montee, Cullowhee, NC

Jeff Moser, Denver, CO

Alice Moore, Raton, NM

Paul Nehring, Wausau, WI

Michael T. Nepereny, Stratford, IA

Charlotte Rhodes, Dripping Springs, TX

Rosebud Conservation District, Forsyth, MT

Walt Ruzzo, Mountainview, CA

Preston Sullivan, Fayetteville, AR

David Tepper, Deerfield, IL

Ken Tager, Albuquerque, NM

Jan Wright, Bonanza, OR

Greg Young, Bolivar, MO

Pat Rutledge, Monitor, AB, Canada

Charles F. & Jennifer Sands, Phoenix, AZ

Mary Ann Sharon, Dillon, MT

Jim and Sara Shelton, Vinita, OK

Bob Siemens, Fiske, SK, Canada

Brian Sindelar, Belgrade, MT

Kirvil Skinnarland, Seattle, WA

Johanna Smith, Wimberley, TX

Anne Stilson-Cope, Elizabeth, CO

Milton B. Suthers, Arvada, CO

Livingston K. Toomer, Gypsum, CO

Pono and Angela Von Holt, Kamuela , HI

Dennis & Jean Wobeser,

Lloydminster, AB, Canada

Perry & Bette Wilkes, Albuquerque, NM

Jack & Zera Varian, Parkfield, CA

Demetrio Vazquez, Rancho Santa Fe, CA

Members ($50-99)

Don Adams, Folsom, NM

Kathie Arnold, Truxton, NY

Kim & Erich Barmann, Springer, NM

Xavier Basurto, Tucson, AZ

Terry Beck, La Farge, WI

Craig A. Beckner, Newcastle, WY

Thomas Bedell, Philomath, OR

Ben Berlinger, La Junta, CO

William Blaiklock, Arrowsic, ME

Thomas D. Bonomo, Cottonwood, AZ

Donald & Janice Braman, Jr, Albuquerque, NM

Barton A. Brown, Coarsegold, CA

Dick Byrd, Vaughn, NM

Powhatan Carter III, Fort Sumner, NM

Eddie and Betty Sue Conway, Payson, AZ

Mr. & Mrs. David R. Corrigan, Dallas, TX

Colleen Daniel, Walla Walla, WA

Dennis Demmel, Ogallala, NE

Virginia Dierker, West Falmouth, MA

Victoria Dietz, Worland, WY

Douglas T. Dockter, Farmington, NM

Bill C. Dorrance, Hollister, CA

Amy Driggs, Albuquerque, NM

James F. Dudley, Albuquerque, NM

John & Joyce Engels, North Bend, OR

Harold & Wanda Euwer, Leander, TX

Michael Evans, Saratoga, WY

Sally Fallon, Washington, DC

Kathryn & Lloyd Ferge, Echo, OR

Steven T. Fettig, Wishek, ND

John Fichtner, Elizabeth, WV

Blair Fitzsimons, Carrizo Springs, TX

Cornelia Flora, Ames, IA

Lowell & Mary Forman, Antelope, OR

Chris E. Frasier, Limon, CO

Sally Gamauf, Copley, OH

Leonard Garrison, San Rafael, CA

John S. Gay, Sahuarita, AZ

Joe Glode, Saratoga, WY

Mary Ellen Gonzales, Santa Fe, NM

Hawk & Shelley Greenway, Aspen, CO

Kevin Gruntmeir, Kingfisher, OK

Steve Hailstone, Adelaide, Australia

Jack Ham, Post, TX

Elizabeth Haverfield, Winona, KS

Gerald S. Henrikson, Madras, OR

Allen Hewko, Neilburg, SK, Canada

Jeff and Denise Hunewill, Wellington, NV

Joann M. Hutton, Glenwood, WA

Larry Johnson, Winona, MN

Edward Keith, Coffeyville, KS

Margaret Kinnett, Maybell, CO

John King, Richmond, New Zealand

Neal Kinsey, Charleston, MO

Paul Krebs, Bowling Green, OH

Roland Kroos, Bozeman, MT

Jim & Barbara Long, Roseburg, OR

Norman & Gail Lowe, Flagstaff, AZ

Richard Luciano, Morristown, NJ

Sheila R.V. Luoma, Arcadia, NE

Sandra M Matheson, Bellingham, WA

Gary Markegard, Eureka, CA

Tom McAllister, Lincoln, NE

Earl & Sharon McKinney, Prineville, OR

William Kenneth Medlin, Moscow, ID

Nathan Melson, Dodd City, TX

John L. Merrill, Crowley, TX

Eudoro Moreno Moreno, Aguascalientes, Mexico

Deb Morley, Cambridge, MA

Jim & Shari Morrison, Pampa, TX

Cynthia Noble, Graeagle, CA

Wallace Olson , Vinita, OK

Charles Orchard, Bozeman MT

Michael Orr, Eureka, CA

Joyce Osborne, Salt Lake City, UT

Kelli & Bill Parker, Calhan, CO

John Phelan, Mountain Park, OK

Allen & Tauna Powell, Laclede, MO

Mark & Wendy Pratt, Blackfoot, ID

Dina & Bill Quigley, Clearlake Oaks, CA

Jim & Liz Rehfeld, Holly, CO

Dick & Judy Richardson, Vryburg, South Africa

Tom Rietmann & Katie Cook, Condon, OR

Merlyn Rix, Wetaskiwin, AB, Canada

Dale Robinson, Paragonah, UT

Richard Rominger, Winter, CA

Marcus Rogers, Newport, RI

Kathleen Sayce, Nahcotta, WA

Charles D. Schmidt, Fredericksburg, TX

Dr. & Mrs. Robert Scholes, Rodeo, NM

David Scott, Cochrane, AB, Canada

Homer A. & Mildred S. Scott Foundation,

Sheridan, WY

Ridge Shinn, Hardwick, MA

Joe & Michele Simmons, Newcastle, WY

Bob Steffen, Bennington, NE

Pete Tatschl, Tucumcari, NM

Federico Urioste, Argentina

Arne Vanderburg, Cedar Crest, NM

Arne van Garrel, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

W. Doug Warnock, Ellensburg, WA

James D. Weaver, Causey, NM

Bryan Wehrli, Cedar Crest, NM

Volunteer Thanks

This issue we’d like to thank Ken Roberts,

Tina Pilione, and Wilma Keppel for their

efforts in producing and promoting two well-

attended workshops in California in

connection with Allan Savory’s keynote

speech at the American Farmland Trust

national conference in March. Thanks also to

Nancy Butler of the Rio Grande Headwaters

Trust and Vivianne Holmes for helping us get

our information and materials to a wider

audience. Your contributions are invaluable.

Savory Center Supporters

continued from page 15

HOLISTIC MANAGEMENT IN PRACTICE • MAY / JUNE 2003 17

ARIZONA

Kitty Boice

P.O. Box 745, Sonoita, AZ 85637

520/907-5574

KatieMackK@aol.com

ARKANSAS

Preston Sullivan

P.O. Box 4483

Fayetteville, AR 72702

479/443-0609; 479/442-9824 (w)

prestons@nwaisp.com

CALIFORNIA

Monte Bell

325 Meadowood Dr., Orland, CA 95963

530/865-3246; mbell@glenncounty.net

Julie Bohannon

652 Milo Terrace, Los Angeles, CA 90042

323/257-1915

JoeBoCom@pacbell.net

Jeff Goebel

P.O. Box 1252, Willows, CA 95988

530/321-9855; 530/934-4601 x101 (w)

goebel@palouse.net

Richard King

1675 Adobe Rd.

Petaluma, CA 94954

707/769-1490; 707/794-8692 (w)

richard.king@ca.usda.gov

Christopher Peck

P.O. Box 2286, Sebastopol, CA 95472

707/758-0171

ctopherp@holistic-solutions.net

COLORADO

Cindy Dvergsten

17702 County Rd. 23, Dolores, CO 81323

970/882-4222; cdvergst@fone.net

Rio de la Vista

P.O. Box 777, Monte Vista, CO 81144

719/852-2211; riovista@rmi.net

Daniela Howell

63066 Jordan Ct.

Montrose, CO 81401

970/249-0353

howelljd@montrose.net

Tim McGaffic

P.O. Box 476

Ignacio, CO 81137

970/946-9957; tim@timmcgaffic.com

❖ Cliff Montagne

Montana State University Department of Land

Resources & Environmental Science

Bozeman, MT 59717

406/994-5079; montagne@montana.edu

NEW MEXICO

❖ Ann Adams

The Savory Center

1010 Tijeras NW

Albuquerque, NM 87102

505/842-5252

anna@holisticmanagement.org

Amy Driggs

1131 Los Tomases NW

Albuquerque, NM 87102

505/242-2787

adriggs@orbusinternational.com

Kirk Gadzia

P.O. Box 1100, Bernalillo, NM 87004

505/867-4685; fax: 505/867-0262

kgadzia@earthlink.net

Ken Jacobson

12101 Menaul Blvd. NE, Ste AAlbuquerque, NM 87112505/293-7570kbjacobson@orbusinternational.com

❖ Kelly Pasztor

The Savory Center

1010 Tijeras NW,

Albuquerque, NM 87102

505/842-5252

kellyp@holisticmanagement.org

Sue Probart

P.O. Box 81827

Albuquerque, NM 87198

505/265-4554

tnm@treenm.com

Vicki Turpen

03 El Nido Amado SW

Albuquerque, NM 87121

505/873-0473; mvt9357@aol.com

Arne Vanderburg

P.O. Box 904, Cedar Crest, NM 87008

505/286-6133

asvanderb@hotmail.com

NORTH CAROLINA

Sam Bingham

394 Vanderbilt Rd.A s h eville, NC 28803828/274-1309; sbingham@igc.org

NORTH DAKOTA

❖ Wayne Berry

University of North Dakota—Williston

P.O. Box 1326

Williston, ND 58802

701/774-4269 or 701/774-4200

wayne.berry@wsc.nodak.edu

OHIO

❖ Deborah Stinner

Department of Entomology OARDC

1680 Madison Hill

Wooster, OH 44691

330/202-3534 (w); stinner.2@osu.edu

Chadwick McKellar

16775 Southwood Dr.

Colorado Springs, CO 80908

719/495-4641; cmckellar@juno.com

Chandler McLay

P.O. Box 262, Dolores, CO 81323

970/882-8802

mcchand@msn.com

Byron Shelton

33900 Surrey Lane

Buena Vista, CO 81211

719/395-8157

landmark@my.amigo.net

GEORGIA

Constance Neely

1160 Twelve Oaks Circle

Watkinsville, GA 30677

706/310-0678; cneely@holisticmanagement.org

IOWA

Bill Casey

1800 Grand Ave.

Keokuk, IA 52632-2944

319/524-5098; wpccasey@interl.net

LOUISIANA

Tina Pilione

P.O. 923, Eunice, LA 70535

phone/fax: 337/580-0068

tinamp@charter.net

MINNESOTA

Terri Goodfellow-Heyer

4660 Cottonwood Lane N

Plymouth, MN 55442

612/559-0099; tgheyer@attbi.com

Larry Johnson

RR 1, Box 93A

Winona, MN 55987-9738

507/457-9511; 507/523-2171 (w)

lpjohn@rconnect.com

MONTANA

Wayne Burleson

RT 1, Box 2780, Absarokee, MT 59001

406/328-6808;

rutbuster@montana.net

Roland Kroos

492 Itana Circle

Bozeman, MT 59715

406/522-3862; KROOSING@earthlink.net

Certified Educators

UNITED STATES

❖ These Educators provide Holistic Management instruction on behalf of the institutions they represent.

To our knowledge, Certified Educators are the best qualified individuals to help others learn to

practice Holistic Management and to provide them with technical assistance when necessary. On a yearly

basis, Certified Educators renew their agreement to be affiliated with the Center. This agreement requires

their commitment to practice Holistic Management in their own lives, to seek out opportunities for

staying current with the latest developments in Holistic Management and to maintain a high standard of

ethical conduct in their work.

For more information about or application forms for the U.S., Africa, or International Certified Educator

Training Programs, contact Kelly Pasztor at the Savory Center or visit our website at

www.holisticmanagement.org/wwo_certed.cfm?

18 HOLISTIC MANAGEMENT IN PRACTICE #89

OKLAHOMAKim Barker

RT 2, Box 67, Waynoka, OK 73860580/824-9011; barker_k@hotmail.com

OREGONJoel Benson

613 Fordyce St., Ashland, OR 97520541/488-9630; ytka@jeffnet.org

Cindy Douglas

2795 McMillian St., Eugene, OR 97405541/465-4882; cdouglas@omri.org

TEXAS

Christina Allday-Bondy

2703 Grennock Dr., Austin, TX 78745512/441-2019 ; tododia@peoplepc.com

Guy Glosson

6717 Hwy 380, Snyder, TX 79549806/237-2554; glosson@caprock-spur.com

❖ R.H. (Dick) Richardson

University of Texas at Austin Department of Integrative BiologyAustin, TX 78712512/471-4128; d.richardson@mail.utexas.edu

Doug Warnock

151 Cedar Cove Rd.

Ellensburg, WA 98926

509/925-9127

warnockd@ elltel.net

WISCONSIN

Elizabeth Bird

Room 203 Hiram Smith Hall

1545 Obseratory Dr

Madison WI 53706

6 0 8 / 2 6 5 - 3 7 2 7

e a b i r d @ fa c s t a ff . w i s c . e d u

WYOMING

Miles Keogh

450 N. Adams Ave.

B u ffalo WY 82834

307/684-0532; mkeogh@trib.com

Tim Morrison

P.O. Box 536

Meeteese, WY 82433

307/868-2354; mcd@tctwe s t . n e t

Peggy Sechrist

25 Thunderbird Rd.Fredericksburg, TX 78624830/990-2529; peggy@fbg.net

WASHINGTON

Craig Madsen

P.O. Box 107, Edwall, WA 99008

509/236-2451; madsen2fir@centurytel.net

Sandra Matheson

228 E. Smith Rd., Bellingham, WA 98226

360/398-7866; smm1@gte.net

❖ Don Nelson

Washington State University P.O. Box 646310, Pullman, WA 99164509/335-2922; nelsond@wsu.edu

Maurice Robinette

S. 16102 Wolfe Rd., Cheney, WA 99004

509/299-4942; mlr@icehouse.net

Lois Trevino

P.O. Box 615, Nespelem, WA 99155

509/634-4410; 509/634-2430 (w)

lois.trevino@colvilletribes.com

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

AUSTRALIA

Helen Carrell

“Hillside” 25 Weewondilla Rd.Glennie Heights, Warwick, QLD 437061-4-1878-5285; 61-7-4661-7383 helenc@upfrontoutback,com

Steve Hailstone

5 Lampert Rd., Crafers, SA 515261-4-1882-2212shailstone@internode.on.net

Graeme Hand

“Inverary”Caroona Lane; Branxholme, VIC 330261-3-5578-6272; 61-4-1853-2130gshand@hotkey.net.au

Mark Gardner

P.O. Box 1395, Dubbo, NSW 283061-2-6882-0605gardnerm@ozemail.com.au

Brian Marshall

“Lucella”; Nundle, NSW 2340

61-2-6769 8226; fax: 61-2-6769 8223

bkmrshl@northnet.com.au

Bruce Ward

P.O. Box 103, Milsons Pt., NSW 156561-2-9929-5568; fax: 61-2-9929-5569blward@holisticresults.com.au

Brian Wehlburg

c/o “Sunnyholt”, Injue, QLD 445461-7-4626-7187ijapo2000@yahoo.com

CANADA

Don and Randee Halladay

Box 2, Site 2, RR 1; Rocky Mountain House, AB T0M 1T0; 403/729-2472donran@telusplanet.net

Noel McNaughton

5704-144 St., Edmondton, AB, T6H 4H4780/432-5492; noel@mcnaughton.ca

Len Pigott

Box 222, Dysart, SK SOH 1HO 306/432-4583JLPigott@sk.sympatico.ca

Kelly Sidoryk

Box 374, Lloydminster, AB, S9V 0Y4403/875-4418hi-gain@telusplanet.net

CHINA/GERMANY

Dieter Albrecht

2, Yuan Ming Yuan Xi LuBeijing 1009486-10-6289 1061alialb@gmx.net (international)

MEXICO

Ivan Aguirre

La InmaculadaApdo. Postal 304Hermosillo, Sonora 83000tel/fax: 52-637-377-8929rancho_inmaculada@yahoo.com

Elco Blanco-Madrid

Cristobal de Olid #307 Chihuahua Chih., 3124052-614-415-3497; fax: 52-614-415-3175elco_blanco@hotmail.com

Manuel Casas-Perez

Calle Amarguva No. 61, Lomas HerraduraHuixquilucan, Mexico City CP 5278552-558-291-3934; 52-588-992-0220 (w)tolintepec@aol.com

Jose Ramon “Moncho” Villar

Av. Las Americas #1178Fracc. CumbresSaltillo, Coahuila 2527052-844-415-1542ffmh@prodigy.net.mx

NAMIBIA

Gero Diekmann

P.O. Box 363, Okahandja 9000264-62-518091nam00132@mweb.com.na

Wiebke Volkmann

P.O. Box 182, Otavi, 067-23-44-48;wiebke@mweb.com.na

NEW ZEALAND

John King

P.O. Box 3440, Richmond, Nelson64-3-547-6347succession@clear.net.nz

SOUTH AFRICA

Johan Blom

P.O. Box 568, Graaf-Reinet 628027-49-891-0163johanblom@cybertrade.co.za

Ian Mitchell-Innes

P.O. Box 52, Elandslaagte 290027-36-421-1747blanerne@mweb.co.za

Norman Neave

Box 141, Mtubatuba 393527-35-5504150norboom@saol.com

Dick Richardson

P.O. Box 1806, Vryburg 8600tel/fax: 27-53-927-4367 judyrich@cybertrade.co.za

ZIMBABWE

Mutizwa Mukute

PELUM Association Regional DeskP.O. Box MP 1059, Mount Pleasant, Harare263-4-74470/744117fax: 263-4-744470pelum@mail.pci.co.zw

Liberty Mabhena

Spring CabinetP.O. Box 853, Harare263-4-210021/2; 263-4-210577/8fax: 263-4-210273

Sister Maria Chiedza Mutasa

Bandolfi ConventP.O. Box 900, Masvingo263-39-7699, 263-39-7530

Elias Ncube

P. Bag 5950, Victoria Falls263-3-454519rogpachm@africaonline.co.zw

HOLISTIC MANAGEMENT IN PRACTICE • MAY / JUNE 2003 19

CALIFORNIA

Holistic Management of California

Tom Walther, newsletter editor

5550 Griffin St.

Oakland, CA 94605

510/530-6410

tagjag@ aol.com

COLORADO

Colorado Branch of the Center

For Holistic Management

Jim and Daniela Howell

newletter editors

1661 Sonoma Court,

Montrose, CO 81401

970/249-0353

howelljd@montrose.net

GEORGIA

Constance Neely

1160 Twelve Oaks Circle

Watkinsville, GA 30677

706/310-0678

cneely@holisticmanagement.org

IDAHO

National Learning Site

Linda Hestag

3743 King Mountain Rd.

Darlington, ID 83255

208/588-2693; mackay@atcnet.net

Local Netwo r k s There are several branch organizations or groupsaffiliated with the Center in the U.S. and abroad (some publish their ownnewsletters.) We encourage you to contact the group closest to you:

PENNSYLVANIA

Northern Penn Network

Jim Weaver, contact person

RD #6, Box 205

Wellsboro, PA 16901

717/724-7788

jaweaver@epix.net

TEXAS

HRM of Texas

Peggy Jones, newsletter editor

101 Hill View Trail

Dripping Springs, TX 78620

512/858-4251

hrmoftx@earthlink.net

AUSTRALIA

Holistic Decision Making Association

(AUST+NZ)

Irene Dasey, Executive Officer

P.O. Box 543

Inverell NSW, 2360

tel: 61-2-6721-0123

idasey@hdma-anz.com

CANADA

Canadian Holistic Management

Lee Pengilly

Box 216, Stirling, AB, T0K 2E0

403/327-9262

MEXICO

Fundación para Fomentar

el Manejo Holístico, A.C.

Jose Ramon Villar, President

Ave. Las Americas #1178

United States

International

MONTANA

Beartooth Management Club

Wayne Burleson

RT 1, Box 2780, Absarokee, MT 59001

406/328-6808rutbuster@montana.net

NEW YORK

Regional Farm & Food ProjectTracy Frisch, contact person148 Central Ave., 2nd floorAlbany, NY 12206518/427-6537

USDA/NRCS - Central NY RC&D

Phil Metzger, contact person

99 North Broad St., Norwich, NY 13815

607/334-3231, ext. 4

phil.metzger@ny.usda.gov

NORTHWEST

Managing WholesPeter Donovan

501 South St., Enterprise, OR 97828-1345

541/426-2145

www.managingwholes.com

OKLAHOMA

Oklahoma Land Stewardship AllianceCharles GriffithsRoute 5, Box E44, Ardmore, OK 73401580/223-7471; cagriffith@brightok.net

Fracc. Cumbres Saltillo, Coahuila 25270

tel/fax: 52-844-415-1542

ffmh@prodigy.net.mx

NAMIBIA

Namibia Centre for

Holistic Management

Anja Denker, contact person

P.O. Box 23600

Windhoek 9000

tel/fax: 264-61-230-515

unicorn@iafrica.com.na

SOUTH AFRICA

Community Dynamics

Judy Richardson

P.O. Box 1806

Vryburg 8600

tel/fax: 27-53-9274367

judyrich@cybertrade.co.za

Come Visit Us!

We Offe r:

• Guided Bush Wa l ks

• H o rs e b a ck To u rs

• G a m e -Vi ewing Dri ve s

• A n t i - Po a ching Pa t rol Experi e n c e

• And much more !

In an unfo rget table setting with

comfy lodging, memorable meals

AT DIMBANGOMBE

Come Visit Us!AT DIMBANGOMBE

P ri va te Bag 5950 Ro ger Pa rry

Vi c to ria Fa l l s Email: ro g p a ch m @ a f ri c a o n l i n e . c o . z w

Z i m b a bwe Tel. (263)(11 ) 213 529

w w w. a f ri c a n s o j o u rn . c o m

Board of Trustees

Allan Savory, Chair

Ignatius Ncube, Vice Chair

Chief D. Shana II

Chief A. J. Mvutu

Chief B.W. Wange

Chief D. Nelukoba

Chief S.R. Nekatambe

Councilor Ndubiwa

Mary Ncube

Lot Ndlovu

Emeldah Nkomo

(Staff Representative)

Elias Ncube

(Staff Representative)

Osmond Mugweni - Masvingo

Hendrik O’Neill - Harare

Sam Brown, Austin, Texas,

ex-officio

Staff

Huggins Matanga, Director

Elias Ncube, Community

Programmes Manager

Emeldah Nkomo, Village

Banking Coordinator

Forgé Wilson,

Office Manager

Sylvia Nyakujawa, Bookkeeper

Dimbangombe Ranch and

Conservation Safaris:

Roger Parry, Manager

Trish Pullen,

Assistant Manager, Catering

Richard Nsinganu, Assistant

Manager, Safaris

Albert Chauke,

Ranch Foreman

Africa Centre for Holistic Management

(A subsidiary of the Allan Savory Center for

Holistic Management since 1992)

To order products inAustralia/New Zealand or southern Africa contact:

Australia: Holistic Decision Making Association, Irene Dasey, P.O. Box 543,

Inverell NSW 2360, tel: 61-2-6721-0123; idasey@hdma-anz.com

South Africa: Whole Concepts cc, PO Box 1806, Vryburg 8600;

tel/fax: 27-53-9274367; judyrich@cybertrade.co.za