Canadian Holistic Management
News & Views
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE: to provide knowledge, motivation & networking opportunities for Holistic Managers
Healthy People, Healthy Land, Healthy Profits
Issue 57November2012
Canadian Certified Educators
Ontario:
Tony & Fran McQuail
Lucknow, ON
Phone: 519 528 2493
Email:
Saskatchewan:
Len Pigott
Dysart, SK
Phone: 306 432 4583
Email:
Don & Bev Campbell
Meadow Lake, SK
Phone: 306 236 6088
Email:
Ralph & Linda Corcoran
Langbank, SK
Phone 306 532 4778
Email:
Blain Hjertaas
Redvers, SK
Phone: 306 452 3882
Email:
Alberta:
Kelly Sidoryk
Lloydminster, AB
Phone: 780 875 9806
Email:
Brian Luce
Ponoka, AB
Phone: 403 783 6518
New Email:
British Columbia:
Allison Guichon
Quilchena, BC
New Phone: 250 378 9734
Email:
HMI has recently introduced some changes to the H M model. There is no change in the basic structure just some fine tuning to make it easier to use & understand H M decision making. Here is an update from the latest In Practice.
HMI Fine Tunes Testing Questions
As HMI works to make our curriculum even more accessible & useful to farmers & ranchers, we've reworked the introductory curriculum with the help of an educational consultant. We surveyed Certified Educators & many different people we have been teaching this material to over the years to see what they found helpful & difficult to understand & implement. While the framework remains essentially the same, the way we articulate it has changed to make it easier to understand. We will be using this curriculum for HMI sponsored Introduction to H M courses going forward. After doing some beta testing & getting feedback for fine tuning, we'd like to share with our network the revised Holistic Management Framework.
The Principles:
H M is based on 2 key principles.
1. Nature functions in wholes.
2. Understand your environment.
The first principle focuses on the idea of holism, helping us to shift our paradigm to focus on building symbiotic relationships in all our management decisions. We have to pay attention to the relationships between the different aspects of the whole. Anytime you change one thing, it impacts other areas of your life. We keep that in mind with H M by using a holistic goal to help us keep focused on the big picture reduce unintended consequences.
The second principle is to help people focus on understanding that all the tools do not have the same effect in different environments. We must determine where the environment we are managing is on the brittleness
scale (a scale lined to humidity & how quickly dead vegetation breaks down). In a rainforest (a 1 on the scale) there's lots of humidity & vegetation decomposes quickly. In a desert (a 10 on the scale) there's very little humidity & vegetation decomposes slowly. With this principle we remember that there are no one size fits all solutions. What may be a "best management practice" in one area of the world could cause problems in another area.
The Practices:
The six key steps to practicing H M are:
1. Define what you manage.
2. State what you want.
3. Aim for healthy soil.
4. Consider all tools.
5. Test your decisions.
6. Monitor your results.
Practice One - Define what you manage
Define what you manage is looking at the inventory that you are managing. The 2 key areas of that inventory to define are your management team (decision makers) & your assets. When defining the management team you focus on who is making management decisions at the various levels of management. Those people are the ones that should help create a holistic goal & who must have ownership in it. All your assets include what we used to refer to as your "resource base" which includes clients & vendors, tangible assets like buildings, equipment, livestock & money. Knowing what your inventory is then allows you to better manage it. This step can make you further aware of the influences impacting the inventory that you manage & how you affect them.
Practice Two - State what you want.
Working with your other decision makers on your management team, begin the process of creating your holistic goal - describing the life you want to live, based on your deepest values. To create your holistic goal, ask your management team to describe:
1. The quality of life desired. (Quality of Life).
2. What you need to create or produce to live that life. (behaviors, systems & processes).
3. What must exist to sustain that life in the future. (vision)
These 3 different pieces of a holistic goal help the team define the quality of life they want right now which motivates them to manage toward the common ground articulated. It also helps them identify the behaviors, systems & processes they must put in place to get there. Lastly, it helps them articulate their vision for the future with the legacy they want to leave in regards to their relationships with their communities & the land by describing:
1. How you have to behave.
2. The future landscape.
3. The future community.
In this way the holistic goal provides guidance for both short & long term decision making.
If you are part of an organization, department, division or other unit formed for a specific purpose, you will also need to create a mission statement that articulates & clarifies that purpose. Doing so will improve internal alignment & decision making. You must answer the question. "What were we formed to do?" Individuals & farm families do not need to create a mission statement but many choose to do so.
Practice Three - Aim for healthy soil.
This practice uses the 4 fundamental ecosystem processes in nature, so you can begin to assess the health of your land & consider it in your management decisions. The 4 ecosystem processes are:
1. Water cycle.
2. Mineral cycle.
3. Energy flow.
4. Biological community.
The earliest indicator of ecosystem health is soil cover & soil health. If there is 100% soil cover, made up of living & decaying plants & a great diversity of species, you likely have a healthy environment. You must have a good understanding of ecosystem health to be able to do the next practice effectively.
Practice Four - Consider all the tools available.
The tools for managing ecosystem processes fall into 6 categories.
1. Human creativity.
2. Technology.
3. Rest
4. Fire
5. Animals & Living Organisms
6. Money & Labor
Human creativity & money & labor are required in using the other tools. In land management, fire, rest & technology are the most used tools to modify our ecosystem. However, animals & living organisms can help improve land health, water infiltration & the land's ability to sequester carbon through grazing & the animal impact of many different species.
Tools are neither good nor bad & should be managed within the context of your management inventory. Consider your holistic goal & the degree of brittleness of the environment you manage along with other factors before you decide whether or not a particular tool is suitable.
Practice Five - Test your decisions
The seven H M testing questions help us sift through the many factors & complex variables to get to the heart of the matter & help improve decision making.
Ultimately, we are looking at whether the action or decision meets the triple bottom line you have articulated in your holistic goal. These 7 tests supplement other considerations when making a decision (research, intuition cash flow etc.).
The Seven Tests
1)Root Cause - Does this action address the root cause of the problem?
2)Weak Link
- Social - Are there any social concerns regarding this action?
- Biological - Does this action address the weakest point in the life cycle of this organism?
- Financial - Does this action address the weakest link in the chain of production? In my enterprise, what single thing will have the greatest positive impact on my chain of production?
3)Comparing Options - Which action gets the "biggest bang for the buck" toward your holistic goal? Where is your highest return?
4)Gross Profit Analysis - Which enterprises contribute most to cover the fixed costs(overhead) of the business?
5)Investment Analysis - Is the energy or money to be used in this action derived from the most appropriate source in terms of your holistic goal? Will the way the energy or money is to be used lead toward your holistic goal?
6)Vision Analysis - Does this action lead toward or away from your Vision articulated in your holistic goal?
7)Gut Check - Considering all the testing questions & your holistic goal how do you feel about this action or decision now?
Practice Six - Monitor your results
Before you begin to implement a decision, consider any unintended consequences that could arise from your actions. Determine the earliest warning signs that might say you're going off track. Monitor those indicators carefully; take action if things start to wrong or circumstances change.
We hope these revisions have made the curriculum more inviting & easier to understand so that more farmers & ranchers will shift their thinking & behavior toward a more holistic approach to agriculture.
If you wish to share your feedback on these changes please contact Don or Ann Adams email
Thank you for your interest. I hope this helps improve your decision making.
News from HMI
By Kelly Sidoryk
The Board of HMI, recently held their annual meeting in Albuquerque, New Mexico. As the Canadian representative, I am pleased to report that HMI continues to focus on its mandate of educating people to manage land for a sustainable future. The past year in the United States has been a challenging one financially, but with a solid re-plan, HMI led by Peter Holter, has completed the year on plan. HMI is continuing to focus on the consolidation of programs with a clear focus and development of curriculum. The financial planning module is in a priority to be updated. Youth continues to be an area that HMI emphasizes. Building associations and partnerships is another key area to improve the effectiveness for all. Some of the potential groups include the Colorado State University, the Aldo Leopold Foundation and the Land Stewardship project. Consistency of programming and the ability to document proof or performance continue to be worked on by the staff. Some of the ongoing programs include Beginning Women Farmers; Cows & Quail and a drought mitigation series in the southwestern United States. There is continued presence on the internet. Check out the website, holisticmanagement.org and the facebook page. Peter Holter will be attending the February gathering and will further update attendants on HMI activities.
Up Coming H M Courses
Spring Side, Sask. Nov 26, 27 & 28 Dec10, 11 & 12th
Contact Dee Valstar 306-792-2224
Ralph and Linda Corcoran 306-532-4778
Fife Lake Sk.
Nov 22, 23 & 24 Nov.30, Dec 1 & 2nd
Contact; Terry & Arliss Loucks 306-476-2726
Ralph & Linda Corcoran306 532 4778
Arcola Sk.
Oct. 31, Nov. 1 & 2 Nov. 14, 15 & 16
Contact Blain Hjertaas 306 452 3882
HM courses are funded by
Growing Forward 1-866 457 2377
2013 Convention
Russell, Man. Feb. 11th to 13th.
Our convention statement of purpose is:
Our conference will inspire optimism, build enthusiasm, provide a forum to learn, promote successes, encourage change & challenge us to think deeper while networking in an enjoyable setting.
Plan to attend. You will enjoy yourself. You will return home with more knowledge & increased optimism.
Christmas Gift Idea A registration to our convention might make a wonderful Christmas present.
We are always looking for ideas to make the convention more successful. Please feel free to contact me with any ideas.
CLASSIFIED ADS
Custom Grazing Opportunity
SG&R Farms is looking for a custom grazier to partner with for the 2013 grazing season & beyond. We would like to send 200 May / June calving cows to the right operation for the green season. Cattle have been culled extensively, are bred within 45 days & are accustomed to electric fence & daily paddock shifts.
Contact Ryan Boyd, Forest, Manitoba
phone 204 724 7019
Bred Heifers For Sale
B - C Ranch is offering 100 plus Angus cross heifers for sale. The due date is May 20th. The heifers were bred for 42 days. This is a quality set of easy keeping, forage type heifers. The heifers are small to medium frame.
Please contact: Mark Campbell 306 236 6105
We offer classified ads as part of our newsletter. The cost is $50 plus GST ($52.50). The ads will run in 2 newsletters. Please send your ad to Don Campbell. Please make your check payable to
B - C Ranch Inc. Box 817 Meadow Lake, Sask. S9X 1Y6. All the money from the ads will be donated to our annual convention.
Happy Trails
Don Campbell
Box 817
Meadow Lake, Sask.
S9X 1Y6
Phone 306 236 6088
E Mail