Twodot Land and Livestock – Pushing Limits on the Northern Plains
Fourth generation Montanan rancher and second generation Holistic Management practitioner continues to push the envelope while simultaneous increasing profits, cultural well being, and ecological resiliency. While still doing holistic grazing planning, in 2006, Zach pastured a fairly conventional four herds—three groups of yearlings (750 head, 440 head, and 500 head), plus a herd of 400 cows. In 2007, Jones invested in water development in order to combine all the yearlings into one big herd of 1,550 head. This herd was on Zachary’s 12,000 acres all summer (mid-May to mid-September), as well as a year round herd of 500 cows.
Prosperity through Simplicity – The Coughlans of Tarabah
Michael and Anna Coughlin, who manage the 18,000-hectare Tarabah on the plains of southwestern New South Wales, are “among the world’s greatest harvesters of sunlight” according to Howell. The Coughlins also manage the 2,400-hectare Moonbrill property a few hours to the east in a more productive environment… all with just 2.5 full-time employees and close to 6,000 cattle. Despite large tracts of Australia’s perennials reverting to cool season annuals, the Coughlins have created the conditions for pernnials to re-establish, and in doing so the wildlife (including duck-billed platypus and echidnas) has become more abundant.
The Whitten Ranch – Creating More with Less
This case study is an excerpt from Jim Howell’s 2008 book, For the Love of Land: Global Case Studies of Grazing in Nature’s Image. Following George Whitten of the San Luis valley in Colorado, Howell states “Fifteen years after taking his first Holistic Management course, he has figured out how to get by on a fraction of his former water use. He has increased the biodiversity and vigor of his irrigated meadows and hilly native rangeland to a plant mix that can thrive even in dry years.”
Rancho de la Inmaculada – Prospering in the Desert
At 2500 feet (820 meters) of elevation, the patch of desert embracing La Inmaculada is blessed with an average of 13 inches (330 mm) of annual precipitation. Since the Aguirres have been practicing Holistic Management, annual totals have ranged from 6 to 25 inches. About 50 percent comes during the summer monsoons in July and August, their main growing season. Because there is an almost total absence of cool-season grasses, winter rains do them little good in terms of grass growth, but they do add to the bank of soil moisture critical to brush green-up in the spring.
Going Beyond Best Practice in the Kalahari Bushveld Savannah: A Case study of Brahman Botswana on farm Oasis
This 2010 case study follows the 18,832-hectare farm named Oasis in western Botswana near the border of Namibia. Dwindling carrying capacity of the land led them to attend a Holistic Management course in 1986, with small changes implemented in 1988 and a more substantial buy-in occurring in 1999. By boosting the carrying capacity of the […]
The Efficiency of Low Input: A Case Study
This 2010 case study follows the 9,500-hectare Farm Springbockvley in Namibia that receives an average of 250mm of annual rainfall. Between 1989 and 2010, their flerd (a combined flock of sheep and herd of cattle) grew from 250 Simmentaler cattle and 3000 Karakul sheep to about 700 Nguni cattle and 5000 Damara sheep, with an average of 15 animals per hectare. They have maintained a continually increased carrying capacity even in years where less than a third of the average rainfall was recorded.
The Central Australian Grazing Strategies Project Working Paper Series
Etiwanda Station is a 28,000-hectare property in NSW, Australia used to produce sheep, cattle and goats. The owners adopted the Holistic Management approximately 10 years ago. Results include easier animal handling because only 2 mobs (instead of 10 previously) and movement being planned to ensure animals are close to handling facilities at right time; now in top 10% of producers in terms of profitability, compared to average or below average before changing management; improvement in quality and quantity of pastures with an increase in palatable perennial grasses; and set aside of paddocks gives 3-month buffer of feed during periods of drought.
Working in tandem with natural variability: New paradigms for livestock grazing in Australia
This submission to the Australian House of Representatives summarizes how grazing with Holistic Management (HM), a proactive, low-tech solution, (1) provides flexible management options in the face of climatic uncertainty, and (2) enhances the resilience of the natural environment, thus leaving it better prepared for climatic variability.
