Many producers are finding the STAC Forage Assessment a valuable tool to determine Animal Days per Acre (ADA), but what if you are wanting to determine pounds of dry matter available or even total dry matter per acre? With a little more additional math, you can get that answer to help you determine gross profit potential for hayfields or for other uses. Here’s a little more information about how to do that from HMI Certified Educator and Grazing Naturally Consultant Dick Richardson of Australia.

 As noted on HMI’s STAC Forage Assessment worksheet, the SDA/ADA calculations are as follows:

STAC ADA in acres

• Sole = 12 ADA
• Toe = 24 ADA
• Ankle = 36 ADA
• Calf = 48 ADA
• Thigh = 60 ADA

If you want to know how that translates to pounds of dry matter per acre or hectare for grazing, you use the correction factor of 24.75/acre or 12.25/ha.

So, in the case of pounds/acre the pound reading would be:

• Sole = 300 pounds/acre
• Toe = 600 pounds/acre
• Ankle = 900 pounds/acre
• Calf = 1,200 pounds/acre
• Thigh = 1,800 pounds/acre

For example, a STAC reading averaging 50 will give you 1,237.5 pounds per acre of forage to graze with adequate residual left over.

To convert that number to total dry matter/acre you would multiply the pounds/acre by 4. Using the example above, you would multiply 1,237.5 X 4 to get 4,950 pounds total dry matter per acre.

Dick further notes that “Good hay, cut early, i.e., not in a reproductive state, can be cut really short and responds back beautifully while still building soil. In this case, use the STAC method for pounds/acre and multiply the outcome by 4. This is true for a mature cereal hay cut short as well. If it is mature hay, (hay that rips nutrients from the soil and is cut at 4 inches to try and keep it alive), then you would only multiply the outcome by 3. The Grazing Naturally STAC method only calculates what stock can actually eat out of a paddock. Total Dry Matter is about 4 times the STAC figure dependent on biome. Take a look at my website naturesequity.com.au to see how it works. It’s on the free training list.”

Download your STAC Forage Assessment Worksheet here.

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We’re excited to share the success of our recent 2-day grazing school on August 3rd & 4th, the first in a series of workshops funded by a grant awarded to Texas State University Small Producers’ Initiative (SPI) and Holistic Management International (HMI). This inaugural event set the stage for a transformative educational journey in sustainable livestock and land management.

A Holistic Approach to Grazing

HMI Executive Director Wayne Knight, HMI Certified Educator Christine Martin, and Dr. Ken Mix, Associate Professor at Texas State University and host, began by acknowledging a crucial reality: many of us manage land that needs significant regeneration. The first step to restoring health and productivity is understanding the building blocks to restore land health.  Learning how to read the land through the lens of  ecosystem function (water cycle, mineral cycle, biological communities, and energy flow). This knowledge is essential for determining subsequent management strategies.

With this foundation, we dove deep into the complexities of using livestock as a tool to enhance ecosystem functions while simultaneously achieving acceptable  animal productivity and sound financial management.

The Importance of a Holistic Goal

We emphasized the critical role of establishing clear and specific landscape objectives, which are encapsulated in a Holistic Goal. The Holistic Goal  ensures all decision-makers are aligned and that every management choice moves the operation towards its overarching and agreed upon objectives. That is the foundation of Holistic Management that creates the desired outcome a management team has articulated.

The impact of this concept was immediate and profound. Couples who attended the workshop returned on the second day with exciting news. After discussing their goals the previous evening, many declared that they were re-prioritizing their enterprises and reshaping their goals. This real-time shift in perspective underscores the transformative power of holistic thinking in farm and ranch management.

STAC Forage Assessment

Participants learned about the STAC (Sole, Toe, Ankle, Calf) forage assessment method. This practical tool allows ranchers to quantify available forage in each pasture using just their boots–a simple yet effective technique for on-the-ground management. The method uses different parts of the boot and leg to gauge forage height and density, providing a quick and reliable estimate of available forage.

Reading the Land

We demonstrated how to observe pastures for signs of effective and ineffective mineral and water cycles. This skill is crucial for understanding the health of the land and making informed management decisions.

Balancing Forage and Livestock Needs

A highlight of the workshop was working through a real-world case study. Participants learned how to:

• Determine available forage
• Calculate livestock forage needs
• Develop strategies to avoid substitute  feeding (like hay) when forage is insufficient.

Grazing for Function vs. Performance

We explored the nuances of grazing management, distinguishing between using livestock primarily for landscape function improvement versus focusing on animal performance. This discussion helped participants understand how management strategies might differ based on their primary goals.

Looking Ahead

This workshop was just the beginning. Thanks to the grant received by HMI and SPI, we’ll be offering more opportunities for ranchers and land managers to dive into holistic grazing management. Stay tuned for announcements about upcoming events!

We’re grateful for the engaged participation of all attendees and look forward to seeing how these principles will be applied to enhance both ecosystem health and agricultural productivity across our communities.

The post Insights Generate Immediate Impact During Texas Grazing School appeared first on Holistic Management International.

Marketing is a challenge for even the most sophisticated business. Holistic marketing is unique in that it takes your context and future vision into account, as well as financial planning. The Flockery, run by Kate Batchelder in Cherry Valley, New York direct markets lamb, mutton, wool products, eggs, and poultry. Products are sold from a farm stand on the property, via word of mouth, and from social media marketing. Although the farm does sell all their product eventually, it is often a slow and arduous process. They wanted to improve this, have more communication with customers, more options for selling products, and to better communicate their story.

Kate and her husband had real need to improve their marketing. They were finding that they had inventory left at the end of the season, and with two young children and recently purchasing a large tract of adjoining land, they needed to take action to reach their goals. Kate felt comfortable with the production aspect and was solid in both the resource and product conversion, but her weak link in her chain of production was market conversion.

            When I first met with Kate, we began with a check of the holistic goal and future vision, key elements to planning anything holistically. We discussed her resource base, which included not only her farm resources like land and infrastructure, but also who in her network she could lean on or learn from. Although the farm does have an Instagram and Facebook page, both were underutilized, mostly because of a dislike of using these platforms.

            Because of this dislike, we first talked about other ways that she could market that were more in-line with her desired approach. Could farmers markets, festivals, flyers, posters, or an ad in the newspaper better serve the farm? Discussing these options further, Kate concluded that although some of these options would be easier for her, they would not likely help her reach her target market.

Identifying Your Customer

            Prior to our meeting, I had asked Kate to take some time to think about her target customer and work through an ideal customer worksheet. In this she identified a few key things about her customer, which included a person who is:

• 35-50 years old
• Have a family
• Be either male or female
• Focusing on the areas of Schoharie, Otsego, and Cooperstown, NY
• They would ideally purchase her product weekly
• She would like to market to them at a farmer’s market or festival or at her farmstand, or her home
• The hobbies or interests they have include:
  • Cooking
  • Outdoor activities
  • Climate activism
  • Art
• Purchase meat on the weekend
• Purchase seasonally: June-September, November
• Cultural values include a disagreement with how conventional food is raised/produced
• Her ideal customer is a person who wants to cook food with quality ingredients and is eager to invest in local food

Identifying Distribution Channels

Now that she knew who she was marketing to, she had to think about how to reach this customer. After more thought, she realized that although an ad in the paper, flyers, etc. may draw their attention, they would likely be easiest to reach via social media. Kate renewed her interest in and the importance of activity on various platforms.

            Now that we had a plan in place and foundation to build from, we talked about modelling successful pages or accounts that were like what she had in mind for her farm. Kate should not copy these accounts, but can use them as inspiration for her work, to view what works and what doesn’t on other pages, the style of phots, videos, and writing used, and conversely what she didn’t like. The next step would be setting goals for outreach, how often she would post, what outcome she wanted from posts (mostly sales, to engage with customers, to gain a larger following, etc.), and then to reevaluate on a regular basis.

Articulating Your Story

            Kate also spent time to identify the story she wanted to tell customers. How would she set herself apart from those she may be modeling on social media, from those in the community, and from cheaper and potentially easier to access products? To work through this process, we completed a value proposition worksheet. The Flockery’s key identifiers and the story they want to relay include:

• We believe we are meeting these needs/wants for customers:
  • Animal had an excellent life
  • Produce high quality animal protein
  • Fair price
• We are really in the business of:
  • Demonstrating that regen ag can create delicious meat
  • Grassfed is delicious pasture-based meat
  • Giving our animals the best life possible
  • Improving our land
  • Supporting local businesses
• We absolutely promise these benefits to our customers:
  • I’m not getting rich
  • Taste is superior
  • Animals impact actually improved soil, plant, and local wildlife

SWOT Analysis

Kate also completed a SWOT analysis, or a Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats Analysis. Strengths and weaknesses are those things that are found within a person or organization. Where is the farm already succeeding and how can that be leveraged? Where can they use more work, where is the weak link? The opportunities and threats section is relating to those things that are external to the business. An opportunity in her case is the acquisition of new property, that a state agricultural college is a nearby source of farm labor, and that the area is very wealthy. Threats for the farm included that there are others in the area who are selling the same products for less money, that grocery stores can almost always beat her prices, and that there are more established farms in the area who already have a strong market presence. This analysis is meant as a fact finding and thought-provoking process that helps you to better understand your business and where you lie in the competitive field, as well as where you can improve, where you are doing well.

The Flockery has one last obstacle: confidence in their social media presence. This is a more difficult issue to address directly. The internet and social media are potentially intimidating places. With a firm plan in place and having her “why” active and in the forefront of her mind, Kate did leave feeling more confident in her ability to get things done and being more active in her marketing. It has been several weeks since the meeting and she has turned a 180 in her presence on social media, posting excellent pictures, videos, and written content on a regular basis, as well as interacting with potential and current customers.

Creating a plan, committing to that plan, as well as evaluation and replanning are all now her in wheelhouse, and items she feels comfortable with. We also spent time talking about this being a process—things will go wrong, but learning from those mistakes and adjusting for the future are key! Safe to fail is also a concept we talked about. We came up with some ideas that would present little risk, but give her an idea of whether the model or idea would be successful in the future. In a safe to fail trial, it is exactly that, safe to fail! These concepts all helped give her more confidence going forward with an increased marketing presence.

Ashley Pierce is a HMI Whole Farm/Ranch Trainer. If you are interested in improving your marketing and business planning holistically, join the next HMI Online Marketing/Business Planning course.

The post Improving Market Share & Income Through Telling Your Story appeared first on Holistic Management International.

On August 20-21, the Greenacres Foundation and Holistic Management International (HMI) joined forces to present a workshop titled “Finding Balance in Farm Management: People, Land, and Fiscal Health.” Held at the scenic Greenacres Farm near Cincinnati, OH, the event brought together a dynamic group of 25 farmers, land managers, and sustainability advocates eager to deepen their understanding of Holistic Management and regenerative agriculture. The facilitators—Michael Cox, Director of Agriculture at Greenacres; Linda Pechin-Long, HMI Certified Educator; and Wayne Knight, HMI Certified Educator and Executive Director—guided participants through a transformative two-day experience. 

The workshop kicked off with a warm welcome and a brief history of Greenacres, delivered by Michael Cox. His introduction set a positive tone, highlighting the foundation’s commitment to promoting regenerative farming through education and community collaboration. An opening circle helped foster unity and shared purpose, encouraging participants to engage fully during the workshop. 

Applying Holism in Practice 

Linda Pechin-Long and Wayne Knight led participants to the core principles of Holistic Management. Through this framework, participants were encouraged to view their farms as complex systems where decisions impact people, land, and fiscal health alike. The concept of a “safe-to-fail trial” was a key focus—participants were shown how small, low-risk experiments tailored to their own farms can lead to meaningful insights without significant financial risks. 

The interactive sessions provided practical tools and techniques, such as: 

• Low-Risk Trials: Minimizing risks through small-scale experiments that maximize learning and build confidence in sustainable farming techniques. 
• Planned Grazing Principles: Understanding how appropriate stock density promotes a balanced ecosystem, improving both land and animal health. 
• Forage Assessment: Quick and accurate methods for assessing forage availability, ensuring that grazing practices align with ecosystem capacity. 
• Biodiversity and Soil Health: Exploring the connection between diverse plant life, robust soil, and long-term farm resilience. 

Turning Knowledge into Action 

Day two opened with a practical case study led by Wayne Knight, where participants applied forage assessments from day one to calculate how to meet animal nutritional needs during dormant seasons. Through the STAC method (Sole, Toe, Ankle, Calf), they learned how to match animal numbers with available forage, a critical skill for managing livestock during challenging periods like drought or winter dormancy. 

The facilitators continually emphasized the link between financial planning and sustainable land management. Linda Pechin-Long highlighted how Holistic Management’s financial planning differs from conventional methods, offering strategies that not only ensure long-term economic viability but also enhance ecological health. By integrating financial planning into their overall farm management, participants saw firsthand how aligning finances with sustainable practices can reduce risks, increase profitability, and support a more regenerative approach to farming. 

Participants also engaged in hands-on exercises that demonstrated how to balance immediate financial needs with long-term sustainability goals. The workshop showcased financial tools that can be used to monitor and assess success, giving farmers the confidence to adapt their plans as needed. 

Building a Supportive Community 

Throughout the two days, participants bonded through collaborative exercises, learning not only from the facilitators but also from one another. This shared experience highlighted the value of a supportive community of like-minded individuals, all striving for similar outcomes in their respective farming operations. 

As the workshop concluded, attendees expressed renewed motivation and commitment to applying what they had learned. They left equipped with practical tools, innovative ideas, and a stronger network of peers who share a passion for advancing sustainable farming practices. One participant summed up the experience by emphasizing how much they appreciated the financial planning component, especially the focus on planning for profit before expenses. 

A Successful Collaboration 

This workshop was a resounding success, with 100% of participants rating it as “good” or “excellent” and all indicating they would recommend it to others. Key takeaways included the importance of forage management, the benefits of balancing animal performance with forage availability, and the powerful impact of applying holistic financial planning to improve farm resilience. 

We extend our gratitude to the L&L Nippert Foundation for their generous support and to the Greenacres Foundation for their partnership in making this event possible. Workshops like this play a vital role in empowering farmers and land managers to create thriving, resilient ecosystems that balance the needs of people, land, and fiscal health 

The post Finding Balance in Farm Management: People, Land, and Fiscal Health appeared first on Holistic Management International.

Participants for our July 13th program included 13 participants, plus three little girls and our videographer. The group gathered at my house, which is located on my family’s multi-generational ranch. We set up tents and tables in the shade of a 200-year-old cottonwood tree to go through our Biological Monitoring workbook that Certified Educator Cindy Dvergsten developed from when she was working with the Dine as it has great pictures and examples. 

The participants, including the kids, really enjoyed the diversity walk and they got very into the monitoring transects. CFRT supplied them all with kits for the day including a soil knife, clippers, a waterproof notepad and pen, and a soil gauge that recorded temp and PH. They also all got a copy of At Home with Holistic Management.

The students very much enjoyed being outside, and I got several comments about how much they enjoyed the hands-on class. Because my home was just built this year the site is recovering from construction and offered a lot of opportunities to see different soil situations. These ranged from compacted bare soil all the way to highly productive dark loam. The participants were able to see rangeland, where one group found evidence of a fox and other small predators, mixed hay fields both cut and grazed, garden space, and recently seeded tilled earth.  

We finished off the day by traveling from my farm to the West Farm, a site my family is managing. The site had not been managed or farmed for 30 years and my family is bringing it back to life. The participants saw the farm 2 months ago when it was mostly adobe mud and weeds. I am happy to say that on Saturday we were cutting a full crop of mixed oats off of it and it was beautifully green. The participants were amazed and inspired by the change and many of them said getting to come back and seeing the change was their gemstone of the day. 

Cultivating Farmers and Ranchers that Thrive is made possible by a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program, Award # 2021-70033-35702.

The post Colorado Beginning Farmer/Rancher Program Focuses on Monitoring appeared first on Holistic Management International.

Executive Assistant to the Executive Director (ED)

HMI Overview:
Holistic Management International (HMI) is a non-profit (501c3) organization dedicated to advancing sustainable and regenerative agricultural practices for the health of people and the planet.

Job Overview:
We are seeking a ¾ or full-time Executive Assistant to the Executive Director (ED) who will play a pivotal role in ensuring smooth and efficient operations. The position provides critical support in handling a wide range of administrative, human resources, and financial responsibilities. The ideal candidate will possess outstanding organizational, problem-solving, and relationship-building skills, with a strong emphasis on effective oral and written communication. The candidate will confidently engage with a wide range of partners, including donors, board members, staff, farmers, ranchers, educators, and practitioners. This is an exciting opportunity for an environmentally-minded individual passionate about HMI’s mission and values.

Reports to:
Executive Director

Location:
Remote, with the ability to attend staff strategic planning meetings in person as required 3 to 4 times per year.

Responsibilities:

Administrative Support:

• Provide calendar management, working closely with the ED to prioritize inquiries and requests while troubleshooting conflicts
• Make judgments and recommendations to ensure smooth day-to-day engagements and timely follow-up
• Draft and edit correspondence; take minutes, synthesize notes, track, communicate, and manage key action items
• Organize, track, and maintain the ED’s contacts, correspondence, and files, including updates to the organization’s shared drive
• Support a broad variety of administrative tasks, including travel arrangements, expense reports, event planning, and coordination
• Schedule and handle logistics for Board meetings; prepare and distribute presentation materials; maintain Board roster
• Provide operations support to the ED as required
• Provide administrative support for special projects as needed

Meeting and Event Preparation:

• Assist the ED in preparing for meetings by proactively working with team members to prepare agendas, create presentations, assemble documents, and plan travel
• Participate in planning and execution of donor cultivation, fundraising, and Certified Educator events.
• Support the ED with speaking engagements and media requests

Human Resources:

• Assist the ED in executing administrative HR function
• Facilitate new employee onboarding processes

Financial Support:

• Contribute to budget management by tracking expenses, processing invoices, and assisting in the preparation of financial reports to support decision-making
• Work with the Program Director in managing post-award grant administration, including financial reporting, compliance, billing, and grant support activities

Collaboration and Communication:

• Represent the ED with poised, discreet, and professional verbal and written communication, both internally and externally
• Act as a thought partner and support the ED in building a high-performing and collaborative organizational culture
• Collaborate and communicate with HMI’s directors to ensure projects are delivered on time and within budget
• Conduct research and compile data to support executive decision-making

Special Projects:

• Undertake special projects as requested that contribute to HMI’s ongoing strategy and development efforts

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree and 3-5+ years of experience supporting C-level executives in an executive assistant or similar role
• Experience in non-profit human resources, finance, and grants administration is desirable
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills; strong research and analytical skills
• Exceptional organizational skills and the ability to maintain a realistic balance among multiple priorities with excellent attention to detail
• Resourceful, creative, and able to exercise sound judgment and problem-solving in diverse situations
• Outstanding interpersonal and collaboration skills; adept at building strong, lasting relationships
• Interest and creativity in building team culture and fostering a positive and productive work environment
• Highly adaptable with the ability to multitask and juggle multiple demands while demonstrating flexibility and resilience
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment
• Experience with executive-level calendar management; strong computer skills and proficiency with Google Workspace, Microsoft Office, Project Management software, and QuickBooks
• Ability to work independently as well as collaboratively as part of a small and dedicated team
• Interest in learning and growing at a non-profit; willing to take on ambitious special projects
• Ability to travel occasionally for work on weekdays or weekends
• Passion for HMI’s mission and values

What We Offer:

• $55,000-$65,000 salary (if full-time)
• $450/month stipend toward group healthcare plan
• Voluntary Benefits (Supplemental Life, Dental, Vision, Short Term Disability, and Long-Term Disability, etc.)
• 403(b) savings program
• Generous time off program includes 16 days of holidays plus 12 hours/month sick leave and vacation
• Other great benefits (Healthcare Flexible Spending Account and flex-time

How to Apply:

If you are interested in applying for this position, please send a cover letter and resume via email to support@holisticmanagement.org by August 15, 2024. This position will remain open until filled.

The post We’re Hiring! Seeking Executive Assistant appeared first on Holistic Management International.

Liz and Jimmie Riffle own and manage Riffle Farms, a bison farm in Terra Alta, West Virginia. They were the first commercial bison farm in West Virginia and they were the first certified for field harvesting as well. They began with seven bison in 2017. Jimmie was raised in this region and wanted to return home to raise a family after he met Liz in the U.S. Navy Nurse Corps where they have both served as nurses.

Liz notes that she became a nurse because she is passionate about health. “You get what you put into your body,” she says. “I come from a background in horses and rode competitively. I love being in a farm environment. I knew I wanted to go back to that type of space. I left the Navy to start a family and became very picky about what we put in our mouths. I read the book Eating Animals by Jonathan Safron Foer and learned about the slaughter process in the U.S. I was horrified. I’m an animal lover and I can’t believe this is what we do.

So, I started sourcing my meat from local farmers. I realized what a wonderful community I’d stepped into and that a lot of people want humanely harvested meat.” With some additional research about the pros and cons of bison after a trip to the West, Liz and Jimmie decided that bison was the right animal for them on their 64-acre woody, hilly farm. Given that this area was once home bison and that these animals could be field harvested, the decision made sense to Liz and Jimmie as they started on their regenerative agriculture journey.

The Bison Advantage

The Riffles were clear that field harvesting was a key component of their production system. They didn’t want the animals to have to get on a trailer and be stressed by the loading and transport. Because bison are considered a “non-amenable” species (exotic/wild) by the USDA, they can be field harvested, but you have to register with the state and use an inspector.

“We worked with the state of West Virginia for three years to get registered to field harvest a bison,” says Liz. “We typically put an animal down in the calm of morning, we have a licensed sharpshooter take the shot and there has to be a State inspector present. Once the animal is shot, they are stuck with a knife and we use a tractor and chains to drain the blood. The animal is placed on a flatbed and sent to the processor. The animal will be eviscerated at the processing facility and the organs will then be inspected.”

Another key component of their production system is being able to run the animals as a single herd and reduce management time with good livestock handling skills. Liz acknowledges it took some time to learn how to handle the bison. “A big piece of handling bison is you have to do it in a relaxed calm manner and not get excited. It’s like with kids; you have to make them feel like anything you want them to do is their idea. We want to pull an animal into a space instead of pushing them in. We work them once a year to tag the calves and sometimes we have used a de-wormer, but we mostly got away from that.

“We let animals move at their own pace. To get them back into a space if they’ve gotten out, we use grain as a lure. They are very herd bound so once we get one moving the rest will follow. In the past 18 months we have done less luring with grain and just waited it out. The one that got out will start looking for the gate and want to get to the rest of the herd. It may take 10 minutes to 2 hours for that to happen.”

Liz likes that bison are more efficient on grass and are a lean meat, thus working well in their grass-based system and their discerning customer base. The Riffles have tried to get genetics that are more similar to the Woods Bison, which stand a little bit taller and who might have been native to West Virginia. “We have both kinds on the 64 acres we currently manage,” says Liz. “Bison’s instincts are still intact in terms of behaving like a herd. Our pastures are 2-11 acres and we use high tensile wire that is five feet high with five strands, two of which that are hot. There is no fencing that will keep bison in if they want out, so you have to keep them happy.” Keeping them happy and being more profitable means growing more grass, and learning about Holistic Management helped the Riffles improve their grazing management and increase their carrying capacity.

A Holistic Lens

As the Riffles were developing their production system, they continued to keep a regenerative focus. However, much of the resources they were introduced to with federal and state agencies, were still responding to their questions through an industrial agricultural lens. For example, when the Riffles talked about their excess of multiflora rose, they were told to spray it. Or, when they asked about ways to improve profitability of their bison enterprise, they were told to feed grain. So, Liz started to dive into the regenerative agriculture literature and heard about Holistic Management from other bison producers. She also read Wild Like Flowers by Daniel Griffith of the Robinia Institute in Wingina, Virginia.

In the fall of 2021 Liz decided to get some Holistic Management training from Daniel and took a virtual course all winter long as well as attending a follow-up two-day training intensive he offered. “It was really great to talk to him,” says Liz. “I found that I wasn’t actually a ‘crazy bison lady’ and the idea of regenerative agriculture wasn’t just some rainbow fantasy, holistically managing a farm is a reasonable method— so I dove head first!

“One of the big insights for me was understanding why we had bare soil. We had been doing some bale grazing, but now I understood why the bare soil was there and the complexity of Nature. Nursing is very linear thinking. Holistic Management helped me think about the space I was managing and what I’m doing with my soils from a cyclical perspective. It helped me look at how I could use different tools to deal with multiple issues. Right now, we have 40 bison on 64 acres. I have a process now that helps me think about how all those pieces work together. Holistic Management has also given me a better financial lens. If I can grow enough grass with enough nutritional value, I won’ need to feed the bison hay. Or, if I can even only buy half the hay I’m buying now that would be huge!

“Holistic Management has also affected our quality of life. We now focus on the idea of ‘less is more.’ The farm planning was really important because we looked at how to move the animals in a way that would reduce the number of people needed. We also looked at how we needed to improve our water sources to help us with grazing rotations. Now it only takes one person to open the gate to move the animals. In the past it would have taken two or three people to move them across roads, etc. We really had to plan, but now our farm manager can do it within five minutes and get on to other things.

“What I liked about the Holistic Management Financial Planning was to think about the profit first. If you don’t determine that number, there are always lots of expenses that can reduce your profit. That process made me think about farm expenses differently and to prioritize. We changed how we looked at expenses to consider was this really the best thing to spend money on for this year.

“We’ve made a lot of changes in the past couple of years. Our rotation is not just based on the recovery or grazing time. We are looking at soils and grasses now and I like the perspective of looking at the various issues of grazing and animal impact, and to think about why you are moving them to the next pasture. The planned grazing made a lot more sense than the prescriptive way that is the industry standard. I’ve seen our grasses grow back more than what it was before we put the bison on the land. Now it is up to our hips, and in the majority of the paddocks the grasses are seeding out at shoulder height. As soon as I put the bison back where the multiflora rose was heaviest, they were trampling and browsing it. It used to be that 25% of our land had multiflora rose and now it is almost gone. We’ve also been bale grazing in the winter from November through March or April to help certain areas that need more impact.

“Right now, we have 52 grazing acres and we are about to get another 10 acres into production. Half of our grazing space is silvopasture with native plants. We’ve been doing some selective cutting back of the woods to open up the canopy so that a third of those areas grows grass. We keep the black locust trees because they have great protein content. The forest is mixed hard woods with maple and black walnut.

“Currently we are carrying 40 animals with most of the bison weighing 1,000 pounds (454 kg), with a couple of the bulls weighing 2,000 pounds (908 kg). Our next goal is to run 60 animals, a third more than our current carrying capacity, and we think we will be able to do that with a little less hay. We think 60 animals will be our limit on the current property. We run one herd and the bison do really well with herd dynamics. We have a lot of cool season grasses which grow very quickly, but we try to give them at least 14-25 days of recovery. We only have two warm season grasses and we are working on that by selectively seeding via low input broadcasting. We have experimented with seeding crabgrass and millet. Our average rainfall is 50 inches (1,016 mm) and we do get snow.

“The holistic context helped us to piece together what we wanted out of our space, our animals, our business and really focused us on grass-finished bison. We do not supplement the animals. If an animal is not doing well in our space, then we harvest it early.”

Increasing Profitability

Liz also started running a business called the Honest Carnivore in 2019, which is a meat collective where people can buy a ticket to come to the farm and partake in a field harvest and learn how to cut up a quarter of the animal. “A small bison or an animal not doing well is a great candidate for an exploratory class like what we offer at the Honest Carnivore,” says Liz. “More folks are out to see what is happening on the farm. We’ve also done pig and poultry classes. We don’t raise other animals; I collaborate with local farmers to get those other animals for the classes.” Three-day classes can run $650-750 while a smaller class might only cost $25.

The Riffles sell quarter animals as well as individual cuts in four farmer’s markets in Maryland, West Virginia, and Virginia. They have found their value-added products to be explosively popular and profitable. They recently put in a farm store that is open twice a week, Saturdays and Sundays. Their value-added items include bison chili, hot dogs, and meatballs. Liz rents a commercial kitchen to make these products and has been able to turn $15/pound ground bison into $35-90 /pound with her value-added products. This increased profitability has also made the Riffles eager to put in their own commercial kitchen and that is a key focus this year. “Value-added products are really our ticket to being able to raise this amount of animals regeneratively and profitably,” says Liz. “We are only going to have so much meat to sell and prepared foods make that meat go farther.” The Riffles also donate the bones to a local zoo, make pet treats, and utilize the skulls as camping signs. Hides are expensive to process and they have not really been able to tap into that market yet.

The Riffles do a variety of events and Liz really loves this outreach and educational side of the business. “I love to have the customers come up to the farm and learn about all the things you can do with the land and animals,” says Liz. The Riffles also offer camping, farm to table dinners, tastings, and school tours.

Liz wants to focus on buying less hay and getting their commercial kitchen this year. The Riffles worked with Steward, a regenerative agriculture financing platform, to get funding for their expansion. “We had trouble getting a loan for the commercial kitchen because we raising bison is a very nontraditional business, even for farm lenders,” says Liz. “Steward was a good option for us because people can invest in creative farm ideas.” In 2022 they received a $100,000 loan for five years at 8% APR when they couldn’t get that loan from a commercial bank.

Liz would love to see the farm become more of an event space. “We do a couple of farm to table dinners as well as tours and bison testing events,” says Liz. “We host six farm tours a year, but we would like to do it every weekend. I love the educational aspects. I also get lots of questions from farmers. They have asked about how to market their animals and if having a small herd can really be profitable, I tell them it sure can be!

“Any farmer can make a profit, but you have to set it up right. I am no longer an active Registered Nurse, I am able to be a full-time farmer because we are making a profit. We also pay our farm manager a full-time wage with benefits.” It is results like these that the Riffles have seen over the years since learning about Holistic Management that has made them glad of their investment in training. They are eager to continue learning and growing their business and their network as they expand the idea of what it means to be a profitable bison producer in West Virginia.

Liz Riffle has joined HMI’s Educator Training Program to be able to build her skills as a Holistic Management Consultant. HMI is currently offering our Online Holistic Marketing & Business Planning Course to help other producers improve their profitability like Liz.

The post Holistic Business Planning Helps Make West Virginia Regenerative Bison Operation Profitable appeared first on Holistic Management International.

When I caught up with Bre Owens, HMI’s Board Chair and Director of Western Programs for the National Grazing Lands Coalition, I was glad to have the chance to hear her positive outlook on how individual citizens (especially producers) can direct and make changes to agricultural policies, including such behemoths as the American Farm Bill.

“There is so much funding coming down from various sources” says Bre. “But, there are a lot of people beginning to question are we really spending this money wisely and helping to support the stewardship and communities to create the outcomes we want?

               “I’m excited about some of the producer-led conversations I’ve been involved in as well as the bigger professionally-facilitated conversations. People are asking big questions about what is the actual needs of the producers, and are we meeting those needs? More specifically, are we really addressing the enabling conditions for the producers to really be successful?

“I’m using a framework that I’ve learned from my fellow HMI Board member, Jared Talley, which has a lot of overlap with Holistic Management. Most programs are focused on solving a problem with the assumption that everyone is defining the problem the same way. But that’s not true. If we want to create common ground, we must start with common language, and we have to take time to first describe the situation (or the context). These are the underlying facts.

               “From there we can explore the problem from the perspective (and values) of the different stakeholders. Some people might see something as a problem, but other people might not. Each group might define the problem differently. We’ve got to take time to have these types of conversations if we are going to address the problem collaboratively. By working on these steps, we can create that common ground based on a common language and shared understanding of the situation and each partners values.

“Once we have that common language and shared understanding then we are much better prepared to develop ideas that are the solution to the commonly defined problem. We also have laid the groundwork for these different groups to be clear what they can offer for support or advancement of that solution and be heard as a collective voice. We, the group, can respond more quickly and take action more effectively as bills change or there is opportunity for comments on programs.

“Because we use Holistic Management as a decision-making process for HMI’s Board, I’ve really learned from our work and from fellow board members, like Brian Wehlburg (HMI board member and Certified Educator from Australia), how values drive our decisions on a daily basis.

“Unfortunately, people just want to come into a room and talk solutions before we have identified the situation and collectively defined the problems. They typically just want to throw money/funding at it, as that’s something easy to agree on without a shared understanding. I love that there are groups where we are trying to get the right people in the room to have these kinds of conversations and so we are also getting the right people in the room to understand what producers are dealing with.

“Bill Milton (a long-time Holistic Management practitioner) has been hosting some conversations around the Farm Bill. He’s bringing together Montana partners as well as critical players outside of Montana on Zoom calls. These are producers, producer advocates, conservation advocates, and policy folks. In this way producers explain what they need and want and policy folks talk about how policy delivers funding so they both learn about need and opportunity. The hope for this group is by having those folks on the same call then we can get to some shared and truly viable recommendations with real stewardship implications to offer to the Agriculture Committee members who influence the Farm Bill.

“I’ve talked with my colleagues at the National Grazing Lands Coalition about how this type of work is a lot like good land management. We don’t always see the outcome of our grazing management or stewardship on a seasonal or annual basis. But then we get these years where there is the right temperature or the weather is just right and then we see how the land is in better shape and able to respond more fully to those influences. So, we have to be patient, even if we don’t see the outcomes all the time.

“I feel so lucky to work all over the West in these communities. Through this work I have a better understanding of what producers need and want. I have been influenced by their stories and that understanding is the only way I can be effective at my job at a national level. I also believe that having my own operation and having family that raises cattle has also allowed me to better understand producer values and understand what these folks are dealing with on a day-to-day basis.

“When we work in this NGO (non-profit) space we can get our heads down and we can lose sight of the people we are really in service to. Conversations take time and really understanding takes time, but it’s absolutely critical.

“I’ve found this to be true on the HMI Board as well. We really work to get to root cause and recognize motivation and values. Brian Wehlburg leads us through our decision testing and that is so powerful for the conversations. We all come in with different backgrounds, knowledge and values. The Holistic Management framework and process creates this safe process to talk through what is really important for the organization and lets us get beyond our personal histories.

“As I look at these issues of need and funding, I keep looking at the financial mechanisms and what is truly sustainable for producers and the communities we are a part of. I think we all need to be questioning our assumptions that all income is good income. We, as producers need to look not only at diversification of various products and markets, but also the numerous programs out there (Federal, state, NGO, etc.) that are available to us. We need to consider both the short and long-term implications of revenue sources and implications for individual operations, along with the effect on ranching communities and landscapes. For example, some of the funding programs currently available, influence ROI in different ways for family operations and absentee ownership operations (large agribusiness). We need to consider how these different programs are impacting land and resource speculation, and community engagement.  Are those outcomes we feel good about?

“Ultimately, we need to come back to the question: “What are the enabling conditions we need to address if we really want to support stewardship and rural communities? Is it more money or more skillfully developed and delivered programs to create the desired outcomes. I definitely believe these programs could be developed differently and create better outcomes, but we have to fix the delivery and that starts with taking time to develop shared understanding with the right people at the table recognizing the full picture and speaking a common language about producers’ needs.”

The post Renovating Working Lands Conservation Programs to Create the Desired Outcomes appeared first on Holistic Management International.