... most of these lands, desert lands, were capped, bare soil... and what we're trying to do, as seasons pass by, is cover more soil: cover more soil with vegetation, dung, urine, grass ... whatever material we can find to cover the soil with vegetation. One of the best reclamation tools we have found are the hooves and the mouths of our domestic animals. We use them in order to improve these basic ecological processes that we are managing: water cycle, mineral cycle, energy flow... and the dynamics of our soils, our plants...

–Ivan Aguirre, Rancher,
Sonora, Mexico

 

 

... one thing that is surprising to me is that I found native species of plants that normally tend to be in riparian areas (near water) – arroyos, or wet areas ... these plants were found throughout the land.

–Alfonso Gomez Lopez, MS Forestry
Sonora, Mexico

 

 

...the changes have been quite dramatic... from seeing almost completely bare land, practically naked, to seeing land that has been almost covered, almost to its' totality, that didn't have any ground cover before, and now it's covered almost completely.
If we put this into numbers, we're talking about going from 5-10% ground cover to 80-85% ground cover.

–Leopoldo Villamuel Sahagun,
MA Rand Land Management,
Sonora, Mexico

 

Current Courses and Workshops

Offered independently by
HMI Certified Educators

For additional information, course listings, schedules and locations
call (505)-842-5252 or email: hmi@holisticmanagement.org.

Introductory courses

For people new to Holistic Management or those who want to improve the health of their land and increase profits, we recommend these introductory courses as the first step. These courses and others are also a requirement for anyone considering becoming a Certified Educator.

NOTE: If you would like to have these courses count as college credit through Adams State College, please contact Ann Adams at anna@holisticmanagement.org to learn more about that opportunity. Additional work is required and additional fees will be incurred for that option.

We are offering the following short courses:

February: Holistic Management Comprehensive Training

February 15 - 20, 2010
Pueblo Colorado Community College
Contact: Kirk Gadzia kgadzia@msn.com

Join HMI Certified Educator Kirk Gadzia who will present the entire selection of Holistic Management modules including Introduction to Holistic Management, Holistic Financial Planning, Holistic Grazing Planning, and Holistic Land Planning.

 

Introduction to Holistic Management: Whole Farm / Ranch Planning
You will learn:

• Key insights to help you work with Nature
• Management and decision-making skills to enhance productivity
• How to hone in on your unfair advantage as a producer
• New ways to motivate your work force
• Effective time management and team building practices

 

Holistic Financial Planning
You will learn:

• Effective ways to increase profit and decrease expenses
• A method to determine which enterprises will yield the greatest return
• Proven methods to effectively plan and pay for infrastructure
• New ways to motivate your work force to increase profit
• How to build your herd / flock strategically and profitably

 

Holistic Grazing Planning
You will learn:

• Innovative grazing planning techniques for maximizing stocking rate and improving land health
• Practical management guidelines for increasing land productivity
• A new perspective on overgrazing and over-rest and their effects on your land

 

Holistic Land Health Monitoring
You will learn:

• Simple and effective biological monitoring techniques
• New approaches to gaining support from environmental groups and government agencies
• New ways to work with Nature (including wildlife) to create the results you need and want

 

Holistic Facility Planning for Profit
You will learn:

• How to invest in fencing, water, corrals, and other infrastructure so it pays for itself
• How to improve your land management through strategic planning
• Ways to develop your land with future generations in mind