In conjunction with the 2021 REGENERATE Conference!
Just look at the results Holistic Management® Practitioner Shawn Howard was able to achieve on his land in Angel Fire, NM at Lazy M Ranch!
Date: Sept 24, 2021
Time: 9:00am – 4:00pm MST
Place: Angel Fire Community Center (15 CS Ranch Rd, Angel Fire, NM 87710) then carpooling to Lazy M Ranch
Registration Deadline: Sept 23, 2021
Cost: $50 (includes locally-sourced lunch!)
Join us at the Lazy M Ranch Field Day and together we will:
- learn how Holistic Grazing Planning can increase production while creating healthy soils
- hear from local ranchers experimenting with alternative rangeland management practices
- discover regional organizations working to fund soil health initiatives and bring locally-sourced beef to Taos public schools, and restore wildlife habitat
- calculate forage availability, grazing, and recovery periods with Holistic Management International Education Director, Dr. Ann Adams, and tour Lazy M Ranch while exploring monitoring and infrastructure methods for success
- enjoy a locally-sourced lunch from the Farmhouse Cafe in Taos, NM
About the Ranch
In 2013 Shawn Howard was ready for a change. He had worked in the construction industry for 17 years, but when the construction company he had been working for left town, he needed a project—and this was the beginning of his 230–acre ranch in nearby Angel Fire, New Mexico. His ultimate goal was to watch things grow back after the ground had been hammered by cattle, elk, and prairie dogs and land that had been partially developed for a failed sub-division. During the first six years of this regenerative agriculture experiment, Shawn was able to see some great forage production improvement that makes him continue to explore how he can improve ecosystem function on the Lazy M Ranch. In 2016, Shawn reached out to HMI for help in developing a grazing strategy for the 2016 growing season with a long-term focus on:
- Regenerating bare ground and the perennial creek
- Bringing back the native grasses
- Increasing the productivity of the land
Shawn is committed to experimenting with regenerative techniques and learning what works and what doesn’t in his arid environment.
Check out this Case Study featuring Lazy M Ranch and Shawn Howard’s restoration work!
Agenda
| 8:30am | Registration opens at the Angel Fire Community Center, 15 CS Ranch Rd, Angel Fire, NM 87710 |
| 9:00am | Welcome, housekeeping, COVID protocol, introduction to HMI and the day’s agenda – Dr. Ann Adams |
| 9:10am | The Lazy M Ranch story – Shawn Howard |
| 9:30am | Practitioner Panel – Shawn Howard, Robert Martinez, Pat Pacheco |
| 10:00am | Introduction to Holistic Grazing Planning for Healthy Soils & Productive Land – Ann Adams, Shawn Howard -Learn how to determine Livestock Inventory AD Needed – EZ Grazing Plan Worksheet -Forage Inventory ADA – STAC Worksheet -Grazing & Recovery Periods – EZ Grazing Plan Worksheet |
| 11:00am | Tyler Eschelman – NM CEWL – Grant-Funded Opportunities for Soil Health |
| 11:15am | Amy Erikson – Audubon Birds & Bird Friendly Beef |
| 11:30am | Direct Marketing & Beef Cooperative – Micah Roseberry & Robert Martinez |
| 12:00pm | Lunch (catered by Farm House Cafe) |
| 12:30pm | Drive to Lazy M Ranch ( across from Angel Fire RV Resort- 27500 US-64, Angel Fire, NM 87710, mile marker 275, North side of road). Look for HMI Sign |
| 1:00pm | Field tour: Management Results at Lazy M Ranch – Interactive Learning & Discussions Ann Adams with Shawn Howard will lead a field tour (sub-irrigated areas and dryland areas) and interactive land study discussion, engaging participants covering the following topics: -Applying the Tool of Grazing to Your Ranch: timing and recovery (in the field) -Forage Inventory -Evaluating ecosystem processes function for resilience (Bullseye monitoring & bunch grass monitoring) -Fencing/Water/Infrastructure -Daily Monitoring |
| 3:15pm | Margaret Gigante, NRCS Conservationist – Soil Survey and Ecological Site Descriptions & EQIP Funds |
| 3:45pm | Q&A and Evaluations |
| 4:00pm | Adjourn |
Registration
$50, includes lunch
Financial Assistance Available! (If you are in need of financial assistance please send us an email as we have received some funding to support registration for this event. Cost should not be a barrier to attend! Email Marie for more information: [email protected])
COVID-19 Policy:
Of note, the format and/or requirements for event attendance may change in light of shifting CDC and state public health guidelines. HMI will make every effort to communicate these changes in a timely fashion.
Please watch this video to see how to register for this event.
Presenters
Shawn Howard – Lazy M Ranch – Owner/Operator
In 2013 Shawn Howard was ready for a change. He had worked in the construction industry for 17 years, but when the construction company he had been working for left town, he bought a local coffee shop, Elevation, in Taos, New Mexico that was for sale. But as a man who likes to work with his hands, he also needed a bigger project—a 230–acre ranch in nearby Angel Fire, New Mexico. During the first six years of this regenerative agriculture experiment, Shawn has seen some great forage production improvement that makes him continue to explore how he can improve ecosystem function on the Lazy M Ranch.
Dr. Ann Adams – HMI – Education Director & Certified Educator
As Education Director for HMI, Ann Adams has designed and implemented training programs for both trainers and practitioners. She regularly teaches classes (onsite and distance learning) and offers consulting services in Holistic Management for family farms and ranches with a particular focus on goal setting facilitation and financial planning and small acreage grazing. Trained as a mediator for the Albuquerque Metropolitan Court System, Ann also has experience with other conflict resolution processes that she brings to her facilitation. She has also been a Certified Educator for Holistic Management International since 1998 and has written countless articles, helped develop agriculture-based software for financial and grazing planning, and written a training handbook, At Home with Holistic Management: Creating a Life of Meaning, published in 1999. She owns a small farm in the Manzano Mountains, southeast of Albuquerque, New Mexico where she raises goats and chickens.
Micah Roseberry – Ranching in Schools Program & FarmHouse Cafe Owner
Since 2013, Micah and the Farmhouse staff have worked with local and regional farmers, ranchers, and producers to not only create organic, non-GMO, healthy-for-you cuisine but also to strengthen the local food network and promote food security through collaborative partnerships. Farmhouse Café currently works with over 20 local suppliers, making the restaurant a shining example of what sustainable business can and should look like. Farmhouse owner Micah Roseberry has over 30 years of experience in organic, sustainable, and biodynamic agriculture and 20 years of experience in Waldorf education. She has also worked for the last fifteen years in farming and agricultural education projects in the local Taos area, including planting gardens and designing and teaching school curriculum for elementary through university students.
Margaret Gigante – NRCS – Soil Conservationist
Robert Martinez – Rancher
After watching videos, reading, attending soil health academy field day, Robert became sold with regenerative agriculture, the goals, and the practice. Some of what he has done includes no-till cover cropping and some experimental half-acre areas. Reading Gabe Brown’s book inspired him to do some small-scale trials. He applied for a Healthy Soils Grant and then planted 35 acres of cover crop but doesn’t see any of it coming up yet. He is curious what the issue is and although he says “he doesn’t bring any success stories to the table” he is motivated to keep experimenting to find out what works for his land and for the land in the Taos region. For him, it’s about monitoring and adapting to try new things to figure out what does work for his land and his goals. He is looking to introduce different cover crop species next year to see what works best! [email protected]
Amy Erickson, Avian Biologist, Audubon Southwest
Amy Erickson spent her childhood playing in the prairies and wooded streams of southeast Kansas, where her parents fostered in her a great appreciation of the natural world. Her love of wildlife led her to Kansas State University, where she received a Bachelor’s degree in Wildlife Biology and a Master’s degree in Avian Ecology. Amy is the Avian Biologist for Audubon Southwest, where she works with private landowners to create better bird habitat on working lands. Amy is particularly interested in understanding how birds interact with their environment, and how making small changes to land management practices can have a positive impact on wildlife.
Thank You to our Funders and Sponsors
Learn more about our REGENERATE Conference here.
Adelene is a resident of Arkansas and loves exploring the state’s natural trails. Her passion for education and technology led her to earn a master’s in learning systems technology from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. With her professional experience managing student/client databases and instructional design, Adelene will bring skill and understanding to her role as Office Manager & Instructional Designer at HMI. Her focus on making education more accessible to diverse communities is evident through her volunteer work as an board member for a scholarship program. Adelene is devoted to creating educational opportunities that align with HMI’s mission to promote healthy, resilient lands and thriving communities.
Seth Wilner has been a Holistic Management International Certified Educator since 2005. For 22 years he has worked as an agent educator with University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension where he specializes in farm business management with an emphasis on whole farm planning.
Dana was first introduced to Holistic Management in the 1990s while working in the Texas Hill Country. She strongly believes that Holistic Management can positively impact families that are on the land, the communities they are a part of, and larger landscape resource regeneration efforts.
Sarah Robertson grew up in Taos, New Mexico and has always been passionate about land stewardship, growing things, and nurturing others. After completing a BA in Communication from the University of New Mexico and working with local non-profits, she started her journey as a first-generation farmer. Since 2015, she has been learning and growing alongside her husband on various leased properties in Albuquerque, NM and running a small market farm with goats, chickens, and a CSA. In her role as Programs Assistant at HMI, Sarah brings her enthusiasm for regenerative agriculture, devotion to supporting others, and drive for lifelong learning and growing.
Jozua Lambrecht is from South Africa and divides his time between their home in Somerset West and their family farm in Sutherland, one of the coldest places in South Africa, where they farm with sheep. He is married to his wife Therese and they have two daughters.
Alejandro Carrillo is a fourth-generation rancher, and he is quite familiar with the challenges of running a profitable cattle ranch in the Chihuahuan desert. Because annual precipitation seldom exceeds nine inches, every drop counts when it comes to growing more grasses. Grazing year-round with only sea salt as an input, he is not willing to waste any water in such a brittle environment.
Jared L Talley was born and raised in Southwestern Idaho and now seeks to help rural communities adapt and thrive in a rapidly changing world. He is an Assistant Professor in the School of Public Service at Boise State University, earning his PhD in Philosophy from Michigan State University and his MPA in Environmental Policy and Natural Resource Management from Boise State University. An environmental philosopher by training and an interdisciplinary scholar in practice, he seeks to better understand how communities relate to the land and how this relationship poses obstacles and opportunities for collaboration and governance. In doing so, he studies the role of science in collaborative policy, the role of place in environmental identity, and the role of the imagination in mediating both. Specifically, he studies grazing management and public land permitting, community-led conservation programs, rural education and entrepreneurship, place-based environmental governance, and the imaginative experience of our natural and built environments — all in the contexts of the intermountain American West.
