by Kathy Harris and Carrie Stearns
All jobs have their share of stress but the very people who we depend on three times every day are feeling the pressure more than anyone. In fact, farmers have one of the highest suicide rates of any profession.
Meanwhile, in the USA alone we lose nearly 40 acres of farmland every hour to development, never to be restored again. That's not just loss of fertile land, but also of the culture that helped this country thrive a century ago, and which helps to sustain us today.
Some of the challenges farmers face today include:
MONEY - rising costs of inputs, fluctuating prices, fickle consumer demand, animal illness
LAND - degradation, droughts and floods, poor soil, inherent risk from naturals disasters such as drought, flooding, and wildfires
QUALITY OF LIFE - long hours of physical labor, work-related injuries and illnesses related to chemical fertilizer and herbicide/pesticide use, little or no vacation time, lack of consensus between family members, rural isolation in lower-economy communities
Holistic Management works to address these issues, offering both HOPE for farmers and real, time-proven SOLUTIONS. Holistic Management practitioners:
Learn how to make and monitor decisions that address the root cause of an issue and focus in on weak links
Gain a new perspective and evaluate enterprises for the best ROI
Learn how to work with nature to improve the soil and optimize use of rainfall
Become better animal stewards and improve the health of their livestock and surrounding wildlife
Grow healthier, nutritious and in-demand food
Help build productive and more prosperous communities
Learn how to better communicate and build consensus with family and team members while making the best use of time, energy and other precious resources
HMI has more than 30 years of experience teaching farmers and ranchers how to holistically manage their families and finances while regenerating their land. Principles and practices provide short-term solutions and long-term success. We offer:
Place-based courses and online courses that can be accessed from anywhere
Homework that works for the individual - students create specific financial, land, cropping, grazing and marketing plans for their own operations and are provided the tools to start implementing plans immediately
Scholarships, payment plans and 100% money back guarantee
One-on-one feedback and post-class support to implement effective practices
A worldwide network of Holistic Management Certified Educators with a diverse set of skills to address all types of farming and ranching, small scale to large scale, experienced and beginning
Here is a list of our current courses:
Introduction to Holistic Management® Whole Farm/Ranch Planning January 17 – February 21, 2018
Holistic Land Planning January 16 – February 20, 2018
Holistic Financial Planning(FSA Approved in various USA states) January 18 – February 22, 2018
Holistic Cropping Planning January 18 – February 22, 2018
Beginning Farmers Training – New York 2018 January 24 – May 16, 2018
Beginning Farmers Training – California 2018 February 2 – March 24, 2018
If you aren't a farmer or rancher but care about the future of agriculture, will you consider making a donation to HMI? You can sponsor a farmer or rancher with a scholarship or give to various areas that mean the most to you.