Holistic Management International is excited to announce the addition of four new members to our Advisory Council. The Advisory Council serves HMI as strategic thought leaders, and are comprised of members who are collaborators and catalysts for action representing their specific knowledge area and network. They serve as ambassadors and advocates for HMI as they engage in their professional activities. The new council members are: Alisa Gravitz, Greg Judy, William Burnidge, and Allen Williams. Read more about the other Advisory Council members at: https://holisticmanagement.org/about-hmi/. We are grateful to our Advisory Council members for the expertise they bring to HMI.
Alisa Gravitz
For nearly 35 years, Alisa Gravitz has led Green America, the national green economy organization. Green America develops marketplace solutions to social and environmental problems with a key focus on climate, sustainable agriculture, fair trade and responsible finance.
Green America operates the nation’s largest green business and consumer networks. Ms. Gravitz is a leading expert on how families and businesses can “go green,” saving money and resources. She is also a nationally recognized leader in the social investment industry. She authored Green America’s acclaimed Guide to Social Investing, with over a million copies in print and the popular Guide to Community Investing.
As part of Green America's Center for Sustainability Solutions, which focuses on transforming supply chains, she also co-chairs innovation networks on carbon farming, sustainable agriculture and clean electronics.
Ms. Gravitz’s board service includes Ceres, Positive Future Network, Network for Good, Non-GMO Project and Underdog Foundation. She earned her MBA from Harvard University and her BA in economics and environmental sciences from Brandeis University. Green America is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
Greg Judy
Greg Judy and his wife, Jan, run a grazing operation on 1620 acres of leased and owned land in Missouri. They use Holistic High Density Planned Grazing to graze cows, cow/calf pairs, bred heifers, horses, sheep, pigs, and stockers. They direct market grass-fed beef, lamb and pork. Greg wrote NO RISK RANCHING, Custom Grazing On Leased Land” in 2001.In 2008 Greg wrote a second book COMEBACK FARMS, Rejuvenating Soils, Pastures and Profits with Livestock Grazing Management. Greg has given numerous talks and schools all over the United States on the benefits of Holistic High Density Planned Grazing, leasing land, multi-species grazing, custom grazing and wildlife management. The Judys hold Holistic High Density Grazing Schools at their farms teaching the principles of HHDG. Greg quit his off farm job in 2009 and is now a full-time rancher and consultant.
William Burnidge
William Burnidge is an integral leader in both The Nature Conservancy’s Colorado state program and North America Agriculture program. As the Sustainable Grazing Lands Program Director for Colorado, his work involves building and testing tools to improve conservation, business and quality of life conditions on commercial cattle ranches. William also strives to define and improve incentives that advance sustainable practices. Integral to his job, William collaborates with NGO, agency and beef value chain partners to share and support proven tools and approaches that advance sustainable grazing goals.
Among his many career accomplishments, William’s successful 10-year management of the Conservancy’s 14,000-acre Fox Ranch as both a nature preserve and a commercial ranching operation has positioned him as a well-respected and sought-after expert on the integrated management of grazing lands.
In 2017, William – in addition to his Colorado program work – began working as a Sustainable Grazing Lands Coda Fellow for the North American Agriculture Program. He is providing much-need insight and technical guidance to promote the use of conservation planning among key players in the beef supply chain to achieve significant environmental, social and economic benefits.
Since joining the Conservancy in 2005, William’s list of accomplishments include advancing the sustainable use of the Ogallala Aquifer in Colorado, protecting vital lands in northeast Colorado with conservation easements, and helping shape renewable energy strategies for the Colorado state program and the North America region. He also managed the Conservancy’s relationship with the Colorado State Land Board, providing technical guidance for its energy development programs, support for management of its large ranch assets, and input to its stewardship programs and policies.
Prior to joining the Conservancy in Colorado in 2005, William worked in consulting and with the U.S. Business Council for Sustainable Development to advance large corporate sustainable development projects.
He earned his MBA and MS in Environmental Policy at the University of Michigan and his BS in Wildlife Management and Biology at the University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point. Outside of work, William enjoys life in Colorado with his lovely wife and two delightful daughters.
Allen Williams
Allen Williams is a 6 generation family farmer and founding partner of Grass Fed Insights, Standard Soil, Soil Health Consultants and Soil Health Academy. He is also a partner in Joyce Farms, Inc. He has consulted with more than 4200 farmers and ranchers in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and South America on operations ranging from a few acres to over 1 million acres. Allen pioneered many of the early adaptive grazing protocols and forage finishing techniques and has spent the last 15 years refining those. He is a “recovering academic”, having served 15 years on the faculty at Louisiana Tech University and Mississippi State University. He holds a B.S. and M.S. in Animal Science from Clemson University and a Ph.D. in Livestock Genetics from Louisiana State University. He has authored more than 400 scientific and popular press articles, and is an invited speaker at regional, national, and international conferences and symposia. Major areas of research and business focus include soil health, cover crop/livestock integration, adaptive forage & grazing management, high attribute pasture-based meat production, and alternative marketing systems.
Allen and his colleagues specialize in whole farm and ranch planning based on the concept of regenerative agriculture. Their approach creates significant “value add” and prepares the landowner for multiple enterprise/revenue stream opportunities that stack enterprises and acres. This approach allows for enhanced profitability and/or investment value. They routinely conduct workshops and seminars across North America.
He is featured in several of the Carbon Nation film series, “Soil Carbon Cowboys” (www.soilcarboncowboys.com) and has a recently released book co-authored with Teddy Gentry, “Before You Have A Cow”. Allen is a regular contributor to GRAZE and The Stockman Grass Farmer and has written articles for the “Organic Broadcaster” and many other publications. Several of his presentations and webinars can be found on the Pasture Project website at www.pastureproject.org.
He currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Grass Fed Exchange and the Mississippi Sustainable Agriculture Network, is a Core Team Member of the Pasture Project, and Co-Investigator for Team SoilCarbon. He also serves as an officer in the Starkville Civitan Club and is active in his local church.
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Holistic Management International’s mission is to educate people in regenerative agriculture for healthy land and thriving communities.
We have helped farmers and ranchers in 130 countries learn and practice Holistic Management for the past 3 decades. You can read some of their Success Stories to learn how Holistic Management has changed their lives and impacted their land.
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