HMI’s Online Learning Series Getting Started Introduction to Holistic Management® course began in October 2016 with 28 participants from the United States, Canada, Madagascar, Belgium, Namibia, and Nigeria. This course focused on key Holistic Management planning concepts and principles to help participants manage their farm/ranch for the triple bottom line (social, environmental, and financial sustainability) and more effectively manage resources. Participants were excited to learn how to improve their ability to observe, understand, and make decisions based on what they can control. Through these new skills participants now have the knowledge and tools to improve their ability to work with nature and to increase productivity.
Featured Participants:Kara Thorndike
The Introduction to Holistic Management® course with HMI was extremely valuable defining what it is exactly I am trying to accomplish. By setting to paper the values and goals in an orderly way I’ve been able to focus in and make a couple of key decisions. I know have a solid framework to work with and iterate upon.
The Introduction to Holistic Management® course was a perfect starting place for me in my dream of becoming a bison rancher. As a person who did not grow up in ranching or farming and has had very limited exposure to it, this course provided the perfect foundation of knowledge for having a sustainable and profitable operation that fits the life I want to have. I would highly recommend this course for beginners such as myself as the best way to gain insight into managing an operation which is every bit as important as finding somewhere to learn the practical skills I need. Phil and Julie have certainly helped me move towards making my dream a reality! I will be sure to use these practices in ranching and in life.
Taking the Getting Started Introduction to Holistic Management® Course with Phil Metzger helped my wife and I move from just talking about how Holistic Management could help our farm to actually writing a holistic goal for our fledgling grass-fed meat business. We used the decision matrix to help us evaluate what type of fencing to use as we replace the decrepit perimeter fencing on our farm. We had already looked at the purchase price of our different fencing options, but the testing questions also helped us evaluate maintenance costs, as well as energy inputs and how different types of fence might affect the neighbors who share property boundaries with us. We used the land health assessment to determine the health and effectiveness of the water and mineral cycles, energy flow, and biological communities on our land. Using the worksheets to break down larger tasks into manageable chunks and getting feedback from the instructor really boosted our confidence as we look to tackle larger decisions in the future. We are positive that the experience gained in this class will be a tremendous asset as we look to become more profitable AND improve the health of our land and community!
To learn more about the next Getting Started Introduction to Holistic Management course or to sign up for it, click here.
To learn more about the next Getting Started Introduction to Holistic Management® course or to sign up for it, click