More than 50 people attended HMI’s first Open Gate in Mexico in early June at Rancho El Represo Del Verde near La Colorada, Sonora. This event was coordinated and facilitated by Holistic Management Certified Educator Iván Aurelio Aguirre Ibarra. Mostly ranchers and ranch staff from the surrounding area, with some technical and professional members of the Sonora Livestock Producers Union, and several professional agricultural consultants attended the event. It was a day filled with learning, sharing ideas, good food, and making connections.
Organizers for this event noted that a “New Wave” of active ranch decision makers - young people in their 20s and 30s - are now entering ranch management and influencing the business in a very positive way.
Representatives from the local extension services shared their realization that Holistic Management is much more than a grazing strategy - that it also leads to regeneration and productivity optimization of soils, plants, and animals, impacting the sustainability of entire communities. Many participants recognized the challenges in transcending traditional ways and renewed their commitments to ‘take the bull by the horns’ and be the example that shows how livestock can be managed to address major issues like climate change, water availability, and regeneration of rural communities.
The topics for the day revolved around using Holistic Management's Whole Ranch Business Management to allow the continuance and sustainability of ranching. In the morning, participants enjoyed presentations under the thatch-roofed meeting area, and after a lunch of range-fed Sonoran-style BBQ, a tour of the ranch to look at plant health and livestock.
Presentation highlights included:
Marco Antonio Tarazón Maldonado, owner and host, sharing the challenges that he and his ranch team experience as they implement Holistic Management
Ana Bertha Zepeda Valencia, a civil litigation lawyer and co-owner of her family ranch, sharing her professional experience with the challenges of intergenerational succession of family ranches, strategies for mitigating family conflicts, as well as her personal experiences in implementing her recently acquired Holistic Management knowledge
Oscar Benson Rosas, a bovine breeding and reproduction consultant (Artificial Insemination and Embryo Transplant), discussing differences he’s seen in ranches, noting that ranches using Holistic Management principles and planning strategies have superior nutritional levels throughout the year that result in optimized productivity and profits
Iván Aurelio Aguirre, rancher and Professional HMI Certified Educator, facilitating a discussion on Holistic Management planning and strategies, and how to get started
Here are some of the specific results we collected from our post program evaluations:
What participants had to say:
Many thanks to our sponsors for this event:
