Many of us have engaged in correspondence and discussions about learning the practice of Holistic Management over the years. This blog will take our discussions to another level so we can get more holistic decision making on the ground, where we find meaningful leverage.
Finding Leverage for Life
Think about it. All life on our planet (as we know it) comes from the ecosystem processes. Improving the function of these processes will make life more resilient. Water begins to absorb, at the soil surface. Plants begin to germinate and grow, at the soil surface. Plants begin to decompose and build soil, at the soil surface. Tools effecting ecosystem function engage at the soil surface. The greatest marginal reaction and leverage point for improvement of life on our planet lies at the soil surface.
Empowering Decisions at the Soil Surface
This blog will explore how we can better develop markets, policy, investment, knowledge, and skill that will empower those making decisions at the soil surface.
I grew up in Nebraska’s Sandhills. Great production and lightning storms brought the ever-present danger of wildfire. When I was about 8 years old, there was a perfect storm of a highly productive summer and electricity in the air. We were heading home from the hayfield when the first smoke drifted up from the southeast. We already had our gunny sacks and shovels on board so my dad headed SE to see if we could help.
Read MoreWe are going through a lot of great changes around here. Holistic Decision Making makes me take a breath so I don’t get caught up in the excitement. I like change. I’m prospective. That is why I am a Holistic Management Practitioner. My professional life as a rancher has coincided with the Endangered Species Act. My culture resists the ESA and saw it as a bad thing on any level. My introduction to HM turned that perception upside down. It brought curiosity and interest in life.
Read MoreAll,
We have all had our safety and peace-of-mind violated. When abrupt, like getting mugged or robbed, we react and get a gun or press charges. But when we are violated by those with power, we don’t think of reacting, or even proacting. We sit and take it.
This blog suggests we can rethink how we use the Social Weak Link testing guideline, or context filter, to hold ourselves more accountable. If we fail to hold ourselves accountable, those under our charge suffer and do not perform execution of plans. If we fail to hold ourselves accountable, those in power continue their tyrannous behavior.
I think we can interrupt this pattern by broadening the application of the Social Weak Link.
Have a good week,
Tony
Read MoreAll,
I first met Eric Grant 22 years ago, when he came to write a couple articles for Range magazine, featuring my side-kick at the time, Pee Wee Wesaw and me.
Eric came to Andrea’s and my wedding in Lander, Wyoming and we went to his when he married Pat in France. After touring the Aubrec and Salers region of France, eating phenomenal food and meeting great people, I officiated their wedding. Over the years, Eric helped me initiate writing a book about learning Holistic Management, which is still a work in progress.
Eric came to eastern Oregon recently and I got to hang out with him and his friends for a couple of days. Eric conducted the following interview, while he was here. Here is the video of what may be called the New Age Cowboy Revisited.
Eric was working with the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association when I first met him and he recently just finished a 10-year stint with American Angus Association as Director of Public Relations and Communications. Take a minute to check out Erik’s communications business and his team Grant Company. Needless to say, he has a broad perspective on the beef industry.
Read MoreHello All,
Too often we don’t execute our planning and simply throw it out and do a replan. Apparently the important step of control, in our feedback loop, did not get done. This blog discusses why that might be the case and different ways to think about controlling the execution of our plans.
Take a minute to check out Dale Laurentzen’s comment on Joel Huesby’s blog on soil acidifcation. I think you’ll find it interesting.
Have a good rest of your week,
Tony
Read MoreHolistic Managers tend to get a bit rummy about practicing Holistic Management. Many of us have seen good results and get a little cocky. We start thinking we know it all and take shortcuts. We begin assuming that we know more than academics, neighbors, and those not using the Holistic Management lingo and acronyms. At it’s worst, Holistic Management practitioners exclude portions of their community due to a self-righteousness.
The success of Holistic Management revolves around looking at our situation from a fresh perspective. Many steps in the Holistic Management process (e.g. clarifying how we must behave, the context checks, and keeping in mind what our quality of life means to us) keep us fresh. Yet, few have the ability to strip away our pretense and ask ourselves to: “Be without prejudice.” This blog challenges us to get past our prejudices and see reality more clearly.
Thank-you and enjoy,
Tony
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