Published Mar 7, 2014

Planned Grazing with Holistic Management – register now!
By Margaret Chamas

Houston, MN – Graziers young and old, new and experienced are encouraged to attend a course on Planned Grazing with Holistic Management, from March 21-22 at the Houston Community Center, 109 W Maple St.  Land Stewardship Project and Practical Farmers of Iowa have partnered to put on this event, along with two others in the HM workshop series.

HM-certified instructor Ralph Tate will lead the workshop.  Ralph farms in Nebraska, having adopted the HM principles of sustainable agriculture to raise grass-fed beef and nutrient-dense foods.  He developed grazing planning software used frequently by HM practitioners, which will be available at the workshop for $100.

The course begins with registration and light breakfast at 8am each day, continuing until about 5pm.  Snacks, lunch, and most instructional materials (but not grazing software) are included with the registration fee; dinner and lodging are the participants’ responsibilities.  Some vegetarian and dairy- or gluten-free meal options will be available, though you are encouraged to bring your own snacks and beverages.

Participants are strongly encouraged to bring a computer (with Excel 2007 or newer), farm maps, and a calculator to make the most of this hands-on workshop.

The course costs $120, with discounts for multiple registrants from the same farm, or when registering for multiple courses.  Another HM course, Biological Monitoring, will be held on May 31st in Cresco, IA.  A registration form may be accessed here: HM reg form grazing

Holistic Management (www.holisticmanagement.org) presents a whole-farm planning framework that incorporates farmer and family principles into realistic management decisions based on quality of life, profitability and stewardship goals. “Planned Grazing” is one of a series of workshops being offered in the region this winter/early summer.

LSP and PFI are membership organizations with a mission to improve food and farming systems so that communities and the land are ecologically, financially and socially strong. These Holistic Management courses are supported in part by funds from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and the McKnight Foundation.

Contact Caroline van Schaik or Margaret Dunn for more information!