To Which We Belong (2021)
To Which We Belong’ is a documentary that highlights farmers and ranchers leaving behind conventional practices that are no longer profitable or sustainable. These unsung heroes are improving the health of our soil and sea to save their livelihoods — and our planet.
Sacred Cow (2021)
In Sacred Cow, registered dietitian Diana Rodgers and former research biochemist and New York Times bestselling author Robb Wolf explore the quandaries we face in raising and eating animals—focusing on the largest (and most maligned) of farmed animals, the cow. Taking a critical look at the assumptions and misinformation about meat, Sacred Cow points out the flaws in our current food system and in the proposed “solutions.”
Understanding the Brittleness Scale
Learn the concept of brittleness and how understanding where your region falls on the brittleness scale can affect the management options for your ranch or farm. This video shows examples on both a brittle-tending ranch and a non-brittle-tending piece of land.
Kiss the Ground (2020)
In conjunction with the book of the same name, Kiss the Ground is an accesible call-to-action for those looking to align their values with their purchasing behavior. Featuring Allan Savory and other pioneers, the film takes a deep dive into the world of regenerative agriculture from the perspective of the everyday consumer.
Whole-System Approach Managing Grazing to Restore Soil Health and Farm Livelihoods
This paper is a literature review on the ecological impacts of grazing, and finds that where managed properly (employing a “whole-systems approach” and “adaptive, goal-directed grazing methods”) livestock are essential to ecosystem service sustainability and improvement. Soil organic matter increases were sufficient to yield a net sink of 2 tons of carbon per hectare per year.
A half-century of Holistic Management: what does the evidence reveal?
This comprehensive literature review describes the main tenets of HM and addresses the longstanding and unresolved controversy over its legitimacy. It additionally provides a meta-analysis that not only provides an up-to-date review of the multidisciplinary evidence and ongoing arguments about HM, but also provides a novel explanation for the controversy.
Impacts of holistic planned grazing with bison compared to continuous grazing with cattle in South Dakota shortgrass prairie
Paper assesses Holistic Planned Grazing outcomes in shortgrass prairie of the Northern Great Plains of North America. Researchers compared key ecosystem functions on the ranch of long time Holistic Management practitioner Mimi Hillenbrand who grazes bison, with those on neighboring cattle ranches using set stocked light continuous (LCG) and heavy continuous grazing (HCG).
Water in Plain Sight
Animated by stories from around the globe, Water In Plain Sight is an inspiring reminder that fixing the future of our drying planet involves understanding what makes natural systems thrive. In this timely, important book, Judith D. Schwartz presents a refreshing perspective on water that transcends zero-sum thinking. By allying with the water cycle, we can revive lush, productive landscapes, like the river in rural Zimbabwe that now flows miles further than it has in living memory thanks to restorative grazing; the fruit-filled food forest in Tucson, Arizona, grown by harvesting urban wastewater; or the mini-oasis in West Texas nourished by dew.
Profile of good stewardship: the Rafter F Cattle Company (2001)
This case study of a ranch in New Mexico, USA by the Quivira Coalition features Rafter F Ranch—a 4,779-hectare property in San Jon, New Mexico. Net income per acre grew from $5.84 in 1984 to $22.5 in 1992.
Managing Grass, Small Grains, and Cattle (1992)
The Goven Ranch is an 1800 acre cattle and small grain operation located in McLean county, North Dakota. From 1967 to 1986, Gene Goven practiced different grazing management systems. In 1986, he made the shift to Holistic Management and Holistic Planned Grazing (referred in the article as Holistic Management’s former name, Holistic Resource Management or HRM). One of the first observed changes in land health occurred in cool season plants; the use of grazing planning allowed the grazing of cool season plants early in the season and extended recovery periods, which improved the
vigor and growth of these plants. Additionally, a “leap frog” approach to paddock movements eliminated the need for fly control, as the distance between “cow pies” self-limited fly populations.