Managing Holistically
The big picture contains many small pieces.
Holistic means understanding that in nature, all the parts of anything and everything are interconnected, and understandable only in terms of the whole.
Management means the process of dealing with or controlling things or people.
At Pitchstone Waters Ranch, we look at the big picture and manage the resources in our care holistically.
In the 1960s, a Rhodesian soldier, parliamentarian, rancher, wildlife biologist, and range scientist named Allan Savory added his observations and experience to previously proven science, combining these into a simple yet radical understanding of nature. Savory's insight was that all of nature, not just predator and prey, is intertwined. Because any change in plants, animals, water, soil or sunlight reverberates throughout the entire ecosystem, decisions must be made with an awareness of all consequences, both intended and unintended.
Proceeding from this viewpoint, early in his work in Africa Savory concluded that the spread of deserts, the loss of wildlife, and the resulting human impoverishment were related to the reduced size and number of large grazing animal herds, and, even more importantly, the changed behavior of the few remaining herds. Applying these insights as a rancher and wildlife biologist, Savory determined that livestock could be substituted for natural herds to provide important benefits to plants, animals and soil life.
Well-managed grazing allows us to improve the four basic parts of an ecosystem: the water cycle, the mineral cycle (including reducing carbon in the atmosphere by storing it back in the soil), the flow of the sun’s energy which powers all life, and the relationship between all living things of whatever size or type. By managing holistically, we can use livestock production to achieve economic and environmental benefits to people, domestic and wild animals, and their habitat. These include cleaner water, cleaner air and wildfire suppression.
Our grazing methods, which we have adapted to our own operation and landscape, are based on four key principles identified by Savory:
- Nature functions as a holistic community in which people, animals, plants and the land are mutually dependent. If you remove or change the behavior of any keystone species like the large grazing herds, you have an unexpected and wide-ranging negative impact on other parts of the environment.
- It is crucial that any agricultural planning system must be flexible enough to adapt to nature’s complexity because all environments are different and have constantly changing local conditions.
- Animal husbandry using domestic species can be used as a substitute for lost keystone species. Thus when managed properly in a way that mimics nature, agriculture can heal the land and even benefit wildlife, while at the same time benefiting people.
- Time and timing is the most important factor when planning land use. Not only is it crucial to understand how long to use the land for agriculture and how long to rest, it is equally important to understand exactly when and where the land is ready for that use and rest.
By managing holistically for more than two decades at Circle Ranch in far West Texas, we’ve been able to increase water infiltration and moisture retention in the soil; increase organic matter in the soil; use the sun’s energy instead of chemical inputs to increase plant productivity; and increase ground cover and heal erosion.
We are convinced that continuing to use these principles as we holistically manage our land, forest, livestock, wildlife and fishery will yield equally positive results in the grasslands and forests of the Rocky Mountain West.
Latest articles
Read more about holistic land management practices
Examples of Grassland Restoration – Excerpt from Talk by Allan Savory at Tufts University
Excerpted from Allan Savory’s presentation on January 25, 2013 at Tufts University’s Fletcher School, this segment highlights examples of how Holistic Management restores grasslands from land that’s degraded to desert. This innovative, natural, and simple […]
Can Sheep Save the Planet?
“Desertification is a fancy word for land that is turning to desert,” states Allan Savory in his quiet but inspirational form. Desertification is happening to about two-thirds of the world’s grasslands, accelerating climate […]
America Saved the Grizzlies, and Now the Bears are Invading Towns
As discussed below, grizzly bears are increasingly a danger to people, property, and livestock. At Pitchstone Waters Ranch, grizzly bears have made cattle ranching virtually impossible, thus hampering our efforts to reduce fine fuels […]
King Charles: How Cattle Can Restore Habitat and Wildlife
“King Charles comments on Allan Savory and his integrated approach to ranching and farming, and the role ruminants for the health of grasslands. Segment from speech given by the Prince to the IUCN World Conservation […]
Grazing Cattle to Restore Forest
Greg Judy and his men turn cattle mob into a forest of forage never grazed. Greg Judy writes, “The transformation on this very rough 10 acres is going to take several years. […]
Cattle Grazing in Scottish Forest
This short film has wonderful images of Highland cattle and explains the importance of their grazing to land management in The Great Trossachs Forest of Scotland. NOTE: this post was originally published to […]
Mending Fences – An RMEF Film
Woven wire fencing dating back almost a century hinders all wildlife, especially calves and fawns, from following historic migration corridors and may force a dangerous crossing of lower elevation roadways. Rocky Mountain Elk […]
Holistic Management at Work
Holistic management uses a long term planning process that assigns to environmental and social outcomes the same importance as profits. In addition to being particularly suited to the deserts of far-West Texas, its grazing and […]
The Story of Meat
Public demand for healthy, tasty food produced in a manner that respects nature is the driving force behind the growing acceptance of holistic agriculture. This 20-minute video discusses how sustainably managed livestock can help restore damaged […]
Desert Permaculture: Gulleys for Grass and Wells
Here is a gulley treatment that restores grassland and recharges aquifers. Gulleys for Grassland Restoration from Christopher Gill on Vimeo. NOTE: this post was originally published to this site on May 8, 2017, and […]
Regenerating Mongolian Grasslands
Planned grazing can be accomplished with many different species, and adapted to almost any culture. The “Pasture Land — Use it Sustainably” (PLUS) project is a partnership between ADRA and the Savory […]
Desert Permaculture: Using a Stock Tank for Irrigation
Stock tanks can be easily and cheaply modified to serve the additional purpose of restoring grasslands for cattle and wildlife. NOTE: this post was originally published on April 24, 2017, and then […]
Miracle in the Nevada Desert
Beaver and cattle are symbiotic. Together they can turn desert into wetlands. NOTE: this post was originally published on April 19, 2017, and then reposted on September 9, 2021
Yellowstone National Park Calls for More Bison in New Plan
The essential element for wild bison restoration is to address brucellosis. This plan – to have more bison and then kill more bison – tinkers around the edges without fundamentally addressing the problem.
Trees Are Spreading Across the Great Plains. They’re Actually Making Climate Change Worse
According to the researchers quoted in the article below, “…adding trees is negative for the climate in most temperate grasslands, savannas and shrublands globally.” The primary cause of tree and brush invasion is that […]
Study: Bison Herd Removes More Carbon Than World’s Largest CO2 Capture Plant
As discussed below, the grazing of wild animal herds can be cheaper, faster, and more effective at reducing atmospheric carbon than any high tech method. A primary purpose of the holistic planned grazing of cattle […]
Plow and Tractor for Desert Grassland Keyline Subsoiling
What plow and tractor combination is most cost effective for restoring desert grassland with Keyline water practices? We call our method of desert grassland restoration Drought Busters. It combines: (1) subsoil plowing, (2) water harvesting […]
Why is Regenerative Agriculture Important?
Learn more about regenerative agriculture, and our focus on land management which provides rich soil and grass for cows to consume on their pastures.
Soil for Water
Learn more about NCAT’s Soil for Water project, working to capture and hold more water in the soil. “Your soil health is going to keep you in business. If you take care of your soil, […]
Grazing Forested Rangelands
“An excellent discussion of why, how, when and where to graze Canadian forests.
Abusive Land Grab of Family Farm
The video below tells how a conservation easement that promised to ‘protect’ farming was used to block farming. BEWARE: A growing problem with conservation easements is that the current generation of administrators are increasingly […]