Episode 7- Living Authentically: Aligning Purpose and Practice with Holistic Management

In this episode, we explore the transformative power of Holistic Management and how it helps land stewards live authentically by aligning their farming practices with their core values. Drawing insights from previous conversations with Bluesette Campbell and the Soil Sisters, we dive deep into the importance of creating a vision that reflects your personal mission and purpose in agriculture.

I’ll share my own journey of discovering my “why” and how I struggled to define what I truly valued as a people pleaser. This episode is all about how Holistic Management empowers us to make decisions that are true to our own vision—not influenced by convention or outside pressures. We’ll also discuss the tools within the Holistic Management framework, like the 3-part goal and testing questions, that guide land stewards toward decisions that nurture both the land and their soul.

If you’re looking for practical insights on how to align your farming or ranching practices with your values, create a sustainable operation, and live authentically, this episode is for you. Tune in to learn how you can start building a life and business that reflects who you are and what truly matters to you.

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Let's make regenerative ranching and farming more intentional, profitable, and fulfilling. I’d love to hear your biggest takeaway from this episode—DM me on Instagram or schedule a call to chat about it!

Connect with Christine Martin:
Website: https://thrivinglandsteward.com
Email: info@thrivinglandsteward.com

Transcript

Christine: 0:00

Welcome to the Regenerative Agriculture Thriving as a Modern Rancher, the podcast for ranchers and land stewards looking to build healthy land, profitable businesses, and a fulfilling life. Join us as we explore regenerative practices and holistic management to help you thrive in today's ranching world.

Christine Martin: 0:20

Howdy and welcome to another episode of Regenerative Agriculture: Thriving as a Modern Rancher where I explore the world of regenerative agriculture, land stewardship, and how we can live more intentional and fulfilling lives through the lens of holistic management. I'm your host, Christine Martin, and I'm so glad you're listening today. In today's episode, I'm diving into a powerful theme that ties together the two previous podcast episodes. The conversation I had with Blusette Campbell, a rancher and holistic management educator, in episode six. And the inspiring journey of the Texas Soil Sisters in episode five. What ties these two stories together is a core principle of holistic management: living authentically and aligning our decisions with our values. As land stewards, we often find ourselves pulled in many directions by recommended practices, peer pressures, and the urge to do things the way others are doing them. But what if the most sustainable, fulfilling way forward isn't about following the crowd? It's about listening to our values. finding our unique purpose and using holistic management as a framework to guide us on that path. In today's episode, I'm going to explore how this theme plays out in both Bluesette's and the Texas Soil Sisters stories. We'll talk about how holistic management can help us make decisions that reflect our personal vision and mission and why it's such a crucial tool for creating lasting positive change in both of our land. And our lives, whether you're just starting out or you're well on your way with holistic management. This episode is packed with insights that can help you reconnect with what truly drives you. So let's start by grounding ourselves in the core framework of holistic management. This is the foundation that helps us make decisions that align with our values and purpose. Again, I'm going to repeat. Decisions that align with our values and purpose. Holistic management isn't about managing land or livestock. It's about creating a life and an operation that reflects who we are and what we stand for. At the heart of holistic management is the concept of creating a holistic goal. This goal isn't a static document but rather a living, breathing vision of the future that evolves with you as you grow and learn. The framework uses decision making tools like testing questions, which help us ensure that our decisions are in alignment with our values, our mission and the well being of the land. But here's the thing, holistic management helps us avoid the trap of doing things simply because that's how they've always been done. So often, especially in agriculture, we feel the pressure to follow the crowd. Peer pressure can be a huge influence, and it's easy to think that everyone else's practice might be right. But when we're doing things just to conform, we might find ourselves disconnected from our true purpose. The real power of holistic mBluesettet is that it gives us permission to make decisions that are uniquely ours. It helps us create a vision that's tailored to our own values and goals. And it teaches us to make decisions that are not just about surviving, but thriving authentically. Now let's look at how Bluesette Campbell's journey ties into the theme of authenticity and holistic management. In our conversation, Bluesette shared how holistic management gave her the framework to connect her passion with her purpose. She spoke about her journey from not wanting to stay in agriculture to finding a meaningful, purposeful life in farming. But it wasn't until she found Holistic Management that everything clicked. Bluesette explained that Holistic Management helped her discover her why, The deeper purpose behind what she does. It's not just about producing food or raising animals. It's about creating a life that aligns with her values and her vision. The framework gave her the tools to align her skill set with her passion, ultimately guiding her toward a fulfilling and sustainable farming operation. What's so powerful about Bluzette's story is that she shows us that holistic management isn't just about farming practices. It's about personal growth and understanding. As she said, holistic management helped her find her ikigai, Japanese concept meaning a reason for being. It's that moment when your passion, your mission, and your profession all align. And what's really remarkable is that this process is ongoing. It's not something that's figured out once and for all. As Bluesette says, your 3-part goal is a living document that evolves with you. Moving on to the Texas Soil Sisters, who are also on their journey of integrating holistic management into their farming practices, we see a similar theme of finding personal vision and purpose. These two women are using holistic management to create a farming operation that's not only about sustainability in the land, but also about creating a meaningful lifestyle that aligns with their values. They're working to prove that regenerative agriculture isn't just good for the soil, it's good for the soul. What's also important here is the idea of peer learning versus peer pressure. The Soil Sisters are in the process of discovering their unique farming practices and they're learning from others in the regenerative agriculture community. But they also stress the importance of staying true to their vision. Like Bluesette, they caution against getting sucked into conventional farming methods that don't align with what they want to achieve. This idea of staying true to your values while still learning from others is so crucial. It's the balance between being open to new ideas and avoiding the trap of doing things just because that's what everybody else is doing. The Soil Sisters encourage us to take what works for us and leave the rest and I couldn't agree more. So how can you apply these lessons to your own farming or land stewardship journey? Let's break it down into some actionable steps. The first step would be to develop your 3-part goal. If you haven't already, sit down and draft your own 3-part goal. This is a tool that will guide your decisions and help you stay aligned with your values. Remember, it's a living document that evolves over time, so don't be afraid to revisit it as you grow. Second step would be to use the decision testing questions. Whenever you're faced with the decision, big or small, ask yourself the testing questions from the holistic management framework. Does this decision align with my three part goal? Does it support my values and vision for the future? The third step would be to embrace feedback and adapt. Understand that your journey is not linear. It's okay to adjust and make changes as you go. Holistic management is all about learning from feedback and adapting to new circumstances. The final step would be to focus on your unique vision. Take time to reflect on what drives you, what are your values, and how they translate into your farming or ranching practices. This process will keep you grounded and connected to your purpose. Even when things get tough. Now I'd like to share a bit of my own experience to highlight just how transformative this process can be. When I started out as a land steward, I knew my why. I knew I wanted to be on the land, and I knew I wanted to produce clean, nutrient dense food because I needed it to cure myself of health issues. But determining what I truly valued was much harder. As a people pleaser, I found it difficult to differentiate what was important to me versus what I thought I should value. The exercise of selecting my core values and asking myself what's important to me. What do I like and not like was eye opening. This exercise wasn't just about identifying values. It was about beginning to understand who I really was beyond the expectation of others. That process, although challenging, was the start of me getting to know myself, and it laid down the groundwork for aligning my decisions and actions. With what mattered most to me, it allowed me to take a step back, refine my goals and ensure that every choice I made from managing the land to the way I ran my business was in harmony with my true values. So if you're in the process of figuring out your values or even re evaluating them, know that it's a journey and it's worth the effort. This work of aligning your life, your land stewardship practices, and your decisions with your vision and values. is a big part of why holistic management is such a powerful tool. It doesn't just shape the land, it shapes the life you want to create. So as I wrap up this episode, I want to remind you that holistic management is not just a framework for managing land. It's a framework for living authentically by aligning your decisions with your values and vision, you're not only building a sustainable ranch or farm, but you're building a life that's meaningful, fulfilling and true to who you are. Whether you're just starting out in holistic management or you're a seasoned practitioner, I hope today's episode has inspired you to reconnect with your purpose. refine your three part goal and continue making decisions that reflect your unique path. Thanks for tuning in. I'd love to hear your thoughts on today's episode. Do you feel aligned with your values in your farming or land stewardship practices? Are there areas where you're struggling to make decisions that feel authentic? Let's continue this conversation on social media or reach out to me directly through my website. Don't forget to subscribe, share this episode with others who may find it helpful, and stay tuned for the next one. Until then, keep living with integrity and aligning your practices with your vision.

Christine: 10:53

Thanks for listening to Regenerative Agriculture, Thriving as a Modern Rancher. If you enjoyed today's episode, please subscribe, share with fellow ranchers, and leave a review. Together we can regenerate our lands, our profits, and our lives. Until next time, keep thriving.