Episode 21- When Science, Practice, and Whole Systems Speak the Same Language

At this year’s preconference Grazing School at Small Family Farmers and Food System Conference, organized by Small Producers Initiative and Farm and Freedom Alliance, at Texas State University, three powerhouse organizations—Understanding Ag, Noble Research Institute, and Holistic Management International—taught regenerative grazing together for the first time. Each brought a unique history, language, and approach, yet all agreed on one powerful truth: your mindset, not just the application of grazing principles, may be the biggest factor in your land’s productivity and profitability. 

In this episode, Christine shares her takeaways from the event, explores how these different perspectives complement each other, and explains why developing a holistic mindset is essential for confident, context-based decision-making in land stewardship.

Small Producers Initiative
Farm and Freedom Alliance
Small Family Farms and Food System Conference

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Transcript

Christine Martin: 0:19

It's not often you see three powerhouse organizations each with their own history, language, and way of teaching stand on the same stage and deliver the same core message. But at this year's grazing school, that's exactly what happened and the surprising part. They all agreed that your mindset, not just the application of the grazing principles, might be the biggest factor in your land's productivity and profitability. Hello there, Christine here. After a busy schedule of teaching and attending workshops, including attending the pre-conference grazing school ahead of the Small Family Farmer and Food System Conference where I delivered a couple presentations and hosted by Small Producers Initiative and Farm and Freedom Alliance at Texas State University in San Marcus, Texas. Where I was reminded that a holistic mindset in land stewardship is essential for boosting productivity and profitability. A principle not just championed by Holistic Management International, but equally embraced by Understanding Ag and Noble Research Institute. This year's Grazing School was taught by three different organizations Understanding Ag, Noble Research Institute and Holistic Management International. The first time the three organizations have taught regenerative grazing together. If you're not aware of these three different. Organizations. Let me just give you a brief description, Understanding Ag was started by Gabe Brown and Dr. Allen Williams and is a regenerative agricultural consulting firm, passionately dedicated to revitalizing farm and ranch ecosystems. Their mission is to empower farmers, ranchers, landowners, businesses, and communities through education. Mentorship and time-tested ecological principles, helping them reduce input costs, boost pro boost profitability, and secure, sustainable resilient future for family farming. Founded in 1945 by Oilman Lloyd Noble, Noble's early mission was rooted in soil conservation and land stewardship in the wake of the Dust Bowl. Noble Research Institute is the nation's largest independent nonprofit, agricultural research organization now dedicated to guiding farmers and ranchers and applying regenerative principles that promote healthy soils, productive grazing lands, and financially resilient operations. And finally, holistic Management International, founded in 1984 by Alan Savory and his wife, Jody Butterfield, originally known as the Center for Holistic Management, then Holistic Resource Management, then Holistic Management International until Alan Savory left and started the Savory Institute. Holistic Management International is a global nonprofit based in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Their core mission is to educate and equip land stewards from farmers and ranchers to tribal and conservation groups with the holistic management framework that integrates environmental, social, and economic considerations. While Understanding Ag, Noble Research Institute and Holistic Management International all champion regenerative grazing, they arrive at it from very different histories and starting points. And those roots influence how they teach, the words they use and the emphasis they place on certain principles. Understanding AG is a practitioner driven, relatively young organization, started by Gabe Brown and Dr. Island Williams. As I've just said, along with other farmer consultants who have lived the transition to regenerative grazing, they've transitioned themselves, they've experienced all the struggles and the successes, and they share that the language is straightforward and field tested, often framed around their 6 3 4 framework. Which includes the six principles of soil health, the three rules of adaptive stewardship and four ecosystem processes. They lean heavily into real world examples and adaptive application. Speaking directly to practical realities, producers face. Noble Research Institute has deep research roots to address soil conservation, historically known for agronomic and economic research. Their shift in 2020 and 2021 to Regenerative grazing focus reframed their work. As part of that transition, they took training from both Savory Institute and Holistic Management International, integrating whole system principles into their programming. Even so, they continue to speak strongly in the language of research data and measurable outcomes. Their approach blends science with producer engagement, but their terminology often reflects in academic and research-oriented lens. Holistic management. International has been refining and teaching a systems thinking management framework since 1984. And its roots is helping land stewards make management decisions that integrate environmental, social, and financial health. Their terminology, including holistic context, ecosystem processes, quality of life goals, emphasize the whole system and the human decision makers role in it rather than prescriptive practices. These differences in background shape how each organization tells the regenerative grazing story. One speaks from lived adaptive practice. One speaks from decades of research applied to working lands, and one speaks from a whole systems management lens. When they come together, those differences can sound like different dialects of the same regenerative language, each adding depth, nuance, and credibility to the conversation. As an educator, I went into this grazing school with my eyes open, not just to learn new content because I, can always learn something, but to listen to how the content was being taught. My concern was that with three different organizations on the stage Understanding Ag, Noble Research Institute and Holistic Management International, we might hear three very different approaches that could confuse the audience. I've seen it happen before, well intentioned educators lean heavily on prescriptive advice. Do this, don't do that, or get locked into sharing data and research without connecting the dots to the bigger picture. That's what I mean by reductionist. You're looking at one piece of the puzzle in isolation instead of the whole system it belongs to. The problem with that approach is that it can leave land stewards chasing somebody else's recipe instead of developing the skills to read their own land and make their own context based decisions. When teaching regenerative grazing the how matters just as much as the what. What I found was not three completely different stories pulling in opposite directions, but three perspectives that complimented each other far more than I expected. Understanding ag spoken plain practical terms, grounded in lived experience, their language made regenerative grazing approachable, especially for producers looking for clear starting points. Noble Research Institute, even with its research heavy background, didn't just bury us in charts and numbers. Yes, they brought in the science, but they also connected it back to on the ground application and producer engagement. You could tell their shift to regenerative grazing in 2020 and 2021 has influenced their approach. Holistic Management International kept the focus on systems thinking, on the decision maker's role, the whole context and the interconnectedness of land, livestock, finances, and the people managing and making the decisions. What struck me most was that even when terminology differed, the underlying message was consistent. Regenerative grazing works best when it's adaptive, responsive, and guided by what the land is telling you, not by a rigid formula. This was research balance with system thinking and data paired with real world decision making. This is more than just one interesting observation about three organizations playing well together. It has real implications for your application of regenerative grazing principles and for your management mindset. When advice and terminology vary, especially across respected voices, it can be overwhelming for new learners. You might wonder which one is right, whose method should I follow? That's when it's easy to slip into collecting techniques, without knowing if they fit your land, your context, and your goals. A truly holistic mindset isn't about memorizing the right way. It's about developing the ability to observe, interpret. Respond to what your land is telling you. When you learn from different perspectives and keep your context front and center, you can become the confident decision maker your land needs. That's the gift that I saw in this grazing school. Three different voices reinforcing the same truth. You don't manage land by controlling it. You manage it by being in relationship with it. If you have the opportunity to attend the pre-conference grazing school ahead of the Small Family Farmers and Food System conference next year, put on by Small Producers Initiative and Farm and Freedom Alliance. I highly, highly recommend this comprehensive program. And if you enjoyed this episode, please share it with someone who could benefit from it and follow the podcast for more practical applications of holistic management. Thank you. Talk to you next time.

10:40

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