Holistic Management® Grazing Planning:
Improving Range & Pasture Productivity

COURSE DESCRIPTION:
 (Pre-requisite: Introduction to Holistic Management)

In this course you will learn how to create, implement, and monitor a grazing plan that will improve range and pasture productivity as well as improve animal performance. You will learn how to determine all the factors affecting the grazing plan including wildlife, employees, regulatory agencies, infrastructure issues, etc. and create a plan that addresses those factors effectively. You will also learn forage assessment techniques, and key grazing management principles including stocking rate, stock density, herd effect, and drought-proofing. We will be using simple Excel spreadsheets for planning. You will need to have access to information about two different ranches or farms (either their ranch/farm manager or the ranch/farm itself).

COURSE OBJECTIVES:
1. How to create a grazing plan
2. How to determine plant recovery periods
3. How to determine grazing period lengths
4. How to determine stock density
5. How to determine carrying capacity
6. How to plan for drought
7. How to determine stocking rate
8. How to effectively use the tools of animal impact & stock density to improve land health
9. How to address animal performance issues
10. How to address wildlife needs
11. How to determine paddock divisions

TEXTS, READINGS, AND INSTRUCTIONAL

RESOURCES: Holistic Management® Grazing Planning Manual (2007). Holistic Management International.
Savory, Allan with Butterfield, Jody (1999). Holistic Management: A New Framework for Decision Making. Washington, DC:Island Press.
Butterfield, Jody, Bingham, Sam, and Savory, Allan (2006). Holistic Management Handbook: Healthy Land, Healthy Profits. Washington, DC: Island Press.