Savory Institute

type: #organisation
domain: savory.global
focus: Regenerating Grasslands
contacts: Allan Savory
place: #global

About

Some examples of the impact of holistic management.

Since the Savory Institute was founded in 2009, we've taught Holistic Management to over 28,000 land managers who collectively manage over 92 million acres of grassland.

From the Maasai pastoralists in Kenya and gauchos in Patagonia to cowboys in the American west and the wool growers in New Zealand... Holistic Management is adaptable to every context, no matter where you are. Here are some of their stories...

Dharma Lea - New York, USA

Paul and Phyllis Van Amburgh run an organic grass-fed dairy, Dharma Lea, in upstate New York. Driven by a desire to do right by the land and their family, they switched to Holistic Planned Grazing and in doing so regenerated their land, became more profitable, and improved the quality of their milk:

• They lengthened their growing season, increasing the number of grazing days per year by 120% saving $27,300 annually.
• Profitability improved in their dairy operation with a gross margin of 41% compared to 3% in grain-fed cows.
• Milk quality improved, with a 10% increase in milk solids.

According to Phyllis, _"Holistic Management is 'the big secret' that lets you in on the actual inner workings of the human-environment connections. I finally had a way to fit it all together: more health, more production, more profit, happier me, happier family."

Dimbangombe Ranch - Zimbabwe

Unlike traditional farms or ranches, Dimbangombe has no fencing whatsoever. Instead, livestock are moved by herders on foot and protected from predators using portable enclosures called "kraals," allowing the African wildlife to not just coexist with livestock but to benefit from the improved landscape they create.

Between 2001 and 2009, a study evaluated nine sites at Dimbangombe and found:

• a 31% decrease in ground cover
• a 12% increase in perennial grasses and 21% decrease in less-desirable annuals
• a significant and increasing number of wildlife like elephants, buffalo, kudu, sable antelope, waterbuck, zebra, impala, giraffe, reedbuck and many other diurnal and nocturnal animals.

777 Buffalo Ranch - South Dakota, USA

In the Black Hills of South Dakota, USA, Mimi Hillenbrand runs one of the most well-respected bison operations in the industry – the 28,000-acre 777 Buffalo Ranch.

Her relationship with Holistic Management started back in 1991 and her decades-long commitment has been quite fruitful. Among other impressive results, the 777 has seen:

• bare ground decrease significantly from 34% to under 10%
• an elimination of virtually all signs of erosion
• low production grasses replaced by deep-rooted native species like Green Needlegrass and native herbs such as Echinacea.