A Distance Learning Approach to Whole Farm Planning

A Distance Learning Approach to Whole Farm Planning

Summary

In 2014, HMI (Holistic Management International) focused predominantly on delivering all 5 Whole Farm/Ranch Planning modules online to the Agricultural Educators in our program. Due to changes in jobs, we had to replace some of our original educators with some alternates, but we still have 38 participants in the program from 10 states including CO, NM, WY, OR, WA, CA, HI, MT, ID, and WY. 20 of these are from Agricultural Education NGO’s including many from RC&D. 10 are from Extension and 8 are from NRCS or SWCD.

HMI had originally planned on having each participant take the Introduction to Whole Farm/Ranch Planning course and then choose 2 from the remaining 4 modules. However, based on feedback from participants, we allowed them to take all 5 modules if they wanted to and we spread the courses out over the whole year. In this way, we increased the number of courses that people took. We had planned on 35 people having training in 3 modules for a total of 105 course scholarships. Given the revised structure, we will able to meet that goal with 35 participants attending 3 or more classes by offering more classes throughout the year rather than in the first 6 months. There was a total of 148 course scholarships given to achieve that goal.

In 2015, HMI will focus on supporting each participant to work with 2 producers to help them with some aspect of the Whole Farm/Ranch Planning Process. We will also be doing an end of program survey in February to determine the effect of this program.

• Maggie Matoba

Objectives/Performance Targets

HMI used Instructure Canvas as our distance learning platform and made sure that all webinars were interactive and anyone who handed in completed assignments received feedback on their work. These were 7 week classes meeting weekly. We recorded all webinars and archived so those who couldn’t make the sessions could watch and listen to the recordings and email instructors with questions and provide input via the discussion forum. Participant sign up is as follows:

Overall response to surveys shows that there was high satisfaction rate among participants for these courses ranging from 88-100% satisfaction. Actual behavior change in terms of created plans/drafts varied depending on subject. There was a certain amount of participant fatigue as the year went on so there was good attendance in webinars and Canvas but not as many people completing assignments by the last course of the year, Financial Planning.

• Julie Elliott

Accomplishments/Milestones

The following tables show the key learning and satisfaction experienced by the participants.

However, increased knowledge or confidence in developing plans remained high throughout the course as noted below:

Outreach

HMI provided outreach on the results of each of the first four courses. The blogs for the results can be accessed at the following links and gives greater details:

Biological Monitoring

http://holisticmanagement.org/blog/wsare-biological-monitoring-course-accomplishment/

Grazing Planning Course Results

http://holisticmanagement.org/blog/wsare-grazing-planning-course-success/

Introduction to Whole Farm/Ranch Planning

http://holisticmanagement.org/blog/whole-farmranch-land-planning-course-results/

Land Planning Course Results

http://holisticmanagement.org/blog/wsare-agricultural-educator-course-results/

• Patty Madigan

Impacts and Contributions/Outcomes

We surveyed participants to learn about the impact that the program and particular course had on participants.

The following quote is from Linda MacElwee who works for the Mendocino RC&D in California:

“The HMI training program funded by Western Sustainable Agriculture and Education has given me an opportunity to deepen my understanding and appreciation of the complexities found in the natural world and how to effectively work within that context. It has offered me access to a whole new set of tools to work with when assisting landowners in making decisions when it comes to land/ranch/farm planning and management. Planning is not simple, but it can be fun and easy. I love how HMI begins and ends with viewing every situation within a holistic context. It teaches us to ground ourselves in a deeper understanding of our environment, to clearly state what we are managing for, and pursuing a path to wholeness that includes its own checks and balances built in along the way.”

Another participant, Rhoby Cook, District Coordinator, Klamath Trinity RC&D in California, said:

“Through what I learned in the Grazing Planning course, I was able to manage through last summer’s drought without ruining the pasture. Even though I didn’t irrigate past the end of June for fear of our dual-use well (household & irrigation) running dry, the field stayed green all summer. It didn’t grow very much, but it stayed green until thankfully, rain came at the end of September, and I was able to begin grazing again in the early fall with the rapid re-growth. I used the testing questions to help make the decision to purchase hay rather than reduce the flock, a little pricey, but it was a decision I was comfortable with.

“As for Holistic Management, the first year my husband and I took the financial planning course, we were able to re-purpose about a third of our income and pay off all of our consumer debt. During the years after that we focused on paying off our mortgage five years early and building up a savings account. Holistic Financial Planning made that possible for us to accomplish.”

The following quotes are from participants that show the impacts and outcomes for specific programs.

Introduction to Whole Farm/Ranch Planning

“I learned a very well thought out process for assessing a farming operation and making smart decisions that move you in a direction you and all your management team want to go. It’s a very powerful process and it allows me to utilize all my disparate knowledge in a very structured and directed process that makes information easily available and apparent to my clients.”

“It helped me to see that brittle environments are more common in farming than I realized. I’m more aware of the systems and cycles and the concept of “holistic” than previously. It’s interesting to participate in the class with folks from different states/bioregions. I’m on the lookout for more indicators of ecosystem health, than before. It makes me look at client’s farm/production issues with “new eyes”. I attended a meeting on farming in the drought—what measures producers can take to survive this low water year—and I kept thinking “holistic management”!”

“I’m raving to friends and family about what I’m learning and practicing on them to the point of annoyance. The amount of information I’ve received and the “wider view” of the course are priceless.”

“I think the most useful things have been learning about the triple bottom line and incorporating that in to the decision making process on the farm. I will definitely look more at the whole picture when clients come in with questions.”

Land Planning

“Although I’ve worked with many of the techniques and concepts covered in the class, I found it very useful to review the concepts and hear how others approach the planning (especially land planning) process. I had several aha moments. I particularly liked learning more about using the testing questions in conjunction with the land planning to determine the best next step.”

“It was valuable to learn ROI-the ability to calculate it and practice working with it on the example worksheets. Prioritization and implementation strategies to use once the land plan is created like finding the weakest link and identifying priority investments.”

“I’m able to learn how to read the land better in terms of utilization of resources and what to consider in the overall design plan of the farm or property.”

“I learned that you should aim for creative solutions, use input from those whom are not familiar with your land-that you should try and not borrow money, but reinvest the profit you make from your operation/enterprise.”

“I really appreciated the hands on practice sheets such as the ROI fencing and developing a property. It was great to go back to the basics and focus on simple parts of the larger land planning decisions. I also really enjoyed how HMI included prioritization and implementation into the Land Planning Curriculum.”

“I hope to encourage the landowners I work with to incorporate these ideas. I already find myself incorporating them into our conversations and planning sessions.”

“I’ve changed my entire plan from a more conventional, straight rows, approach to a more permaculture integrated into my overall design.”

Grazing Planning

“Getting your ‘system’ down on paper helps immensely in understanding a complex grazing plan.”

“I am finding I am better able to communicate with my clients greater purpose in grazing management planning and further subdividing current management units in such a way that provides a space and place for curiosity from my client and allows for even broader conversations than prior to this class; I’ve been witnessing a change in some of my somewhat resistant clients. It seems I have made a change in the way I present myself or a concept that allows them to dig deeper into being more vulnerable around their management strategies and investigating, in conversation, changes that they would be willing to explore.”

“I’m more comfortable with the numbers and the math via the spreadsheet and interpreting it with “on-the” ground management”

“I learned how to assess forage quality and quantity, animal performance and how to calculate paddock size and ADA.”

Biological Monitoring

“I am able to better organize strategies for implementing a more thorough monitoring system on the farm.”

“I think this [knowledge] will be very useful when I am working with producers and even just small acreage land owners that are looking to have better land stewardship practices.”

“[Most useful thing I learned was] how to monitor ecosystem processes, and the importance of observing the soil surface.”

“The monitoring is something that I have never learned about before. I think this will be very useful when I am working with producers and even just small acreage land owners that are looking to have better land stewardship practices.”

Financial Planning

“The most useful parts of the course were identifying logjams and adverse factors, I LOVE planned profit and the way it changes how I think, cash flow, figuring out how to make planned profit happen.”

“How to integrate individual enterprises into the overall financial plan were the most useful, including how to pull out the weak link expenses and place them in the high priority column. Calculating how net worth would be impacted by the plan was a new concept.”

“I think the planning tools were very valuable – it is helpful to put these in to practice for personal finances before advocating them to customers!”

• Linda MacElwee

Collaborators: