Regenerating land and communities by growing the network of Holistic Management practitioners and educators in Canada.
There are 271,935 farmers in Canada managing approximately 153 million acres of farmland and ranchland. Land managers are facing growing uncertainty from increasingly unpredictable weather patterns, unstable financial conditions, and rising societal pressures. 2023 has been another unprecedentedly difficult year for farmers and ranchers on the frontlines.
Across Canada, in all ecoregions, farmers and ranchers are facing the same challenge. We have been living through relatively stable conditions and have gotten by with a recipe-type approach to land management. If I do this, I can expect this. In this new uncertain world, this approach no longer serves us.
We need an approach to management that helps land managers predict changes, diagnose problems, and design solutions in contextually-appropriate, adaptive and timely ways for the ecology, economy and for society. Holistic Management Canada is growing the network of practitioners and educators in Canada through our programs and our courses.
What is Holistic Management?
Holistic Management is a framework that gives people the insights and management tools needed to understand nature and make decisions that balance key social, environmental, and financial considerations. Other approaches often only focus on specific, narrow aspects of the farm. You can only tell so much about the health of a farm by looking only at a soil sample, or just seeing the books, or by participating in one farm family gathering. Holistic Management brings that all together.
Holistic Management has been practiced in Canada since the late ’80s and has played a key role in growing the regenerative movement in agriculture. Holistic Management has helped farmers:
- improve grazing practices and increase their stocking rate
- get out of debt and create more profit
- navigate the transition of the farm from one generation to the next
- mitigate risks while transitioning to regenerative practices
Whether you are a livestock, grain or vegetable farmer; land owner or renter; industry professional or consumer; new or experience; no matter what your background – Holistic Management has something to offer you.