Module 5
Module 5: Holistic Decision Making
Holistic management provides a framework for decision-making for complex systems. Considerations of economic, environmental, and social parameters enable use of resources to better manage stresses, challenges and changes and create an improved agricultural ecosystem. Management functions and biophysical functions cannot be separated but are integrated in holistic management. In this module, you will find resources that explore the concept of holistic decision making.
Module 5 Session Recording
Module 5 Resources
Using biodiversity to create farm resilience with holistic management
Brian Wehlburg demostrates a fun activity to demonstrate how parts of a farm come together to make a resilient, complex, adaptive system.
Holistic Management with Helen Lewis #1 Soil monitoring
Practical tips for monitoring soil according to holistic management principles.
Holistic Management with Helen Lewis #2 Picot's Farm Story
Values are explored giving the context for Picot’s farm.
Holistic Management with Helen Lewis, Australia #3 What is agroecology for you?
Helen discusses the tools available to land managers and consequences of the decisions we make on our ecology.
Holistic Management with Helen Lewis, Australia #4 Managing grass growth
Helen describes how to plan for grazing through different seasons of the year using Holisitic management
Holistic Management with Helen Lewis, Australia #5 Knowing your Context
This video is a great one for understanding the foundation of Holistic management – establishing a holisitic context, goals, future resource base and filtering decisions that moves a person/business toward we they want to be.
A half century of Holistic Management: what does the evidence reveal?
Excellent article defining Holistic Management and it’s triple bottom line approach, and the debate surrounding HM’s claim of improving ecosystems.
Demonstration: How Ruminants Improve Water Retention - Allan Savory
Short video on how ruminants can provide an ecological service.
Introduction to Holistic Management(R): Part One – Clarifying the Whole
Awesome website by Holistic Decision Making introducing the concept of clarifying a whole.
Introduction to Holistic Management(R): Part Two – Articulating a Context
Continuation of Part 1 by Holisitc Decision Making including excellent video and diagram of a holistic decision making framework
Introduction to Holistic Management(R): Part Three – Putting Your Context to Work
Third and final episode by Holistic Decision Making, on using filtering questions and Holisitic feedback loops. Incorporates excellent diagrams and video examples
Holistic Management at Work
Video by the Savory Institute – describes prividing a context, and making decisions according to economic, social and ecological sense.
Holistic Management
Video by the Savory Institute – Allan Savory giving an example of scenario of Holistic decision making.
Running a small scale Holistic Farm - Tarrawalla Farm
Case study of Steve and Catherine Crawford’s holistically managed farm operation.
Spotlight: Holistic Management with Brian Wehlburg
Must watch video for teachers explaining Holistic Management with Brian Wehlburg.
What is Holistic Management?
Animation by the Savory Institute describing Holistic management, and how decisions are made with the “whole” in mind.
Bruce Maynard at Willydah - An Australian 'cropping' case study
Case study on Bruce Maynard, highlighting Bruce’s holistic method of cropping.
Systems thinking: a cautionary tale (cats in Borneo)
Animation illustrating how decision making processes when made in isolation can and will affect ecosystem, social and financial issues – good exercise for a discussion on Holistic management.
Holistic Management - A new Framwork for Decision Making
1999 version of the original book written by Allan Savory and Jodie Butterfield.
Do practioners of Holistic management exhibit systems thinking?
Scientific article exploring whether holisitic practitioners are systems thinkers – results indicate “yes”, but to varying degrees.
Other modules
Explore the other five modules that make up the Regenerative Agriculture Professional Learning site. Each module folder contains a recording of the professional learning presentations along with associated resources including websites, factsheets, case studies and activities.
Further Information
If you have any questions about the program contact our team here.
