Richard,
Managing holistically involves two processes acting in conjunction – the first using the holistic framework to provide what we call a holistic context for all objectives. This is to address the full social, environmental and economic complexity inevitably involved in management of any situation. If during this it is determined that livestock are required – either because there is no other “tool” available to humans (and science) to do what is required, or this as well as the need to
feed people, then and then only does the second process kick in. That is using the holistic planned grazing process to address the complexity of livestock on land that is never adequately addressed in any rotational, mob grazing, short duration grazing or any other grazing system ever devised (the sole exception being Voisin’s Rational Grazing in pasture situations which is exceptionally good where humidity is well distributed through the year). So if the first aligning of objectives was in context and indicated livestock would have to be used in say your sand dune situation then they would be used with the planned grazing process. If the first process indicated everything required could be achieved by some other means known to say parmaculturalists then you would do so.
No, land covered with snow for many months makes no difference to the above. That is why so many ranchers in the regions of prolonged snow in the US and Canada are practicing holistic planned grazing (and learning how to cut many costs of
hay cutting etc).
If there are no animals at present then the first process of simply using the holistic framework helps people determine how to get started – whether it is best to buy animals, lease grazing, what types of animals, how fast to expand, whether to increase animals first and fencing later from income generated from the land, and so on as this all has to be in context and not simply an objective of getting animals.
Managing well people
should make every step in the change over from conventional management to holistic lead to greater profitability. That is why the study of early adopters of holistic management in the US done by Deb Stinner et al at Ohio State University showed they averaged 300% more profitability. This over about the same time span in which 600,000 US farmers went bankrupt and suicide was the leading agricultural cause of death. None of us, myself included, does things perfectly and we are finding people not understanding holistic management very well but at least starting and sticking with these two processes improve their lives and land considerably. Hope this helps.
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