8 X Sundays – 31st January – 11th April 2021

6:30pm to 9:00pm each Sunday (no class 14th March & 4th April)

Cost: €195 for NOTS participants

NOTE: This course is only open to participants who have previously completed the 3LM Holistic Management Fundamentals 3-day course. Please do not sign up if you have not completed the Fundamentals course in the past.

Holistic Planned Grazing caters for all the many variables that are commonly left out of grazing planning, such as: erratic weather, different types or classes of livestock, grazing through croplands, orchards, vineyards, wildlife needs, and family needs (such as vacations), and much more. Although people think they can plan all of this in their heads, or assisted by a calendar, notebook or chart, it is simply not possible to achieve the best plan in such a way.

The focus in this course is on learning the fundamental concepts and the planning process because once they are understood any situation, no matter how complex, becomes relatively easy to plan. You will fully develop a growing season plan, using a case study provided by the educator, and will preview the steps involved in creating a non-growing season plan.

Benefits

• Whether you are a farmer, conservationist, government employee, business person or informed consumer, this whole landbase, whole system approach to resource management gives you the management tools to understand nature and work with it.
• Manage land to improve its health and create a sustainable future for generations to come.
• Improve livestock health.
• Increase profits, stocking rates, and crop yields.
• Increase biodiversity: native perennials, wildlife, soil microorganisms.
• Improve quality of life.
• Mitigate flood, drought and climate change.Course Modules / Topics include:
  The Fundamentals of Holistic Planned Grazing
  • Holistic decision making and how it relates to Holistic Planned Grazing
  • Why plan your grazing?
  • Measuring forage utilization – in animal days
  • Grazing, overgrazing, and growth rates
  • Grazing periods and recovery periods
  • Time, density, and paddock numbers
  • Forage and drought reserves
  • Determining correct stocking rates
  • The critical non- or slow-growing season
  • Managing a drought
  • Watering large herds
  • Creating herd effect
  • Single vs. multiple herds
  • Wild grazers and browsers
  • Matching animal cycles to land cycles
  • Pests, parasites, and other challenge