For Our Soil's Sake

A short interview with Gabe Brown at the Holistic Management Conference 2025. 

Gabe recently authored the book, “Dirt to Soil, One Family’s Journey Into Regenerative Agriculture.”

Resources:

Website: https://brownsranch.us

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brownsranch/?hl=en

David uses his experience as a family counsellor to explain the similarities between working with family systems and Holistic Management. How each piece, person, plant or animal is part of a greater system and how each one impacts one another.

David Irvine is a world-renowned speaker, author, and trusted leadership advisor. With more than forty years of experience as a family therapist, workshop facilitator, lecturer, and adviser to executives, David has dedicated his life to helping leaders create accountable and authentic organizations. With advanced degrees in human development, science and social work, David takes a unique approach to leadership development that helps leaders amplify their impact by discovering and deepening their authentic presence.

Resources:

Personal Website: https://davidirvine.com

The Leader’s Navigator Podcast - https://theleadersnavigator.podbean.com

Bluesette Campbell and her husband, Mark, run a 4000-acre ranch as a 700-cow/calf and long yearling operation along with Mark’s brother, Scott. They are third generation Campbells with the intergenerational transition to the fourth just around the corner. Their family ranch has been managed holistically for 35 years with Bluesette being a manager/owner for the past 20+.  It is stated in their 3-part holistic goal that ideas and experiences are shared with others in the community, therefore, as Don Campbell did before her, Bluesette is a Certified Educator and teaches what has brought her family much success in agriculture. She currently sits as President on the HM Canada Board and is actively teaching courses, speaking and consulting.

Resources:

Family Ranch: http://b-cranch.ca

HMC: https://holisticmanagement.ca/about/

Join Don Campbell and Gabe Brown in their Fireside Chat at the Holistic Management Conference 2025 in Assiniboia, Saskatchewan this past February!

Lead by Bluesette Campbell. 

Kelly Sidoryk ranches with her family near Lloydminster, Sask./Alta. Over 35 years ago they were introduced to Holistic Resource Management (as it was known at the time), a management process that focused on finances, land and people.  She completed the certification program through HRM with a focus on the people side. In addition to running their family business, she has worked with many farm families as they work on transitioning to the next generation. She also teaches Holistic Management Whole/Farm Ranch Planning courses and is a certified educator with Holistic Management International(HMI). Currently, she is a board member of HMI and was a past-chair. 

Resources:

Personal : https://kellysidoryk.com

Links to HMI https://www.holisticmanagement.org https://www.holisticmanagement.org/board-members/kelly-sidoryk

HMC:. https://holisticmanagement.ca/about/

Wayne Knight from Van Alstyne, TX presents at our 2025 Holistic Management Conference on his experiences managing land and planning finances through a drought.

Over the years Wayne has gone from calling himself  a cattle rancher, to a grass farmer, to a soil-microbe farmer, even though he has always marketed beef. Privileged to work with his father, Tom Knight, who was an early adopter of Holistic Management under Allan Savory – Stan Parsons consulting, Wayne enthusiastically increased and intensified the practices HMI teaches. He became a Certified Educator in 2006 and was actively involved with the Southern African CE community organization, Community Dynamics. He has spoken at numerous conferences in Southern Africa, trained and mentored farmers, hosted open days on his property, and has written about his positive results using Holistic Management. Before joining the team at HMI Wayne served as a board member of the organization for 8 years. Through his enthusiasm for Holistic Management Wayne has traveled widely visiting farmers who practice high-density, long recovery grazing practices in Southern Africa, Australia, and the US.

Resources:

How to estimate forage

Youtube - How to calculate available dry matter 

Youtube - Calculate forage

Youtube: Holistic Management Grazing in 60 seconds

Example of how to use the grazing planning chart

Savory Shop - Grazing Planning Bundle

Holistic Management International

YouTube - Field Day: Wayne Knight

Find a course in your area or meet with a consultant one-on-one to build your grazing plan. 

Reach out to us for a grazing planning worksheet. 

https://holisticmanagement.ca/about/

Stephanie Ullrich is a second-year Animal Science student at Lakeland College. She grew up on a hay farm just outside Armstrong, BC, where her love for animals, especially horses, began.

During high school, Stephanie worked in the dairy industry. After graduation, she took a three-year break during the COVID-19 pandemic to explore different jobs and spend meaningful time with family. In September 2023, she enrolled at Lakeland College, looking for a fresh start in life.

Last summer, she worked with Lakeland’s Applied Research team, contributing to various livestock projects focused on technology innovation and sustainability. Through her journey, Stephanie has found her calling in regenerative agriculture.

Resources:

https://www.bionutrient.org

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wEnDOmwa7qE

Nutrient Density in Beef Data Dashboard

Measuring Nutrient Density with Dan Kittredge

Soil Health to Human Health Dan Kittredge

AACT: Super Smart Integrated Biosystems -

https://www.instagram.com/fishburnranch/

Blain Hjertaas has been farming 50 years, the last 25 regeneratively. He has also been measuring and monitoring carbon sequestration on  a number of farm fields in SE Saskatchewan and SW Manitoba. Blain is passionate about  soil health and the role that it can play in mitigating the effects of climate change. He speaks on this topic at many seminars and conferences. He also works as a soil health consultant for Understanding AG. In this role he has been working on the General Mills Oat Pilot Project. This the largest agro-ecological study ever conducted and its purpose is to assess carbon sequestration and ecological function by farming more regeneratively. He works with 45 farms from Foam Lake, Saskatchewan to the Red River Valley in Manitoba. Blain does individual consulting and teaches the occasional Holistic Management course. Blain is married to Naomi and they have 3 children. The oldest son does most of the day to day operations on the farm and Naomi and Blain have moved off the farm to the lake to their retirement home. They have 4 grandchildren.

Resource:

General Mills Oat Pilot Project

Blain Hjertaas - Understanding Ag

Youtube - Blain Hjertaas

Cyle and Erika Stewart alongside their daughters own and operate Pine Ranch LTD which is in the Vermillion Hills in Southwest Saskatchewan. The ranch is a cow calf and yearling operation. In the last couple years Cyle and Erika have put a real focus on changing management practices to align with the goals of improving soil health and lowering inputs.

Resources:

Website - https://www.pineranch.ca

Verified beef program: https://verifiedbeef.ca

Cattlemen's young leaders program (mentorship): https://canadiancattleyoungleaders.ca

Canadian roping association: https://www.canadianranchroping.ca

Art & Lee Mcelroy are a son and father duo with a combined 29 years of farming experience.

Arlie Laroche owns and runs Farm One Forty with her family.

Javeleigh Seguin is a young eager apprentice, who worked alongside Bluesette and Mark Campbell. 

Morgan & Craig Kitchen just moved to Saskatchewan so they could ranch alongside their mentors Deanne and John Chuiko.

All of these inspiring individuals have implemented Holistic Management into their lives and are applying regenerative principles into the way they manage land and grow food. 

Resources: 

Arlie's Family Farm - Farm One Forty

Morgan Kitchen's Instagram