Holistic Management Final

• Fresh
• Recently deposited plant parts not visibly breaking down biologically

• Grey oxidizing
• Plant parts beginning to break down biologically, hard to distinguish the barrier between plant parts and soil surface

• Live
• Is anything hanging over that point that would intercept a rain drop before it hits the ground

• 1. Cause and Effect
• 2. The Weak Links
• 3. Marginal Reaction
• 4. Gross Profit Analysis
• 5. Energy & Money
• 6. Sustainability
• 7. Society and Culture

• Does the solution address the root cause of the problem?
• This test seeks to avoid unproductive decisions making by asking you to carefully consider what is causing the problem.
• If the alternative proposed does address the cause, then it PASSES this test
• If alternative proposed is not addressing a problem, SKIP this test

• Undetected Weak Links can lead to continual setbacks or to complete failure
• This test compels you to check your proposed solutions to address the link that is weakest at any moment
• Social
• Biological 
• Financial

• Can this action, because of prevailing attitudes or beliefs, create a weak link in chain of actions leading toward your holistic goal?
• Will the decision you are making offend or confuse people whose support you need to achieve your future resource base?

• Is the problem that there are too many or too few?
• What is the organism most vulnerable stage in its life?
• Does this action address the weakest link in the life-cycle of this organism?

• Does this action strengthen the weakest link in the chain of production
• Resource Conversion: raw resources, education, knowledge, skill set, certification
• Product Conversion: taking what you have and converting into a product->berries->jam
• Marketing: resume, references, personal contact

• Sunlight Harvesters:businesses with primary production based on conversion of sunlight through plants to consumable product.
• -plants grown become marketable as crops or feed for livestock, wildlife, fish
• Resource Enhancers: Producers one-step removed from sunlight-conversion.Primary production =converting raw materials + energy into goods/services (bakery, processing, accounting)
• SUNLIGHT HARVESTERS – plants grown become marketable as crops or feed for livestock, wildlife, fish
• RESOURCE ENHANCERS – goods made become saleable goods, services, or marketable skills

• Used to compare two or more actions
• Which provides greatest return in terms
• -Holistic Goal
• -Time Spent
• -Money Spent

• Used to compare two or more actions
• Which enterprise contributes the most to covering overheads of the business
• -overhead costs: fixed costs that don't fluctuate based on units of production

• Is the energy or money to be used in this action derived from appropriate source according to Holistic Context?
• Addresses:
• -Source of Money
• -Source of Energy
• -Patterns of Use for Money and Energy

• Unlimited or limited
• Are effects benign or damaging to environment
• Try to favor unlimited and benign
• Ie: solar panels vs nuclear energy – both can be unlimited sources but one creates radioactive by-products

• Internal vs External
• Beware of external sources: strings attached, compound interest
• government assistance requires abiding by regulations – are those in line with your Holistic Goal; can create dependency
• Philanthropist donations – create form of influence
• Consider Opportunity Cost

• # 1: Is money or energy used consumptive?
• = one time use only, no lasting effects
• # 2 Is use cyclic?
• Initiate a process and it continues on with no additional money or energy
• Ex: Make a one-time purchase of equipment
• # 3 Is use addictive?
• Risk of dependence of further inputs of Energy & $
• Ex: common when “cause” is not addressed, credit card purchases (need monitoring), our use of fossil fuels (not a problem to use but our RATE of use!)

• If you take this action, will it lead you toward or away from the Future Resource Base?
• The People – perceptions of clients, extended family; how did you want to be perceived as?
• The Community – do actions promote what you envisioned
• The Landscape – will you be effected the Ecosystem Processes, directly or indirectly

• AKA Gut Check
• How do you feel about this action now?
• Will it lead you to YOUR Quality of Life and Future Resource Base?
• This can only be answered by those that made the Holistic Context; sometimes leads to changes of Context

Setting goals to manage your land. Decision making framework

• Science: studying
• Management: making decisions 
• They don't always cross over
• Scientists aren't always good managers

• Principles: living world is made of relationships not parts
• Processes
• Practices

You can't manage land- you can't mange just land there is soil, animals, bankers, and microbes

Divergent decisions are messy but are most important decisions you'll make

• Plans are worthless but the planning process is essential
• Our belief is what we see
• Our life support is ecosystem processes