Sanna Sevanto Team leader: Atmosphere, Clime and Ecosystem Sciences, LANL, Los Alamos, New Mexico, is a physicist turned to plant physiologist with broad expertise in transport phenomena in complex natural systems. She has a master’s degree in material science and a PhD in applied physics from the University of Helsinki, Finland. Her interests in biomechanics and the environment have led her to apply the knowledge of physics to studying plant physiology and plant responses to environmental stress. Her research has focused on measurements and modeling of plant-atmosphere interactions, ecosystem energy, water and carbon cycles, plant hydraulics, plant responses to stress, and on mechanistic understanding of plant structure and function. Most recently she has led research in developing techniques to produce microbial consortia that improve plant drought tolerance. Dr. Sevanto has over 90 peer-reviewed publications and has collaborated with researchers from various disciplines ranging from applied and theoretical physics, and global-scale vegetation modeling, to cellular and ecosystem-scale biology, ecology, meteorology, atmospheric sciences and material sciences, applying techniques from these fields for understanding plant and ecosystem function, and vegetation influence on climate.

Webinar Week

Biochar in the Southwest Panel Discussion -Production Methods and Quality

Making biochar is easy…making high-quality biochar cleanly, efficiently, and with consistent properties is more challenging. This presentation will cover the types of biomass and reaction systems that can be used to make biochar, and will provide an introduction to biochar characterization and evaluation. Determination of what is a “good” biochar is not always straightforward as biochar properties that offer advantages for one application, may not be advantageous for another application. For example, biochars intended to increase the pH and mineral nutrient content of an acidic, weathered soil may benefit from having a higher and more alkaline ash content. That same biochar applied to an alkaline, saline (desert) soil would be at a disadvantage. In this presentation, we will look at the kinds of biochar properties that can be measured and how those properties can inform decisions about each biochar’s use.

Tony McQuail bought a farm near Lucknow, Ontario in 1973. He and his wife, Fran, ran a diversified organic farm raising livestock, a small apple orchard and operated a community supported garden. McQuail was an early adopter of rotational grazing and has decades of experience in pasture management and fencing systems. They have been using Holistic Management principles and tools for over 25 years. At Meeting Place Organic Farm they raise grass fed and finished beef, pastured pork and pastured poultry and have done some experimenting with cocktail cover crops. They do some of their farming with work horses. They took a played-out crop farm from approximately 1.5% soil organic matter to 3.5 to 7% organic matter moving CO2 from the atmosphere into the soil. The McQuails have transferred the farm operation to their daughter Katrina and continue to be actively involved in it.
McQuail has an Honours Bachelor of Environmental Studies from the University of Waterloo and is a certified educator with Holistic Management International. He was instrumental in founding the Ecological Farmers Association of Ontario and the Collaborative Regional Alliance for Farmer Training. He has been president of both the Huron County Federation of Agriculture and the Huron Local of the National Farmers Union.
He has a long-standing interest in renewable energy including wind power, live horsepower, solar heating and photovoltaic systems. The McQuails designed and built a passive solar home in the mid 1970’s. The McQuails put up the first modern grid interconnected wind generator on the Ontario Hydro Grid in the late 1970’s. They annually produce more photovoltaic electricity from their microfit solar array than their home and farm business consume.
McQuail was the executive assistant to the Ontario Minister of Agriculture Food and Rural Affairs in the early 1990’s. During that time, he was involved in the process that developed Ontario’s Environmental Farm Plan Program which continues to this day. He is currently on Holistic Management Canada’s Board of Directors.

Find our more about Tony’s work in this YouTube video and the farm website.

Webinar Week

Measuring soil carbon and health on rangelands: A how-to webinar

When we think about regeneration we need to think broadly about interconnection. Regenerative agriculture is about land, but it is also about human and economic relationships. If we are going to be regenerative we have to look after the Land AND the People AND the Finances.
Do you struggle with wondering what is the right decision to make to help you farm or ranch more regeneratively? Learn how to use HMI’s Holistic Management(R) Decision-Making Matrix and the 7 testing questions that have helped thousands of farmers and ranchers improve their on-farm/ranch decisions. With these questions you can learn how to test decisions towards a whole farm/ranch goal so you take into account social, ecological, and economic factors and address the root cause of problems you are facing.
Another element of being regenerative is being adaptive and responsive to our situation, be it ecological, social or financial. That is where Holistic Management’s (R) monitoring and replanning can be of great help.
During the workshop we will explore these tools and share some stories of how they have worked in our lives at Meeting Place Organic Farm.

Dr. Chelsea Carey serves as the Working Lands Research Director and Principal Soil Ecologist at Point Blue Conservation Science. In this role, she develops strategic partnerships and leads priority research projects focused on characterizing soil properties that are relevant to soil health, climate change mitigation, and regenerative land management. Dr. Carey has published over a dozen peer-reviewed articles and reports on soil ecology and stewardship, and is currently spearheading a large multi-state, multi-institute project to better understand how rangeland management practices affect carbon sequestration across space and time.

Webinar Week

Measuring soil carbon and health on rangelands: A how-to webinar

In this webinar, we will hear from scientists at Point Blue Conservation Science on how to measure and monitor soil carbon and health on rangelands. Focusing on the emerging Range-C Monitoring Framework, the group will discuss how to select indicators, identify the study area and sampling locations, determine the number of samples needed, and ensure data quality. By the end of the webinar, attendees will have a working understanding of the key decisions that go into measuring soil carbon and health in a way that produces reliable results, and how the Range-C Monitoring Framework can help navigate those decisions during the monitoring process.

Book: At Home with Holistic Management: Creating a Life of Meaning

Webinar Week

Low-Cost, Low-Risk Grazing

In this 90-minute webinar, experienced grazers Wayne Knight & Linda Pechin-Long will examine risk, stress, and quality of life in production decisions and share their experience with the “Safe-to-Fail Trial” method for grazing management.

Webinar Week

Cultivating a Restorative Lifestyle

The most important part of any agriculture operation is the people doing the work. Farming and ranching can be very rewarding and also very hard on our mind and body. This workshop will explore ways that people working in agriculture can prioritize and support their own mental and physical well-being along with the well-being of the people they work with. It will also look at how the needs of the crops, and livestock inform the needs of the people raising them. Restorative economies depend on restoring the health and well-being of the farmers, ranchers, and agriculture workers that make them possible.

Book: At Home with Holistic Management: Creating a Life of Meaning

Webinar Week

Determining Value, Risk, and Scale: How to do a Gross Profit Analysis

A Gross Profit Analysis (GPA) is an essential piece of Holistic Financial Planning and a great way to determine your cost of production for any enterprise. You can also determine the risk involved in that enterprise at different scales so you can determine the right scale for you for any enterprise as well as the profit you can expect from that enterprise. A GPA will also help you determine the right price for your products. In this experiential workshop you will have time to practice this financial tool so you will have the skills to do a GPA on your enterprise. Bring your calculator to the workshop! Taught by HMI Certified Educator Ann Adams who has been teaching Farm Service Agency Borrower Training and Beginning Farmer Financial Planning Training for over 20 years.