An introductory Holistic Management course in 1995 inspired Brian to implement his new understanding and knowledge, using grazing as a tool to improve the environment with resultant increased stocking rates, significant pasture improvement and regeneration of water seeps. In 2001 he completed his Holistic Management Certified Educator’s course. As a director of Inside Outside Management, he has worked throughout Australia and New Zealand providing Holistic Management training and consultation to a wide variety of people, businesses and environmental groups. This has included the delivery of full Holistic Management courses, short grazing management courses and the 18-month TAFE Holistic Management diploma.

Brian has much experience working in a team with people from different cultures and backgrounds. This, together with his passion for Holistic Management allows him to create an atmosphere of trust within a group, enabling the diverse participants to actively contribute towards positive outcomes. He is motivated by seeing the positive change that Holistic Management can bring to people’s lives and livelihoods.

Brian is a certified Educator with Holistic Management International and a certified Field Professional with the Savory Institute and a board member of Holistic Management International and is also on the board of the Australian Holistic Management Co-operative. He is also a proud member of HMENZA, Holistic Management Educators of Australia and New Zealand.

2024 Roundtable Facilitator

Regenerative & Conservation Grazing / Grazing for Soil Health

2023 Plenary Panel

Resilience Through Catastrophe: Preparation for and Recovery from Climate Disasters

Hear from panelists about how producers and technical service providers can prepare for and recover from climate disasters like wildfire through building soil health, holistic management, and unique partnerships and collaborations. We’ll hear perspectives from New Mexico, California and Australia, including challenges and success stories, as we address local climate and natural disaster catastrophes via local and global perspectives.

Kelly Sidoryk ranches with her family west of Lloydminster, Alberta, Canada with an additional location near Debden, Sask. Over 30 years ago they were introduced to Holistic Resource Management (as it was known at the time), a decision making/planning process that focusses on finances, land and people. The process had a significant impact on their operation as it transitioned to be a forage based, livestock enterprise. They run a mix of cow-calf, yearling- both owned and custom enterprises.
She completed the degree 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) and sits on the HMI board. Kelly is also a member of the local ALUS (Alternative Land Use) council and serves on the CRSB(Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef) Communications and Marketing committee. She was recently recognized by AFSC as a Community Builder at the Advancing Women in Ag Conference.

Roundtable Facilitator

National Young Farmers Coalition

We believe we have one generation to transform agriculture in service to our communities and the land.

We are that generation

We are farmers and ranchers who steward the struggle to transform agriculture. We are an intersectional coalition that works for justice and collective liberation of our food and farm systems. We champion policies that resource connections to the land and foster our health in the face of climate crisis. We advocate for policies that recognize farming as a public service. We work in partnership with social justice movements for a future in which people, land, and relationships are respected. We aspire to stand in ever greater solidarity with global movements that advance human rights – especially the right to food and place.

THEORY OF CHANGE
Young farmers, when resourced and trained to share their stories with lawmakers, can remake the food system to be more equitable, just, and in service to our communities and the land.

Mission
We shift power and change policy to equitably resource our new generation of working farmers.

Vision
We envision a just future where farming is free of racial violence, accessible to communities, oriented towards environmental well-being, and concerned with health over profit.I identify as a Navajo woman – my maternal clan is Towering House. Currently located near the base of the sacred Mount Taylor, in the Pueblo of Laguna in New Mexico. I am a landless farmer with chickens, honeybees, and a native plants and foods nursery. My current work includes building a food forest demonstration garden using Indigenous permaculture and traditional knowledge. I am also an Indigenous consultant who provides guidance on working with tribal partners, and guidance for tribes in native nation building strategies. I completed my graduate education from Northern Arizona University, with my studies focused around Indigenous food ways and integrating that into Indigenous environmental management. I am grateful for my mentors in the Applied Indigenous Studies department, School of Forestry and those working directly in Indigenous communities to strengthen Indigenous food sovereignty and food security.

2024 Roundtable Facilitator

2023 Plenary

Southwest Agroforestry from an Indigenous Perspective

This presentation will provide examples of ancestral and current Indigenous farming practices that have sustained communities and cultures in the Southwest for thousands of years. These agricultural practices can revitalize a local landscape into an edible landscape that is reflective of our bioregion and our diets.

Joe and Jenn Wheeling are the owners of James Ranch Beef and The Gardens at James Ranch in Durango, Colorado. As part of the James Ranch team, they have worked to create the brand of James Ranch since their return to the ranch in 1995. They are eager community collaborators in conservation, bio-controls, soil development, water management systems and regenerative practices. As practitioners of the Delegated Meeting Process, Joe and Jenn have helped to create organizational systems with in the family and facilitate family management processes and succession planning.

Married for 38 years, they have two daughters who were raised on the ranch and have gone on to professional careers in law and accounting. Both Joe and Jenn graduated from Colorado State University, Joe got his MBA in Finance and Strategic Planning from The Wharton School of Business while Jenn got her advanced degree from the University of Life.

To learn more about how the James family is running multiple businesses effectively, read their recent blog post with HMI.

2024 Roundtable Facilitators

Helping families with succession through our own experience and creative systems we have put into practice.

2023 Plenary

Adapting and Innovating through the Lumps and Bumps of a Complex Family Business

We will share the adaptations and innovations we have employed on the James Ranch to allow several generations to live and work together on the same piece of land while sharing the common goal of responsible stewardship. We will talk about how we updated our 30 year old Holistic goal to reflect the second and third generation’s involvement in the ranch as well as our creation of a governing body for the ranch. In the midst of all of this, we will be highlighting the importance of family meetings and the Delegated Meeting Process which is designed to achieve a maximally effective meeting while empowering the participant’s individual growth and confidence.