Deepen Your Understanding of Holistic Management on Working Landscapes
Join us for a 10-day immersive experience designed to equip you with the foundational tools and actionable first steps to begin applying Holistic Management on your landscape.
By the end of this course, you’ll walk away with:
A holistic grazing plan tailored to your land, livestock, and context
A values-aligned financial plan to strengthen your business and guide decision-making
A holistic land plan to support long-term ecological and operational goals
The fundamentals of ecological monitoring so you can begin tracking soil, water, and ecosystem health
A clear understanding of the Holistic Management framework—the principles that guide effective, regenerative decision-making across your operation
THIS IS A SAVORY ACCREDITED COURSE AND MEETS THE TRAINING REQUIREMENTS FOR BECOMING A SAVORY INSTITUTE ACCREDITED PROFESSIONAL.
This framework strengthens your understanding of the whole you are working within and supports you in developing a context-appropriate pathway for thoughtful decision-making and land stewardship. Throughout the program, you’ll experience a mixture of indoor lessons, individual work time, and outdoor, hands-on field learning.
WHAT THIS COURSE UNLOCKS
Healthier, More Resilient Landscapes
Improve soil health, water infiltration, pasture productivity, and overall ecosystem function.
Stronger Business Foundations
Use holistic financial planning to make decisions that support both ecological outcomes and economic viability.
Greater Clarity in Complex Systems
Understand your context so you can make clear, aligned decisions within a dynamic, living system.
A Sharper Ability to Read the Land
Apply monitoring fundamentals to observe change, understand trends, and evaluate the effectiveness of your stewardship.
A Supportive Community of Practice
Join a network of peers, ranchers, and land stewards committed to ongoing learning and regenerative agriculture.
COURSE CURRICULUM
Foundations of Holistic Management — 2 Days
Core principles of Holistic Management
Understanding ecosystem processes and the tools that influence them
Making decisions within the context of the whole you are working within
Holistic Financial Planning — 3 Days
Key concepts of holistic financial planning
Developing a values-aligned financial plan
Holistic Planned Grazing — 2 Days
Principles of holistic planned grazing
Creating, implementing, and monitoring a grazing plan
Holistic Land Planning — 1 Day
Concepts of holistic land planning
Designing a land plan for long-term goals
Holistic Ecological Monitoring — 1 Day
Fundamentals of ecological monitoring
Observing and interpreting ecological change
WHO THIS COURSE IS FOR
From producers seeking to increase carrying capacity to community members wanting to deepen their awareness of the food systems they participate in — this course welcomes participants of all experience levels.
“The Holistic Management Intensive at White Buffalo Land Trust was incredibly valuable to me as a grazier and ranching entrepreneur. The fundamentals I had been studying for the past five years were presented by world-class instructors and practitioners who wove their own experiences into the principles for invaluable context. The lessons learned were matched by the friendships made in a clearly intentional community. I am so grateful to have my instructors and classmates as part of my resource base moving forward.”
— 2024 HMI Participant
COURSE DETAILS
Cost: $2,500 USD
Includes 3 locally sourced, delicious meals per day, course instruction, and materials (including the Holistic Management books)
A $500 non-refundable deposit is required upon registration to secure your spot.
Full tuition is due by March 6, 2026.
Refunds considered on a case-by-case basis if requested six weeks prior. No refunds after March 1, 2026.
Lodging:
Tent/car camping: $25/night
Shared cabins: $75/night (limited availability, first-come, first-served)
If onsite cabins fill, offsite partner lodging is available at an additional cost.
Scholarships:
We offer a range of scholarships on a case-by-case basis. Scholarship applications due by January 5, 2026.
LEAD FACILITATORS
Spencer Smith
Master Field Professional and certified Holistic Management educator with the Savory Institute. His work takes him throughout Northern California and Nevada conducting Holistic Management workshops, courses, events and consultations. In addition to teaching, Spencer is a rancher himself and has decades of experience in ranch management including herd health, pasture management , and rangeland improvements.
Jesse Smith
Director of Land Stewardship and is guiding the development of the Jalama Canyon Ranch as well as working with local and global leaders to broaden and deepen the positive impact of regenerative agriculture on our soil, our health, and our communities. His passion and expertise in agricultural system design and community engagement are a cornerstone of our strategy to achieve a systemic shift towards a regenerative food economy and ecology.
SPECIAL GUEST FACILITATORS WILL BE ANNOUNCED SOON!
FOR INQUIRIES & QUESTIONS, PLEASE CONTACT OUR PROGRAMS TEAM AT PROGRAMS@WHITEBUFFALOLANDTRUST.ORG