Washington Integrated Farming Systems/Holistic
Management Project

Donald D. Nelson

How do farmers, ranchers, natural resource managers and their families learn how to move from their current situations to their best possible future outcomes in an economically, ecologically and socially sustainable manner? This was the focus of a five-year project (1995-1999) funded by a $1.062 M grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation under their Integrated Farming Systems Initiative (IFS).

The heart of the project was a series of regional workshops which taught processes and skills that were intended to raise the capacity of participants to change their own lives and their communities. These following workshops were taught in each of four project regions of the state (i.e., West, Northeast, Southeast and Tribe): (1) Introduction to Holistic Management, (2) The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, (3) First Things First (time management), (4) Generating Wealth/Financial Planning, (5) Consensus Building, (6) Principle-Centered Leadership, (7) Biological Planning, Monitoring and Land Planning, (8) Goal Setting, (9) Rural Community Development, and (10) Policy Analysis.

In addition, three statewide annual meetings (1997, 1998 and 1999) were held for project participants and invited guests. Twenty-two local management/support groups were formed by participants for the purpose of working on the implementation of principles and concepts learned and also to collaborate on projects of common interest.

The major collaborators in this project were Washington State University and the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation.

Participants in this project included farmers, ranchers, resource managers and their families, plus participants representing Washington State University (WSU) Cooperative Extension, the WSU Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources, the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, the Natural Resource Conservation Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Forest Service, the Washington Department of Natural Resources, the Washington Department of Ecology, the Washington Conservation Commission, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Palouse-Clearwater Environmental Institute and the Washington Environmental Council.

The 158 participants in this project represented the following categories: (1) 32% women, (2) 1% Hispanic, (3) 16% Native American, (4) 82% white, (5) age range from the 20’s to the 60’s, (6) 4% from the environmental community, (7) 47% agricultural producers, (8) 21% employed for an Indian tribe, (10) 10% educators, (11) 19% government agency personnel and (12) 73% involved with a management/support group.

Examples of impact of project include: (1) improved profitability of cow-calf operations, (2) diversification and expansion of farm/ranch enterprises, (3) improved effectiveness of providing county services in Stevens County Public Works Department, (4) development of a county sub-plan for the Growth Management Act in Spokane County, (5) decreased stream sedimentation in the Asotin Creek model watershed program, (6) participant training of other farmer/rancher groups, (7) formation of a non-profit organization that provides educational and consulting services and (8) development of a regional publication.

The second phase of this project is currently being developed. Its purpose is to build capacity in people and organizations that are working on issues related to the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and the Clean Water Act (CWA) to enable them to more effectively achieve their desired outcomes through community-based decisions and non-regulatory actions. This project does not seek to replace anything that anybody is already doing. The intent is to make these existing efforts more effective in achieving the collaborative resolution of issues. The final purpose is to increase salmon runs to historical levels, to improve the water quality to almost natural levels and to provide a high quality of life, socially and economically, for the people in the region. The core processes used in this phase will be the consensus process and holistic decision-making process used in Phase I. The ultimate objective is to build resident capacity at the grassroots level.

Targeted participants in Phase II include representatives from: (1) Bonneville Power Administration, (2) Environmental Protection Agency, Region 10, (3) Washington Department of Ecology, (4) Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, (5) Washington Conservation Commission, (6) Washington Department of Natural Resources, (7) Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, (8) Coordinated Resource Management Task Group, (9) National Riparian Service Team, (10) U.S. Forest Service, (11) Indian Tribes, (12) NW Indian Fisheries, (13) City of Seattle, (14) City of Portland, (15) Washington State University. We will also seek to involve stakeholders in Idaho, Montana and California.

Donald D. Nelson
Extension Beef Specialist Affiliate
Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources
Washington State University
PO Box 646310
Pullman, Washington 99164-6310
Tel: (509) 335-2922
Nelsond@wsu.edu

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