Roots of Resilience is the product of the collaborative effort of ranchers, farmers, university and extension educators, as well as other sustainability activists.

Mission

Roots of Resilience promotes restoration of the world’s grasslands through Holistic Management. We accomplish this by:

1. Healing lands using properly managed livestock to create triple-bottom-line benefits, thereby sequestering carbon, improving watershed health and enhancing ecosystem processes, and regenerating social systems.

2. Empowering others to use properly managed livestock to heal the land by providing consulting, facilitation services and teaching how to use Holistic Management to create environmental, economic and social benefits

3. Removing barriers on the path to successful large-scale change through activities such as conducting research, developing sound policies, creating market incentives and raising public awareness.

Through this process we create the added benefits of building capacity, enhancing profitability and improving the quality of life for the residents of the Pacific Northwest now and for future generations.

History

Holistic Management is a framework for making decisions that helps us to deal with the complexities of humans, the environment, and finances. It was developed by Allan Savory in the former Rhodesia – now Zimbabwe.

Decades ago as a young game agent, Allan made many insightful observations as to why the grasslands were deteriorating. He discovered that it was not too many animals causing the problem, but the ways in which they were managed. His studies led to the creation of the Holistic Management as a decision making framework to help restore the environment. He is a co-founder of the Savory Institute.

In 1996, the Kellogg Foundation funded a grant through Washington State University to bring together producers from across the state to receive training in Holistic Management, consensus building, and leadership. This program proved to be transformational for many participants, including many of the founders of Roots of Resilience.

The Roots team has spent the intervening decades dedicated to understanding a holistic, integrated approach to land management that yields environmental, social, and financial benefits. Maurice and Beth Robinette manage their grass fed beef operation, the Lazy R Ranch, in Spokane, Washington, where they have improved productivity, tripled soil carbon, and lowered inputs. Sandra Matheson manages her grass fed beef operation, Matheson Farms, in Bellingham, WA and has seen _______ results. Doug Warnock spent many years supporting producers through his work as a beef extension specialist with Washington State University. Craig Madsen of Healing Hooves travels the Pacific Northwest with his herd of goats, doing fire abatement and landscape restoration.

What We've Achieved