Byron Shelton

Hi folks. My name is Byron and I'm the Senior Program Director at the Savory Institute. My primary role at Savory includes providing training in Holistic Management for the worldwide network of Savory Institute Hubs and Accredited Professionals. You'll hear from me from time to time in this course so I wanted to introduce myself.

I've been teaching/practicing Holistic Management for more than three decades and I've had the pleasure of working with large and small beef and dairy operations as well as with a wide range of other livestock and crop enterprises across North America, Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, and the Mideast.

I'm glad you're here and I look forward to getting to work with you.

Precious Phiri

Hello! My name is Precious and I'm a Zimbabwean Accredited Field Professional in Holistic Management education for communal areas! For nine years, I was the Coordinator of Training at the Africa Centre for Holistic Management, the first Savory Hub in Zimbabwe, and I continue to do work with communities and other civil society partners facilitating Holistic Management. 

I've worked extensively with different pastoral and agro-pastoral communities to bring Holistic Management to communities in Eastern and Southern Africa. I'm also involved with the Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa (AFSA) and I'm Regeneration International’s Africa coordinator and steering committee member where I network and build partnerships with different organizations to support and spread economic, social, and ecological regeneration work. 

I'm excited to bring my experience to these courses and I look forward to helping you in your learning experience!

Durukan Dudu

Hi everyone! I'm Durukan, the co-founder of Anadolu Meraları (Savory Hub in Turkey) and Accredited Trainer and Field Professional since 2014, providing trainings and consultancy in Turkish and English. I'm also an international consultant for the Food and Agriculture Organization for the United Nations, working with specific grassland management and restoration projects, mostly in Central Asian countries.

I've also founded and (co)managed a number of different organizations, like, Turkey's first grass-fed & regenerative meat brand, and two other regenerative businesses in Sweden in collaboration with Savory's Nordic Hub. This requires a specific focus and expertise on my part on holistic context making and decision taking framework; which I see as the very foundation of Holistic Management. I have field experience of 7 years with sheep, goats, cattle and pasture-based chicken, gardening as well as multi-enterprise farm entities that are common in Europe.

Very excited to be here and I look forward to working with you!

Cindy Dvergsten

Hi everyone! My name is Cindy and I've had the pleasure of practicing and teaching Holistic Management since 1993. As an Accredited Professional with the Savory Institute, I work with family-based farms and ranches of all types and sizes as well as new and beginning farmers, local food hubs, government agencies, non-profits, and Native Americans. I've also been an instructor in Savory's online courses since 2017.

I hold a degree in Natural Resource Management and Soil Science from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. My experience includes working in natural resource management, small business development, land use planning, organizational development, and livestock breed conservation. I am a life-long farmer and have operated Arriola Sunshine Farm in Southwestern Colorado since 1987, where I raised produce for local markets until 2015. Today I continue to raise a flock of Navajo-Churro sheep, producing grass fed lamb, raw and processed wool products, and registered breeding stock.

I look forward to assisting you in your learning process!