[Ruminations vol. 30] New EOV team takes the reins

Global interest in Savory's Ecological Outcome Verification (EOV) protocol has grown exponentially over the last few years, with Pablo Borelli and the team at Ovis 21 having been at the helm since the inception of the EOV program in 2015.

The Ovis team has done a masterful job in managing the program’s various evolving components over the years, whether it be the design of the protocol with the help of our Master Verifiers, maintaining the scientific integrity and scalability of the protocol as it was piloted and deployed throughout the Savory Global Network, training and onboarding Hub Verifiers and Monitors to meet increased demand, or farm data analysis and quality assurance.

Given the increased global interest in EOV, as well as the increased demand for Holistic Management (HM) training that generally coincides with producers learning how to read the ecological outcomes of their land, it has become evident that managing the complexity and growth of the global EOV program while at the same time meeting the regional demand for EOV and HM training––the core services that Ovis 21 provides to farmers across Argentina––is proving quite challenging. And so, Pablo and the Ovis 21 team have made the difficult yet virtuous decision to pass the reins to a new team that can dedicate their full efforts to ensuring EOV’s success, now and into the future.

Thankfully, these new EOV team members have been a part of our Global Network and immersed in EOV all along.

We are proud to introduce you to the new EOV team members who will be managing all efforts from here on out:

Kelsey Kerston is joining the SI team as the new full-time EOV Program Manager. She will be the main point of contact for EOV, managing everything related to EOV. Kelsey is a trained Accredited Professional and EOV Monitor. She joins the Savory team with a background in certification management, including oversight of the organic livestock and grass-fed certification programs for North America’s largest organic certifier. In addition to first-hand experience managing commercial poultry, livestock, orchard, and row crop operations, Kelsey has traveled extensively to learn from holistic managers and Hubs around the world.

Ryan White joins the team as the new EOV Quality Assurance Lead, auditing all EOV data to ensure consistency and to identify discrepancies. Ryan is a holistic manager, a Master Verifier, and has worked for Grasslands LLC as a ranch manager and monitor for many years. His crucial role will be focused solely on EOV data review, analysis, and quality assurance.

Skyler Smith also joins as part of the EOV Quality Assurance team, a botanist specializing in native plants and ecosystem restoration performing botanical and ecological monitoring of rangelands across the western United States.

Dr. Richard Teague joins the team as EOV's Scientific Advisor. Recently retired from his position at Texas A&M University, Dr. Teague has spent decades publishing research on rangeland ecology and grazing management, and has been one of the most-published authors studying Holistic Planned Grazing. In this new role, Dr. Teague will be advising on the evolving refinement of the EOV protocol in the context of the rapid global evolution of climate science and monitoring technology, and he will serve as the liaison to our Scientific Advisory Group. Richard has been a longtime friend of our holistic and regenerative ranching network.

Dr. Matt R. Raven joins the team as the new EOV Training and Curriculum Advisor. Dr. Raven, a Professor at Michigan State University, is an EOV Master Verifier as well as an Accredited Field Professional. He is the MSU Hub leader and also serves on the EOV Scientific Advisory Group. With a B.S. in Agronomy and Range Science, a Masters in Agricultural Education, and a Ph.D. in Agricultural Education, he will be advising on the development of EOV training and related curriculum and learning materials.

We are extremely excited for this new chapter of EOV and incredibly grateful to the Ovis 21 team – Pablo, Guillermo, Paola, and Juan Pedro – for their herculean efforts in bringing the program to where it is today. Pablo and team will continue to work closely with Savory in their roles as EOV Master Verifiers, advisors to the EOV Scientific Advisory Group, and of course as a Savory Hub.

If you have any questions about this transition or about any aspects of the EOV program, please feel free to reach out to Kelsey Kerston, EOV Program Manager, using the contact form on the website.

EVENTS CALENDAR
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ZIMBABWE HUB (ACHM) · JUNE 5 - 9
5 Day Herding for Herders Training
In this course, you will fully understand the basics of holistic land and livestock management and basic eco-literacy and how to use this knowledge to make soils and grasses healthier and more productive and rainfall more effective.
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UK HUB (3LM) · ONLINE TRAINING · STARTS JULY 7
Holistic Ecological Monitoring & Land Planning
This online course runs every Wednesday in July and August. Learn to monitor the land for the earliest signs of change so you can quickly adapt your management.
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ONLINE · JULY 26
Learn How You Can Join the Savory Network
This monthly meetup is an introduction and an open discussion on the Savory Global Network. Learn how to get involved in Holistic Management, how to become an Accredited Professional, a Savory Hub, an EOV Monitor/Verifier, and more!
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