Who do you trust when speaking about land, food, and the future?

Frameworks matter. Grazing charts matter. Policy conversations matter. They give us structure and language, help us see more clearly, and measure what we do. And yet, it is not diagrams or slogans that regenerate landscapes. In the end, renewal is carried forward by people who come together around shared values and the care of the ecosystems we all depend on.

During an advanced training at the African Centre for Holistic Management (ACHM) near Victoria Falls, this became beautifully clear. The landscape was inspiring, the framework of Holistic Management was rigorous, and what gave everything life was the incredible group of people who gathered to learn, share, and support one another.

A week on the land

Dimbangombe is not a classroom in the usual sense. Our sessions took place in a round, open-sided hut with a thatched roof held aloft by timber poles. The breeze and birdsong moved freely through the space, creating the intimacy of a room but the openness of the outdoors. By midday, we climbed into a Land Rover and drove across rutted tracks to where the land itself became the teacher - examining soils, grasses, water, and herds moving as one. Evenings became their own classroom. As the sun set red on the horizon, we gathered around the fire. Flames crackled, laughter rose, and conversations carried late into the night.

That rhythm — learning, walking, and reflecting — bound us together. People had come from different continents and professions, yet slowly we discovered a shared language: the language of land and life.

The gift of the circle

I am deeply grateful for the richness of the group:

The Smooth family from Utah, with McKinley already stepping into leadership as a teacher of Holistic Management, bringing passion and clarity about caring for water, land, and future generations.

Cameron King from Oregon, who shared with great honesty and humility what it means to ranch as a family, balancing legacy, resilience, and joy in daily decisions.

Cory Van Groningen and his daughter from Canada, reminding us that regeneration is not only about soils but also about food culture, butchery, and reconnecting eaters with the land.

Byron Shelton, whose calm presence and deep experience made him a true guide, holding rigor and compassion together and showing us how to always return to the essentials.

Richard Lackey, bringing in the important perspective of finance and food security, shows how markets can become allies in creating regeneration at scale when guided by values.

Brent Stapelkamp and his family, courageously guiding ACHM with vision and integrity, embody coexistence and care.

Allan Savory and Jody Butterfield, who continue to inspire with their wisdom, clarity, and dedication. Allan, approaching ninety, teaching every day with passion, and Jody weaving in depth and perspective, together model the wholeness that Holistic Management teaches.

A chorus of voices

What made this week so powerful was not one voice but the harmony of many. Each perspective added richness: ranching, finance, butchery, education, and conservation. Together, they created a chorus of encouragement and possibility. Renewal is not a solo act. It is a collective practice carried forward by many hands and hearts.

Carrying it home

Ecology is the study of our common home. The economy is how we organise that home. Management is the daily tending of the relationships that keep it alive. To regenerate land is to return to this original meaning—caring not only for cattle or markets, but for the living web of soil, water, plants, animals, and communities.

This week reminded me that the deepest wealth we can create is not only in restored grasslands or flowing rivers, but in the relationships we build and the values we share.

The epicenter of humanity’s future is wherever land, people, and values come back together. It is wherever regeneration is embraced, not as a slogan but as a way of life.