Book excerpt: Why do whole-farming planning? What makes it more effective than other ways of managing farms? The answers to these questions lie in a quiet rediscovery through science that is fundamentally changing the way modern humans see and must manage the world. The goal of this whole-farm planning manual is to reintroduce a macroscopic method of making and testing decisions on the farm and in larger wholes in which we live. This NOFA guide has information on: Lessons from systems science (including tools) Assessing the whole farm (what are we managing? the people, physical and mental assets, money) Understanding the farm ecosystems (the water and mineral cycles, dynamics of the biological community, the energy flow) Choosing appropriate tools Making a framework to test decisions Including examples and statements from practicing farmers, and more holistic resources and alternative business models.