In the documentary series, with the fascinating title Roots so Deep (you can see the devil down there), there is overwhelming scientific evidence that animals are part of a healthy ecosystem. It also shows that if farmers adapt their grazing practices, it likely offers the world’s best chance to reduce carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and combat climate change. Moreover, it costs farmers less money than conventional practices.

The story behind the title is also told in the series and sheds light on the amiability and unique sayings of the farmers in the southern states of America where the series was filmed.

Conventional vs. Regeneration 

The director is Prof. Peter Byck, a professor of practice at Arizona State University’s sustainability school. He is currently in South Africa to introduce the series. Here he told African Farming that he wanted to find out if a system of adaptable pressure grazing (also known as Adaptive Managed Paddocks or AMP) is better for the soil than the conventional way of grazing, and whether conventional farmers were willing to switch to this method.

“Our team of scientists, who have been working with farmers for years, were very sceptical about this; yet, four out of the five conventional farmers who were part of our project switched. There were several reasons that convinced them, such as the measurable evidence that they could save money, or even something as random as the fact that they wanted to bring back the lost birdlife on their farms.”

Byck says the impression existed among many scientists that conventional farmers think their neighbours who employ adaptable grazing methods are crazy. He and his team experienced the opposite.

“Although the conventional farmers were curious about what was going on beyond the fence, they were too polite to ask questions. On the other hand, the regenerative farmers, out of politeness, held themselves back and did not reach out to the conventional farmers. They were also afraid of being accused of interfering and prescribing how their neighbours should farm. Many of the regenerative farmers were first-generation farmers, while the conventional farmers’ families had been cultivating their land for generations.”

Documentary 

The series follows the lives of farmers on ten farms in the southeastern states of Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, and Mississippi. Five of them practised high-pressure grazing with movable enclosures, and the other five practised conventional grazing methods. The documentary shows how a team of 20 scientists from seven universities compared the impact of AMP with conventional grazing.

Everything was measured, from the carbon and nitrogen levels in the soil, water infiltration, insect life, birds, greenhouse gases, microbes in the soil, and the general well-being of the animals. Many of these scientists had to endure a lot of criticism in academic circles as long-standing proponents of regenerative agriculture and live with the label of maverick scientists. For them, too, there was a lot at stake to deliver data that unequivocally proves that grazing methods that mimic the centuries-long migration of large herds of American buffalo are better for the environment than the conventional farming – with fixed boundary wires – that came after. 

This scientific evidence is beautifully highlighted in the documentary film through interactive graphics and then the human emotions when the two sets of farmers come together to receive and discuss the results. It is clear that all these farmers, like their South African counterparts, have a deep connection with the land and their animals and only want the best for both. 

For some conventional farmers, it was a big shock to realise how much poorer their soil and ecosystem are compared to that of their neighbours. With this, the producers of the documentary series have deep empathy. “I want the viewer to be aware of the farmers who grow their food. Often, it is the small farmers who produce much of the food we eat. And they are having a very hard time right now,” says Byck. 

Roots so Deep‘s South African premiere took place on Sunday, 21 July at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) as part of the 9th World Congress on Conservation Agriculture. The documentary series can be downloaded at https://rootssodeep.uscreen.io/programs/rsd_collection_sa for $5.50 (approximately R100 when converted to rand).