Solutions to climate change grounded in grazing - ASU News Now

Solutions to climate change grounded in grazing | ASU News

A film premiere features solutions to climate change that are grounded in grazing styles

Peter Byck has managed to do the seemingly impossible.

In a world where different opinions about climate change are safer left unspoken, the Arizona State University professor produced a film that features farmers from the Southeast, calmly considering the carbon footprint of both conventional and regenerative cattle grazing.

(Spoiler alert: Studies show that regenerative grazing pulls down up to four times more carbon from the atmosphere than conventional grazing.)

The Arizona premiere of “Roots So Deep (you can see the devil down there),” took place Thursday at Marston Exploration Theater in ASU’s Interdisciplinary Science and Technology Building. The theater was full and before Byck even spoke a word on stage, he was applauded by an appreciative audience.

ASU President Michael Crow introduced the film commending Byck for “helping us to better understand the relationship between agricultural production and climate change.”

The film is engaging, inspiring and important — documenting one of the most comprehensive research projects in the U.S. to date.

At the heart of it, is the question, “How do we actually get people to understand that if we just think a bit more comprehensively about the carbon equation, we could much better manage our relationship with the planet,” said Crow.

ASU Professor of Practice Peter Byck takes questions from the audience during Thursday's premiere of the film, "Roots So Deep (you can see the devil down there)" at the Marston Exploration Theater. Photo by Charlie Leight.

Digging for solutions

“Roots So Deep” was born out of Byck’s desire to find solutions to problems created by climate change.

The filmmaker heard about an underutilized system of farming known as Adaptive Multi-Paddock (AMP) grazing — a process of feeding cattle in small paddocks and moving frequently to fresh ones.

This livestock management practice allows for healthy, restorative rest periods for the land. Traditional grazing on large pastures for extended periods results in overgrazing and the depletion of nutrients from the soil.

“AMP grazing is based on the oldest ways of grazing invented by the best land managers ever — bison,” explained Byck, a professor of practice at ASU’s School of Sustainability and the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communications.

According to Byck’s team of scientists, AMP grazing is being used by three percent of the country’s farmers, but has the potential to safeguard natural ecosystems and solve many environmental problems plaguing the planet.

Despite its benefits, Byck soon learned that a lack of scientific research about the method made it risky for traditional farms to consider.

That’s when he embarked on what was to be a 10-year — $10 million research project.

The farmers and the film

The “Roots So Deep” documentary brings viewers along on Byck’s adventure to the homes of farmers in Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama and Mississippi. The first and fourth part of the series (screened on Thursday) feature beautiful sweeps across lush green fields, shots of fog-filled mornings and even captures banana spiders and their intricate webs.

And then, there is the close up of families of insects feasting on cow pods. It is, after all, a science documentary.

The film’s rigorous research was done by a team of 20 maverick scientists across seven universities who worked on five sets of neighboring farms. They compiled data from farmers who have mastered AMP grazing, and their neighbors who continue with the conventional grazing style. Studies from the project have already appeared in nine peer-reviewed research publications.

Scientists compared insect life, cattle health and bird count. (One AMP grazing farm enjoyed 442 birds from nine species compared to the conventional farm that had only 152 birds from six species.)

They examined microbes, greenhouse gas cycling, the richness of the soil and water penetration. (One AMP grazing farm generated good water infiltration — two inches more than the traditional farm which adds up to a savings of 54,000 gallons per acre, per hour.)

And even cow pods. The pods of cow poop on one regenerative farm were eviscerated within days, while the others remained on the farm for almost four years. At the time of the filming, they were ready for a game of frisbee.

And finally, they revealed the vast variety of foliage and wildlife that can grow when land is not continuously grazed.

The science of change

The film spotlights serious science. It’s well done and also fun.

When Byck explains his uncanny ability to discuss difficult topics without division he says,

“I’ve learned that if you don’t call someone an idiot when they disagree with you — you are more likely to get them to listen to you.”

The documentary features hard-working farmers, their families and traditions that have kept them from reaping the fruit of their labor for generations. Ultimately it is about the process and difficulty of the letting go of old ideas and embracing, or maybe just considering, new ones.

“It’s really hard to get people to change,” said Byck.

Change was one of two main reasons that Byck pursued the project.

“I set out to do two things,” he said. “First, I wanted to see if the science actually proved that one way (of farming) was better than the other. And second, even if the science is strong, would it get farmers to change.”

In the end, the farmers listened closely to the research presented by the scientists. But the money also talked.

Among other things, AMP grazing eliminates the need to pay for fertilizer which can cost up to $90,000 a year and often yields no results. A more balanced insect community also reduced the need for a lot of pesticides.

The fourth episode featured the results of a culmination of 10 years of work — writing, researching, filming and of course securing funding which came from such heavy hitters as McDonalds, ExxonMobil, Wrangler and Timberland. The documentary will be out in February and available for streaming.

Byck said the project would never have been possible without the confidence of those involved.

“It took a lot of trust for an amazing team of scientists to come on board and also the 10 farm families that allowed us to do research from 2018-2022,” said Byck, who also produced the award-winning film, “Garbage.”

“I hope the funders, the farmers and the scientists are all glad they said yes to this project,” said the filmmaker. “I know I am. And it wouldn't have existed without them,”

Byck said ASU played a big role in the production of the film.

“To allow a filmmaker by trade to lead a large research project with scientists from all over the country, is something that could only happen at ASU,” he explained. “ASU is not an agriculture university. The leadership had to be open minded enough to allow this to happen.”

Top photo: The Arizona premiere of “Roots So Deep (you can see the devil down there),” took place Thursday at
Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication

School of Sustainability