CarbonLink present 'Roots so Deep': Screening, Live Q+A & Farm Visit - Moura, Queensland

Farmers and Scientists building a path to solving climate change with hooves, heart and soil.

You're invited to a fun and informative day with the CarbonLink team as they bring US documentary maker Peter Byck and his 'Roots so Deep' documentary on a first-time tour of Australia. This is an opportunity to learn from the experiences and science of a large scale grazing experiment funded by McDonalds. This study was the most comprehensive holistic comparison of time control grazing and continuous grazing ever done and compared 5 pairs of properties across the US. The film provides a captivating summary of the science, the outcomes and the journeys of the people involved. We encourage you to invite neighbours, staff, family and friends as everyone is welcome.

Peter Byck is a professor at Arizona State University’s School of Sustainability and Walter Cronkite School of Journalism, and his film offers a unique perspective on the intersection of traditional and regenerative farming practices.We'll screen his documentary at the Coal 'n Cattle Hotel in the morning, followed by a Q+A with Dr. Terry McCosker OAM. 

Terry is a pioneer in Australian agriculture and Founder of RCS and CarbonLink. He'll talk about the relevance of the film’s themes for the Australian farming landscape. Together, we’ll explore challenges, opportunities, and the resilience needed to secure a sustainable future for farming families nationwide

Lunch will be provided, and then we'll head out for a farm visit to 'Kinma' to see firsthand how different principles from the film can be applied in practice. Environmental scientist Zoe Maskell will facilitate the welcome and Q&A at the screening and will also host the farm visit.

We'll explore the history of the farm, how long the current owners have been there, and learn about their soils, the changes they've made to paddocks and grazing, as well as improvements in water infiltration, biodiversity, and pastures. Take a paddock walk with people who have embarked on their regenerative farming journey, and hear directly from them about what it was like when they first started, how it's going now, and their vision for the future.

When & Where:

Join us in person at Coal 'n' Cattle, Moura, Queensland,
on Sunday 16 February, 2025
From 8.00am - 4pm.
Tea, coffee, snacks and lunch provided.

This is a free public event and everyone is welcome. 

Agenda

• 8:00am - Tea & Coffee and Introduction.
• 8:30am - 'Roots so Deep' documentary screening (including snack break in the middle!)
• 11:00am - Live Question & Answer session with Peter Byck and Dr Terry McCosker OAM.
• 11:30am- Lunch provided.
• 1:00pm - Farm visit to 'Kinma'.
• 4:00pm - Arrive back at Coal 'n' Cattle, or head off straight from the farm.  

On the day:

• Bring your friends!
• Wear closed in shoes.
• After the screening, grab a map from staff so you can find 'Kinma'. 
• Don’t have lift? Let us know and we can help coordinate with other attendees. 
• Bring your drink bottle. We'll have a refill station.
• BYO chair for the farm visit if you need to sit down at any time. 

About your hosts:

Peter Byck is currently helping to lead a $10 million research project comparing Adaptive Multi-Paddock (AMP) grazing with conventional grazing; collaborating with 20 scientists and 10 farm families, focused on soil health & soil carbon storage, microbial/bug/bird biodiversity, water cycling and much more. The research also includes a new, 4-part docuseries called “Roots So Deep (you can see the devil down there),” directed by Byck, which is all about the inventive farmers and maverick scientists building a path to solving climate change with hooves, heart and soil.

Byck is a professor of practice at Arizona State University, in both the School of Sustainability and the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism, where he teaches students to make short documentary films about sustainability solutions. He is the director, producer and writer of carbon nation, a documentary film about climate change solutions. In 2020, Byck completed carbon cowboys, a 10-part documentary short film series, focused on regenerative grazing.

Terry McCosker OAM is known as one of the great innovators in Australian agriculture, committed to bridging the divide between traditional and regenerative agriculture, and ensuring the resilience of farming families.

With over 55 years in research, extension, and property management across public and private sectors, Terry has published over 40 papers. In recognition of his contributions, Central Queensland University awarded him an Honorary Doctor of Agribusiness in March 2015, and he received an OAM in the 2021 Queen’s Birthday Honours for services to agriculture. Terry is a Churchill Fellow, a Fellow of the Tropical Grasslands Society, and has chaired the Australian Beef Expo, serving on numerous advisory committees.

He co-founded RCS in 1985, establishing a benchmark for capacity building in rural and regional Australia, and independently rated by a Government survey as Australia’s most trusted farming knowledge source. A pioneer in soil carbon and carbon farming, Terry founded CarbonLink in 2007, where he remains Chairman. Today, CarbonLink is Australia’s largest soil carbon project developer, managing over 250,000 hectares and having successfully project-managed 92% of soil carbon credits issued to date.

Zoe Maskell oversees a team of project managers, ensuring compliance with the Soil Carbon Method and managing the reporting requirements for the company’s project portfolio. With a Bachelor of Science in Geology and a Graduate Certificate in Environmental Management (Mining), Zoe brings extensive experience in mining rehabilitation, environmental compliance, and contaminated land assessment. She has led soil sampling programs, environmental approvals, and offsets reporting, contributing to the issuance of Australia's first soil carbon ACCUs. Zoe's expertise ensures accurate data collection, strong client relationships, and successful project delivery.

Praise for Roots So Deep:

“What I like so much about these films is the genuine compassion and understanding shown for farmers, no matter how they farm. Peter Byck is a terrific interviewer, even of people who view the world from different perspectives. Anyone who wants to know what regenerative agriculture can do, in theory and in practice, will watch these films with pleasure and admiration for the hard work that goes into producing food.” --Marion Nestle, Professor of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health, Emerita, New York University, and author of books about food politics.

“This is, hands-down, the best agriculture filmmaking I’ve ever seen. The characters are all so likable and captivating, the graphics are stunning, and I learned a ton about ecology... but none of that would matter without Peter Byck’s soul and empathy as storyteller.” --Bill Weir, CNN

Check out the trailer and tell your friends!

See you there!

--

Supported by our friends at RCS Australia.