WA Premiere Screening + Panel Discussion

Presented by CarbonLink, as part of the RegenWA Conference and Grounded Festival event programs.

CarbonLink is proud to partner with US documentary maker Peter Byck to bring 'Roots So Deep (You Can See the Devil Down There)' to Western Australia for the first time, following hugely popular screenings on the east coast earlier this year.

With over 130 million views worldwide, this compelling documentary explores the intersection of traditional and regenerative farming practices through the lens of a landmark grazing experiment. A $10 million dollar research project funded by McDonald’s, it compared time-controlled and continuous grazing across ten farm families in the United States. It’s the most comprehensive holistic study of its kind and offers an honest, science-backed look at the future of grazing systems - told from both sides of the fence.

The film provides a captivating summary of the science, the outcomes and the journeys of the people involved.

After the screening, you’ll have the opportunity to hear from a panel of experts who will bring the film’s insights into the Australian context:

Dr Terry McCosker OAM, renowned innovator in Australian agriculture and founder of RCS & CarbonLink.
Filmmaker and Director Peter Byck, joining virtually from Arizona.
A local Margaret River landholder, sharing their practical perspective from the region.
Hosted and facilitated by Kate Tarrant from Lower Blackwood LCDC

Together, they’ll explore the challenges and opportunities facing farming families, and the resilience needed to build a more sustainable future.

This thought-provoking event is for anyone passionate about agriculture, sustainability, and the future of Australian farming. Bring your neighbours, staff, family, and friends - everyone is welcome.

When & Where:
Join us in person at the Margaret River Mens Shed - 5 Shepherdson Pl Margaret River, WA 6285.
Monday 15 September 2025, at 5.30pm - 9.30pm.
Tickets $25.
Finger food and drinks included.
This is a public event and everyone is welcome.
Ample parking is available both in front of the Men’s Shed & at the rear of the Shed.

What past audiences are saying:

"I thought it was brilliant - have been recommending it to friends."
"I loved the movie. I have a small farm in Gippsland and have already shared it with a friend who's a dairy farmer."
"Thank you for sponsoring it in Melbourne! I went on to see it in Tasmania and Kyneton and finished the rest online - audience reactions were fantastic."
"[My husband] now has a new hero."
"Respectful engagement is the path to change. I saw humans learning what better looks like - together. Highly recommended."

International praise:

“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

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Speakers

Peter Byck

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

Dr 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. Importantly - while CarbonLink have project managed the majority of soil carbon credits issued to date, the business strongly believes that ACCUs should be viewed as a bonus for managing the ecology well.

Kate Tarrant leads communications and engagement at the Lower Blackwood LCDC. In addition to her role, Kate and her husband manage a small sheep farm in the heart of Margaret River. Over the past decade, Kate has immersed herself in regenerative farming - learning by doing, and applying practical, soil-first principles on their own land.

Her passion for soil health and sustainable agriculture spills into her professional life, where she’s played a key role in designing and delivering a range of hands-on, farmer-focused projects. These include the highly regarded Regenerative Agriculture in Practice Program, now proudly in its fifth year with support from the Shire of Augusta Margaret River.

Driven by a commitment to making knowledge accessible and actionable, Kate also created the Talkin’ After Hours platform - an online community and podcast series that brings timely, useful insights directly to the local farming community.

Watch the trailer and tell your friends!

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