Finding a unique way to combat climate change is at the heart of the four-part documentary series, Roots So Deep (you can see the devil down there), screening at the Whidbey Island Center for the Arts (WICA) March 26 and 27. Directed by Peter Byck, the series tells the stories of “inventive farmers and maverick scientists” who are rethinking how cattle graze in an effort to solve climate change.

The series follows Byck as he connects with farmers and scientists to explore how lessons learned from “the way bison once roamed the land [can] help get farmers out of debt, restore our depleted soils, rebuild wildlife habitat and draw down huge amounts of carbon.”

Shown in partnership with Whidbey Island’s Organic Farm School (OFS), the first two films of the series will be shown on March 26, followed by the second two films on March 27. Programming on both days will begin at 6:00 p.m. and both the filmmaker Peter Byck and producer/supporter and award-winning director and actor Peter Horton will be onsite for the showings.

“WICA’s mission in the community is to bring people together to share in impactful experiences like this one and to deepen our understanding of our humanity and sense of belonging,” says WICA Executive Artistic Director Deana Duncan. “We’ve been so fortunate to be able to partner with the Organic Farm School for this event and to really focus on important conversations that redefine what it means to be responsible environmental stewards and global citizens today.”

For OFS Executive Director Judy Feldman, this screening is only the start of “a conversation about food, community, and climate” that she hopes will last beyond the event.

“It’s a great way for our community to see something meaningful happening on the island, and then to see that what’s happening here is also happening in other locations across the country,” she says. “In this instance, the OFS is doing great work with the Whidbey community, and yet we are working on just one small piece of a very big effort. Regenerative Agriculture doesn’t look the same everywhere, and yet there does seem to be a common denominator of communities reconnecting to the importance and value of soil health. This kind of programming brings attention to simultaneously diverse and common experiences.”

“The OFS is working in a very strong, privileged, [and] connected community. Being able to see familiar regenerative practices implemented in communities working under constraints we don’t encounter is humbling and inspiring at the same time,” adds Feldman. “It shows us, and hopefully all who see the films, that there is always room for increased awareness of how food systems are not all created equal, and that there is much work to do around food/environmental justice and social justice in general.”

Screening Schedule

March 26

• Mavericks & Meadowlarks

• Losing Is Winning

March 27

• Change Is Hard

• One Lane Road Ahead

Tickets are now on sale for the screenings with WICA Star and Standard pricing available as well as free admission for youth under 18 years of age. The screenings will also offer a Pay What You Wish opportunity for all shows.

Click here to read a CNN article that features the documentary series.

Click here to view the trailer for the series.

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