The Roots of Regenerative Grazing

By Tim Copeland

How and when did your understanding of regenerative grazing begin? While many individuals played roles in regenerative grazing’s formation, Allan Savory and Peter Byck were two of its most impactful early advocates.

In February 2013, Allan Savory, a Zimbabwean livestock farmer and ecologist, introduced the world to regenerative grazing at TED’s winter conference. Titled “How to Green the World’s Deserts and Reverse Climate Change,” his TEDTalk described how animals grazing in high densities for short periods of time could dramatically improve soil health. Improving the soil’s capacity to sequester carbon, explained Savory, is critical to reducing the amount of carbon in the atmosphere.

That speech launched great interest in new grazing practices that have grown substantially each year. The video of his speech has been watched over 5 million times. It deserves rewatching.

A companion booklet to that speech, The Grazing Revolution: A Radical Plan to Save the Earth, was re-released this February. It’s a short and important read you will find interesting.

Arizona State University professor and filmmaker Peter Byck produced the film Soil Carbon Cowboys in 2014. People now well-known in regenerative agriculture - Gabe Brown and Allen Key are examples – were introduced to many audiences through this film. I first learned of managed grazing when the land trust I led included “Soil Carbon Cowboys” in its annual film festival.

Soil Carbon Cowboys was the first of ten films Byck created to form the 10-film series Carbon Cowboys. The series’ other titles include:

·      One Hundred Thousand Beating Hearts

·      Herd Impact

·      Givers and Takers

·      I Sell Water and Sunshine

·      During the Drought

·      Time Will Tell

·      A Fence and an Owner

·      This Farm is Medicine

·      The Luckiest Places on Earth

Since Savory and Byck first presented their talks and films, many thousands of new voices have joined the regenerative ag conversation. A tip of the hat to Allan and Peter for being at the forefront of this sea change. Their information is as profound now as when first introduced.

And now it's time for you to watch or rewatch their classic presentations. Enjoy!