Roots So Deep (you can see the devil down there) Community Screening in Paonia, Colorado

Roots So Deep (you can see the devil down there) Community Screening in Paonia, Colorado

Watch the Film. Meet Local Experts. Taste Regenerative Agriculture.

Western Slope Ecological Restoration Services (WSERS) is honored to host a FREE community screening of Roots So Deep (you can see the devil down there), the new four-part documentary series directed by Peter Byck.

Join us for Episodes 1 & 4 of the series, followed by a local expert panel discussion and audience Q&A exploring regenerative agriculture, working lands, and ecological resilience in Western Colorado.

Matt Eland, Ecological Restorationist and founder of WSERS, will moderate a conversation with local experts:

• Tony Prendergast — Crawford Regenerative Rancher, Sunshine Beef
• Cynthia Houseweart — Hotchkiss Regenerative Rancher, Princess Beef
• Benjamin Capron — Paonia Regenerative Rancher, Farmhand’s Harvest
• Peter Byck — Director of Roots So Deep, joining via Zoom

Each panelist brings a unique perspective on regenerative agriculture and how it is being explored and practiced in Western Colorado’s challenging arid climate.

During the event, Chef Dan Geltz of Mountain View BBQ will prepare and sell food featuring products from the participating producers.

Come curious and hungry!

Event Schedule

4:30 PM — Doors Open & Food
4:55–5:00 PM — Welcome & Introduction
5:00–6:05 PM — Roots So Deep, Episode 1
6:05–6:40 PM — Food & Community Break
6:40–7:50 PM — Roots So Deep, Episode 4
7:50–8:10 PM — Food & Community Break
8:10–9:00 PM — Local Panel Discussion & Audience Q&A

Venue: Paonia Theatre, 215 Grand Ave, Paonia, CO 81428
Date: November 20, 2026
Time: 4:30–9:00 PM
Admission: FREE

RSVP is highly encouraged to secure your ticket and give Chef Dan a solid head count.

All ages welcome—and all eaters of food encouraged to attend!

Western Slope Ecological Restoration Services (WSERS) is hosting this screening as part of its commitment to connecting ecological restoration, regenerative agriculture, and healthy working landscapes in Western Colorado.

WSERS provides practical, process-based solutions for restoring degraded landscapes and the ecological functions that support healthy communities.

We combine hands-on restoration with community education and knowledge-sharing to make ecological restoration more approachable—and to help people become active participants in the recovery of the landscapes that sustain them.

More About the Documentary

Roots So Deep is a four-part documentary series all about inventive farmers and maverick scientists asking if an underutilized way to graze cattle, that mimics the way bison once roamed the land, can help get farmers out of debt, restore our depleted soils, rebuild wildlife habitat, and draw down carbon.

Cattle have been seen as eco-villains for a long time. But what if they are part of the solution to restoring healthy, resilient ecosystems while supporting the people who depend on the land?

Praise for Roots So Deep

“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

“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