Excellent documentary about the importance of soil conservation

[shropshire_lad]

There has been much talk in these parts about soil erosion and agricultural pollution of rivers.

This is an excellent documentary, if a tad "all American", on the importance of soil health and the havoc wreaked by industrial farming practices. It's on Netflix:

https://www.netflix.com/gb/title/81321999

 

[BobP]

I remember seeing videos of this and hearing lectures about it at a river restoration conference in Denmark in 1996. Only 25 years ago all bar a few months. Well up to date aren't we in the UK?

I can't understand why farmers in this country are happy to see the soil they rely upon to grow the crops that provide their living get washed away every time it rains. Wherever a field gate opens out onto a road you will find soil from that field on that road. From there it gets progressively washed into drains and out into rivers where it kills the juvenile fish we hope will grow into fish we can catch.

 

[diawl bach]

This is an excellent documentary, if a tad "all American",

My thoughts exactly, gave it a quick run through, it's as cheesy as but will watch it later, thanks for the recommendation.

 

[shropshire_lad]

My thoughts exactly, gave it a quick run through, it's as cheesy as but will watch it later, thanks for the recommendation.

Yes, you have to try and overlook the presentation style. It's actually a real eye opener and full of useful information. Dispels a few prejudices too. There's a "rancher" who features in the second half who, after a series of crop disasters, turned his farm over to regenerative agriculture and it's a revelation. When you first meet him he seems like an archetypal Trump voter.....well, who knows, maybe he is?

 

[diawl bach]

Watched Kiss the Ground last night and enjoyed its upbeat message, the redneck cattle farmer who'd introduced a year round cover regime was a great example of what can be done. Contrasting his land and that of his neighbour made you appreciate how readily degraded land can be restored
What struck me the most in the documentary was the restoration of the Loess Plateau in China which Dr. John D Liu discussed, I thought it would be worth its own documentary and lo, YouTube has a piece on it -

 

[hutch6]

For a more in-depth look at the practices and effects of biodiversity/regenerative farming then I can recommend The Biggest Little Farm on Netflix as well.