http://www.GreenerPastures–ACityGirlGoesCountry.blogspot.com

Thank you so much for taking the time to write such a detailed comment! I’ve noticed that this post has gotten a lot of “hits”, so I’m sure that your comments will be widely read.

Biochar viewed as soil infrastructure. The old saw,
“Feed the Soil Not the Plants” becomes:
“Feed, Clothe and House the Soil, utilities included”!

Free carbon condominiums with carboxyl group fats in the pantry and hydroxyl alcohol in the mini bar. Build it and the Wee-Beasties will come. As one microbiologist said on the Biochar list; “Microbes like to sit down when they eat”. By setting this table we expand husbandry to whole new orders of life.

This is what I try to get across to farmers, as to how I feel about the act of returning carbon to the soil. An act of pertinence and thankfulness for the civilization we have created. Farmers are the soil sink bankers; once carbon has a price, they will be laughing all the way to the bank. Several biochar programs are now happening at Virginia Tech and at James Madison University. Months ago VA Tech demonstrated the first ever mobile pyrolysis unit at the Heatwole farm in Dayton VA, converting a ton of chicken litter into 1/3 ton biochar and the rest into bio-oil and syn-gas.

I spoke with Jon Nilsson of the CarbonChar Group, in their third year of field trials. He said the 2008 trials at Virginia Tech showed a 46% increase in yield of tomato transplants grown with just 2-5 cups (2-5%) “Biochar+” per cubic foot of growing medium. Go to: http://www.carbonchar.com/plant-performance for more information.

Biochar is the only carbon negative energy system. Farming is carbon management. Farmers should embrace carbon taxes; they have the greatest ability to capture and store it. No-till practices are now granted carbon credits for increases in soil carbon content. Increased soil carbon means increased yields. This soil amendment is unlike any other in that it is organic carbon yet biologically inedible and remains in the soil for thousands of years. If American farmers were paid what the Europeans pay out in carbon taxes they would receive $300 for every ton of biochar spread on their fields. The increased crop yields would be icing on their black earth cake.

I have involved (at James Madison University) Wayne Teel (Environment/ISAT, my field study) and Rob Prins (Engineering), who is building a reactor at the James Madison University farm. There is also a planned 10 acre permaculture/composting/biochar, fruit, herb and produce farm at the new campus of Rockingham Memorial Hospital to feed patients and James Madison University students. Six professors of agriculture at Virginia Tech are doing work or following biochar. My biochar field trials in McGaheysville are with James Madison University, Dr. Paul Hepperly of the Rodale Institude in PA, Houff Feed & Fertilizer Co. and local farmers.

Carbon to the soil, the only ubiquitous and economical place to put it.

Cheers,
Erich

Erich J. Knight
Eco Technologies Group Technical Adviser
University of California Riverside advisory board member
Shenandoah Gardens (Owner)
1047 Dave Barry Rd.
McGaheysville, VA. 22840
540 289 9750
Co-Administrator, Biochar Data base and discussion list TP-REPP

I will be speaking at the first North American Biochar Conference, in Boulder Aug 12-15, about my efforts to network the many disciplines and organizations researching and implementing biochar systems.

Keynote speakers: Secretary Tom Vilsack and Dr. Susan Solomon (NOAA’s head atmospheric scientist) at:

http://www.regonline.com/builder/site/Default.aspx?eventid=684390

My attendance is thanks to the folks at EcoTechnologies Group.
( http://www.ecotechnologies.com/index.html; they have also fully funded my field trials with the Rodale Institute and James Madison University)