This last few moons have been crazy busy. Not only did we withstand some local flooding, but we lived in a Habitrail-like environment for weeks after as we shuffled and condensed files and belongings before hauling things back to the basement. This in addition to a busier than normal workload with stagecraft, and a brief trip to teach biochar making to folks near Austin,TX. ECO-Tours of Wisconsin, the not-for profit that my wife and I began over a decade ago continues to sponsor trips to teach this ancient and miraculous technology (technique). During the week of Earth Week, I got to attend the events associated with Helfenstein Soup Council, a local not-for-profit I helped start over twenty-five years ago. They named their Environmental Hero and had a teach in about some other ecologically oriented not-for-profits. It is refreshing, compelling and affirming to feel the spirit of the Earth rising through her people, our efforts, combines interests and to experience the near infinite blossoming of the younger generations to engage with and take to heart with renewed vigor, their own unique and well informed eco-ethics.
Some of the groups who were represented were Mother Earth, Clean Water Action Council, Wisconsin Greens, Citizen's Climate Lobby, Mermaids Without Borders, a local clean water advocacy group and others. Over a hundred citizens came through the event even before I got there, but their numbers were a strong sixty or so people who stayed for the entire series of presentations including the Environmental Hero Award.
In my own way, I am putting finishing touches on my book about biochar and have put together a comprehensive Power Point Presentation that can teach anyone how to become an expert at the ancient process fo sequestering carbon in soil for geologic time. If this is your first time reading my blog, I will try to make as succinct a list of benefits of biochar as possible. It greatly expands the habitat for soil microbial life. Whereas sand has over an acre of surface area per Tablespoon and clay has about 1/3 more than that , biochar has nearly one and three quarters acres of surface area on an amount of char about 1/15th the size! Humus rich soils can absorb and slowly release about an inch of rainwater for every inch of their depth, but biochar can absorb six times its own weight in water outperforming the richest soils in this respect by a factor of three! Also, with regard to the soil microbiome, Biochar enriched soils have 25% greater species diversity; which leads to stability for those of you that do not study biology regularly. It also has been scientifically proven that microbes that are part of this bacteriologic culture are greater than two orders of magnitude greater in soils that have been enriched with biochar when compared to non-anthropogenic soils nearby. Soils amended with biochar at just one percent of the total volume also have a greater Cation Exchange capacity (CEC) and nutrient retention over soil that does not contain this human-made black gold.
What does that mean for the average grower? Well, it means several things. First and most importantly for all of us is that this molecular sponge holds water and nutrients where plants need them, near the surface, thus protecting surface and groundwater quality. It reduces the need for irrigation by over 1/3 which means more water in the water table where most drinking water comes from. It means doubling of crop production and more greenhouse gasses being sequestered in soil fo rlong periods. The list goes on and on.
I am available to teach virtually anywhere. I have been making and using biochar for over ten years and am willing to share my expertise with anyone who is interested in doing more with less. My e-mail is tnsaladino42@hotmail.com.
Some of the groups who were represented were Mother Earth, Clean Water Action Council, Wisconsin Greens, Citizen's Climate Lobby, Mermaids Without Borders, a local clean water advocacy group and others. Over a hundred citizens came through the event even before I got there, but their numbers were a strong sixty or so people who stayed for the entire series of presentations including the Environmental Hero Award.
In my own way, I am putting finishing touches on my book about biochar and have put together a comprehensive Power Point Presentation that can teach anyone how to become an expert at the ancient process fo sequestering carbon in soil for geologic time. If this is your first time reading my blog, I will try to make as succinct a list of benefits of biochar as possible. It greatly expands the habitat for soil microbial life. Whereas sand has over an acre of surface area per Tablespoon and clay has about 1/3 more than that , biochar has nearly one and three quarters acres of surface area on an amount of char about 1/15th the size! Humus rich soils can absorb and slowly release about an inch of rainwater for every inch of their depth, but biochar can absorb six times its own weight in water outperforming the richest soils in this respect by a factor of three! Also, with regard to the soil microbiome, Biochar enriched soils have 25% greater species diversity; which leads to stability for those of you that do not study biology regularly. It also has been scientifically proven that microbes that are part of this bacteriologic culture are greater than two orders of magnitude greater in soils that have been enriched with biochar when compared to non-anthropogenic soils nearby. Soils amended with biochar at just one percent of the total volume also have a greater Cation Exchange capacity (CEC) and nutrient retention over soil that does not contain this human-made black gold.
What does that mean for the average grower? Well, it means several things. First and most importantly for all of us is that this molecular sponge holds water and nutrients where plants need them, near the surface, thus protecting surface and groundwater quality. It reduces the need for irrigation by over 1/3 which means more water in the water table where most drinking water comes from. It means doubling of crop production and more greenhouse gasses being sequestered in soil fo rlong periods. The list goes on and on.
I am available to teach virtually anywhere. I have been making and using biochar for over ten years and am willing to share my expertise with anyone who is interested in doing more with less. My e-mail is tnsaladino42@hotmail.com.
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