What’s New
The Citizen Science Project reached its goal today of distributing 200 free bags of biochar and compost to gardeners around the Bay Area. Attendees at the Sonoma Garden Park Plant Sale put us over the top and we now have now given out 204 bags. Thanks to everyone who has agreed to take part in this first-of-its-kind project in the U.S., and to all the volunteers that helped us reach and exceed our goal. We would also like to thank the Mental Insight Foundation and Sonoma Compost for their important contributions to this project. We do still have a few bags left so you can still take part if you contact us by signing up this week on the Citizen Science Page.
Thanks to all for making the Train the Trainer workshop a great success!
This photo illustrates a top down open burn technique demonstrated recently at Circle Bar Ranch. Notice the minimal smoke. This simple method yields a large amount of biochar while drastically decreasing pollution.
Sue Smith of Circle Bar Ranch, Fire Chief / Dairyman Ray Mulas and vineyard managers discuss the low-smoke open burn technique with SBI Board Member Peter Hirst. If you’re interested in attending a workshop on this more environmentally-friendly burn method please contact us.
Members of SBI recently toured Berry’s Sawmill in western Sonoma County as a potential location for a biochar production facility. Sawmills, which use large amounts of electricity and which generate large amounts of woody “waste” materials, are ideal locations for industrial-scale gasification technologies that could generate renewable energy and huge amounts of biochar as well.
SBI Board members discuss feedstock with Bruce Berry during a tour of Berry’s Sawmill.
