Biochar General – Page 3 – Sonoma Biochar Initiative

March 22, 2013

55 Uses for Biochar

Here is another fantastic article from Hans-Peter Schmidt’s Ithaka Journal: 55 Uses for Biochar Hans-Peter makes a great case for first using biochar in at least one other way before putting it in the ground for agricultural use: “Biochar is much too valuable for it to be just worked into the soil without having it […]

February 6, 2013

New Biochar Article from Hans-Peter Schmidt

Here is an excellent article from European vineyard grower Hans-Peter Schmidt, a highly respected writer, farmer, and biochar enthusiast who has been doing great work on biochar’s effects in vineyards for a number of years.

December 19, 2012

The Secret of El Dorado—Terra Preta

If you have time over the holidays check out this video: Produced by the BBC, this program gives an excellent historical overview of the terra preta (dark earth) soils in the Amazon and lays out an impressive case for using charcoal (we call it biochar) as a soil amendment to help build and maintain soil […]

December 14, 2012

California Bill SB-1122: renewable bioenergy procurement

http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml;jsessionid=cd36e5138d18004eeb1fc4f367a0?bill_id=201120120SB1122 This bill, signed into law by Gov. Brown on Sept. 27th, requires energy corporations to procure electricity from producers of bioenergy. Here are a few key paragraphs: SECTION 1. Section 399.20 of the Public Utilities Code is amended to read: 399.20. (a) It is the policy of this state and the intent of the Legislature […]

December 8, 2012

SBI in 2013

With our successful national conference now behind us, SBI’s Advisory Board has been hard at work developing strategies to build on the local excitement and knowledge gained at the event, and getting as much biochar into the ground as possible. We are poised to have a major growth spurt in our outreach and education activities […]

June 24, 2012

David Morell Interviewed on Biochar

May 19, 2012

19th Century Use of Charcoal/Biochar

Steven Edholm has published a fascinating collection stories of farmers using charcoal/biochar in Europe and America in the 19th Century. Check out his Blog here: TurkeySong Blog

May 17, 2012

The Science of Biochar

More than a decade ago now, renowned soil scientist Wim Sombroek (1934-2003) brought to light the impressive performance of dark soils in the Amazon Basin. He along with fellow early scientists Johannes Lehmann, Dirse C. Kern, Bruno Glaser, William I. Woods among others help to establish the potential of what we now know as biochar. […]

May 7, 2012

SBI Applies for Conservation Innovation Grant

The Sonoma Biochar Initiative (SBI), in partnership with Southern Sonoma County Resource Conservation District as lead applicant, recently submitted an application for federal funding under USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service’s Conservation Innovation Grant program. The proposed project features a launch of biochar production from local biomass, field trials with local farmers, and education and […]

April 12, 2012

SBI Advocates Cap and Trade Investments in Biochar for Agriculture

In a recent letter to Assemblymembers Perez, Blumenfield, Gordon and Feuntes and Senators Steinberg, Leno, Simitian and Kehoe, initiated by CalCAN, the California Climate and Agriculture Network, the Sonoma Biochar Initiative (SBI) urged that biochar, a climate response tool and a material to benefit agriculture, be considered for investment under the cap-and-trade fee revenue that […]

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