Building the Future from the Ground Up

October 2021 Newsbriefs

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https://fox40.com/news/california-connection/new-bill-aims-to-direct-nut-farming-waste-into-sustainable-fertilizer/
New bill aims to direct nut farming waste into sustainable fertilizer. In Sacramento, California Representative Josh Harder is pushing a bipartisan bill that would help local farmers and tackle climate change. The Future of Agriculture Resiliency and Modernization Act would give billions of dollars for farmers to invest in green agriculture technology, including pyrolysis technology to turn nut shells into biochar.

https://californianewstimes.com/west-coast-researchers-turn-to-biochar-or-agricultural-by-products-in-fight-against-climate-change/542630/
West Coast researchers turn to biochar in fight against climate change. In Merced, California, researchers are using biochar to reduce methane from compost. Farmers in Washington’s Methow Valley are developing Forest to Farm supply chains for biochar.

https://www.waitsburgtimes.com/story/2021/09/23/news-briefs/columbia-pulp-announces-ag-energy-solutions-partnership/18213.html
Spinning wheat straw into biochar gold. Columbia Pulp LLC and Ag Energy Solutions, Inc have announced an agreement to partner in processing wheat straw into biochar. This should reduce the burning of residual straw (one of Washington’s top sources of air pollution) and create a new revenue stream for local wheat farmers in excess of $15 million annually. Biochar produced will be utilized as a soil amendment proven to increase crop yields and for carbon-sequestering initiatives.

https://www.heraldnet.com/news/in-edmonds-26m-goes-to-a-cleaner-way-to-get-rid-of-poop/
Poop pyrolysis conserves carbon. Edmonds, Washington is converting the city’s aging sewage sludge incinerator to a pyrolysis technology that will ensure that the carbon that gets flushed down the toilet won’t just end up back in the atmosphere.

https://youtu.be/Q3VKQasgNKA
Poop to biochar via a poplar plantation. In Eugene, Oregon, poplar slash from the Metropolitan Wastewater Management Commission's 2021 Biocycle Farm Poplar Harvest was recently used to produce biochar. Biochar yields from the demonstration will be applied in pilot projects and assessed for their potential benefits. Potential pilot projects include use as a stormwater filtration medium; soil amendment for poplar trees, urban street tree plantings, and drought-resilient turf for parks; and natural area restoration.

https://norfolkdailynews.com/news/farm-tour-opens-doors-for-learning-and-discovery/article_dcc0dd48-2786-11ec-af86-470c4aae2ae7.html
Farm tour opens doors for learning and discovery. Farms across southeast Nebraska participated in the Dig Deeper Farm Tour last month, inviting people to see their facilities, shop for fresh produce and learn more about local agriculture, including biochar production.

https://www.kwqc.com/prnewswire/2021/10/12/terraffirm-publishes-research-promising-carbon-containment-practices/
Terraffirm research includes biochar. Terraffirm is funding a project led by Firefighters United for Safety, Ethics, and Ecology to educate and advocate for the use of biochar production in hazardous fuel reduction treatments to reduce wildfire risks without causing adverse environmental impact. Biochar treatments greatly reduce flammability of a site while also enhancing carbon storage in the soil.

https://cooperativecomputingdallas.medium.com/treenewals-summer-pest-control-guide-for-north-texas-12ce9d39023a
Texas trees get biochar medicine. In a guide to pest control for trees, Treenewal recommends their biochar blend for all trees, but say it is especially useful for trees encountering pest and disease pressure.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/prince-edward-island/pei-nitrates-rivers-fertilizer-1.6174944
Trees, biochar, precision agriculture to control nitrate levels in rivers.  Nitrate levels in three Prince Edward Island rivers were over the Canadian Water Quality Guideline for Aquatic Life. The province is now looking at using biochar to control it. Biochar spread on fields can reduce nitrate leaching by improving moisture retention.