MEET NASH LEEF, INTERIM PRESIDENT, NEBRASKA BIOCHAR INITIATIVE, AND OWNER FLATWATER BIOCHAR
Q1 Please tell us how you became interested in biochar.
LEEF Eight years ago, I first worked with biochar on a biodynamic farm outside of Lincoln as an apprentice farmer. The owner was producing biochar from brush in half of a flame cap kiln he created from an old oil drum. I was amazed at how the biochar, produced from on-farm "waste", was being integrated into virtually every farm operation such as poultry bedding, manure compost, as a soil amendment, and in the livestock barn. Where this material would have normally been burned, a valuable product was created instead. This experience sparked my passion for biochar!
Q2 You helped push the City of Lincoln to pursue grant funding for a municipal biochar facility that would capture community waste for use in urban agriculture, stormwater treatment, and other purposes. What spurred Lincoln's interest in a biochar plant?
LEEF Thanks to generous support from Oregon Biochar Solutions, nearly 100 tons of biochar were applied in more than a dozen projects across Lincoln and Omaha. These early applications allowed folks at the Lincoln Biochar Initiative to get their hands dirty, build community buy-in, and advance ongoing research at UN-Lincoln and UN-Omaha.
Q3 What's the Lincoln Biochar Initiative's project status?
LEEF It's scheduled for operation next spring and will produce biochar for urban agriculture, stormwater treatment, tree plantings, public gardens, and composting. My company, alongside Soil Dynamics - a local composter and waste hauler, have been selected to operate the facility. The Lincoln project is one of three municipal biochar facilities expected to begin operations next year alongside Cincinnati and Minneapolis. It is being funded, in large part, by grants from Bloomberg Philanthropies and the National Forest Service.
Q4 Congratulations on the newly formed Nebraska Biochar Initiative (NEBI)! As interim NEBI president, and owner of Flatwater Biochar, tell us about the top concerns of biochar producers/suppliers/ researchers in your area.
LEEF NEBI will begin serving researchers, producers, and suppliers across Nebraska and the Great Plains by first building an understanding of the biochar industry’s needs. We plan to spend much of our first few months defining priorities and action items, as well as long term goals such as:
- Lack of public and regulator/government understanding of biochar and outdated regulation have hampered the use of biochar in composting facilities - despite high interest.
- Interested parties are struggling to find funding for producing biochar to address our organic waste issue.
- Interest has been especially high in areas of the state most impacted by the invasive Eastern Redcedar.
- Nebraska has over half a dozen leading biochar researchers between UN-Lincoln and UN-Omaha, but no entity that has a focus on facilitating industry-researcher collaboration.
Q5 How do you hope NEBI will be able to address these concerns/issues?
LEEF From working with folks in the industry across the state and region, I believe that our top priorities should be to:
- Advance biochar education amongst state government bodies and consumers
- Advocate for the needs of biochar producers when in discussions with state and local regulators
Identify funding to expand existing and create new biochar facilities across the state to meet current high demand and address organic waste issues.
- Push forward innovative new collaborations between state and local governments and the biochar industry.
- Match funding opportunities, local producers, and researcher to create valuable insights into biochar production and application.
Q6 If there are any projects being considered with NE Recycling Council and Nebraska Composting Council, what do these look like?
LEEF We are currently planning to jointly host a conference next year with the Nebraska Recycling Council and Nebraska Composting Councils. We are excited to be housed alongside these two organizations as we believe that pyrolysis is an important tool in waste management and organic recycling - turning "waste" into a valuable resource.
Q7 What challenges have you experienced with carbon markets? Any advice for those who are seeking to qualify for carbon credits?
LEEF Carbon markets are complicated and ever changing. We spent a good deal of time finding our niche in the market, as it is currently flooded with, in my view, artificially cheap carbon credits from forestry and tree planting. My two pieces of advice for anyone looking enter the market for the first time or get the highest value for their credits is:
- Work with trusted brokers and methodologies. The carbon markets are a burgeoning sector that can be difficult to navigate, but a good partner and methodology will make the process worthwhile.
- Share your story. Leveraging your story can be attractive to investors in the market who are looking for stand-out projects to attach to their brand. By crafting your narrative, you may be able to develop a more fruitful relationship with purchasers/investors.