Miranda Biochar Workshop, March 13, 2020

Mar 28

Biochar Workshop, March 13, 2020, Miranda, CA with T. Gray Shaw and Susan Nolan

On Friday March 13, 2020 Gray Shaw and Susan Nolan of the Institute for Sustainable Forestry presented an afternoon workshop on making and using biochar from forest waste resulting from fuel reduction. The site was Lonnie Whitlow's Workhorse Welding shop in Miranda. (Lonnie built a 4'x4' biochar kiln last year for ISF and offers to make more on request.)

Susan built a top-lit fire in her mini-kiln while Gray explained the process and answered questions. Gray's farmer/neighbor Ingrid Leon explained biochar inoculation and the results from adding 5% biochar to Gray’s soil in 2019: 25% less water use, healthier plants, and double productivity. Gray demonstrated his homemade charcoal grinder, which makes 1/4" biochar from forest waste. This hand-powered grinder processed all the char for 10,000 square feet of garden. For the full story leading to this workshop, see www.blackripple.com.