[Terrapreta] Article link

[Barry at Biochar]

Hi Lou and everyone else.

We are here, but just listening as we are to busy gardening to write posts 
all the time  ;-)

I have given talks and posted many internet biochar topics over the last 
year or two, Biodynamic people on Australia's Sunshine coast are now aware 
of Biochar, I even hosted New Zealand's Dr Alfred Harris for a few days and 
setup a talk on Biochar, but the idea of burning or charring biomass over 
composting hold's most of the development testing back and not having access 
to onsite char making ovens that produce little pollution (hint hint). The 
International AgriChar Initiative conference had a hand full of Permies 
including myself.

A couple of ways to increase uptake is showing first hand development in an 
organic sustainable environment, which you will see in my next post. The 
other is getting time to talk in front of the leaders and teachers of these 
organisations, this I intend to do at the 9th Australasian Permaculture 
Convergence around march next year.

Lou you are right BD and Premie's understand soil in quite a different way 
to most, I don't think ADE was mixed with a chemical fertilizer or char was 
spread onto fields dry and tilled in, It's how it's processed and what's 
added with the char that makes it work, I'm getting amazing results in my 
food forest, vegi gardens. Everything planted here on my farm is now planted 
with added biochar brews including BD500's.

I'm not a big fan of the many plot gardens I have seen posted here, if you 
have read Masanobu Fukuoka's work you will understand my point.

Regards

Barry Batchelor
Permaculture Designer.
www.biochar.net

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jim Joyner" <jimstoy at dtccom.net>
To: "Terrapreta" <terrapreta at bioenergylists.org>
Sent: Wednesday, December 05, 2007 1:06 AM
Subject: Re: [Terrapreta] Article link


> Lou,
>
> I don't know exactly how to go about it but we should get more
> representation here from both the Bio Dynamics and Permaculture folks.
>
> The Bio Dynamics people are some of the best soil analysts on the face
> of the planet (I wouldn't give you $.20 for most to the gov't soil
> scientists. They tend to brain-washed or bought). The Permaculture folks
> have dreamed up some of the most innovative ways imaginable to be both
> productive and planet-caring . I don't belong to either group but I
> borrow a lot from both.
>
> No-till as it is officially described and practiced can be pretty ho-hum
> stuff, but that's because of who has the bully pulpit: the universities
> and their financiers (typically, chemical companies). The fact is, there
> are people in the field who are doing little known and grand things, in
> terms of both productivity and the environment, that are decades out in
> front.
>
> So, I'm suggesting not only that we bring these groups into the TP
> community to learn form them but, possibly, encourage them to experiment
> with TP, to find ways to use it that will be both productive and
> environmentally sound.
>
> Jim
>
> lou gold wrote:
>> Good capture here. The writers are no-till advocates who understand
>> the value of soil.
>> I have several thoughts/questions.
>>
>> 1) It would be good for some TP folks here to contact these guys and
>> start a friendly conversation.
>> We need to get TP thinking into the consciousness of the agriculurists
>> of the US Midwest.
>> As the crazy craze for corn ethanol shows, this sector is critically
>> important globally. For example, their decision to shift from planting
>> soybeans to mostly corn was one of the largest factors in restarting
>> massive deforestation of the Brazilian Amazon. They don't have a
>> ripple effect, it's more of a tsunami. Imagine what might happen if
>> they became TP enthusiasts.
>>
>> 2) Can TP technology work with no-till? Please excuse my ignorance.
>>
>> 3) It is REALLY good to see them attack tree-planting as a panacea. As
>> a major tree-hugger myself, I can assure you that in reality
>> tree-planting holds much more hype than hope.
>>
>> best to all,
>>
>> lou
>>
>
>
>
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