[Terrapreta] New memberto the Terra Preta group

[code suidae]

On 6/1/07, Sean K. Barry <sean.barry at juno.com> wrote:
>
>  Hi Dave,
>
> Welcome to our group.  I hope you will enjoy the blog and the rapport we
> have here, in this group.
>

Thanks! It seems I've jumped in with both feet :) Apologies to all if my
recent posts in other threads are not in line with the usual standards for
the list, I've neglected to listen quietly for a while before posting.

To try and answer the request in the your post, I would say that much is NOT
> known, YET.  The best research I think I've seen was done by a guy, who
> lived in Brazil (the home of the original Terra Preta).  His name is Dr.
> Christoph Steiner.  I've attached one of the latest of his research papers.
> It's a technical soil scientists read, but I have found his experimental
> procedures solid and his analysis and summaries insightful.  Christoph is a
> member of this group.
>

Unfortunately the attachment did not make it through the list software. I am
interested in reading it though, do you have a link?


Now, I have shameless plug for my company, Troposphere Energy, LLC.  I will
> be making charcoal soon with either of two wood/biomass gasification
> systems, which I am now building.  You could buy some charcoal from me?
>

Right now I'm working on setting up garden test plots and considering the
various amendments for each. Commercial hardwood lump charcoal is available
locally, but I have no idea what it is or how it was produced, which
introduces some fairly serious unknowns. I probably won't be putting any
char into the soil this season, but I would like to get a compost and char
pile going for use in a test plot next season. I'm curious to investigate
how 'bootstrapping' the biological population in the char by including it in
the composting process will effect the development of the soil.

Anyway, when do you anticipate having charcoal with a documented pedigree
available? My test plots are quite small (suburban gardener here :) ), so I
won't need much, probably less than 100 lbs total, possibly less depending
on how deeply I incorporate it. It won't matter what it is or how it is
produced, excepting that it is at least somewhat in line with what ancient
Amazonians might have produced and that relevant details about it's
production are available in case I need to reproduce conditions. I suppose I
should also work with a local hardwood to start out, cottonwood might be a
good start.

You could also buy from me any kind of gasification system/charcoal
> pyrolysis reactor or kiln (which we could design together, even?), which I
> am confident I can build, and then make all the charcoal you want out of
> whatever you want.
>

I wonder if a small system could be designed to serve the dual purpose of
charcoal production and downdraft gasification (though not at the same
time). I have plans to purchase a large stationary engine (that, curiously
enough, I'm sourcing from a guy less than an hour's drive from you) for the
purpose of experimenting with wood gas as an engine fuel. A system that
could serve both purposes would be elegant.

I want to research the options of inoculating charcoal (and/or soil) with
> beneficial soil microorganisms.  I want to research composting with
> charcoal.  I want to research growing gardens and landscapes with charcoal
> on my own property and I want others to do it with my charcoal on their
> property.  I want to research ways to make charcoal production for
> sequestration in agriculture earn money.  I want research partners who will
> do this kind of stuff with me, in gardens and plots and pots, with charcoal
> I and they make.
>

Our goals are in precise harmony.

DOK
-- 
"Our ignorance is not so vast as our failure to use what we know." - M. King
Hubbert
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