[Terrapreta] Fwd: compost and charcoal

Sun Nov 25 11:21:30 EST 2007

this colorado post points up a serious need to develop and
conscientiously utilize a careful rhetoric.  what the picture shows and
the warning is about is those nasty charcoal briquettes.  i wouldn't
want to cook on them, much less put them in my soil, no matter what the pH.

we have a similar confused language regarding sea minerals.  if we talk
about "salt" or "sea salt," this provokes a negative response based on
prior understanding and entrenched imaginings of what these words
represent.  the routine reaction is "won't that will poison my soil." 
"salt" is commonly believed to be refined sodium chloride, and "sea
salt" is the white powder sold in natural food stores -- both of which
will definitely unbalance the minerals in soil.

rather, what we are recommending is crude, unrefined sea minerals -- the
unprocessed residue that remains after water is removed from sea water.
 this contains all 90 soluble elements in the same ideal ratios that are
found in blood serum and amniotic fluid.  this careful, complete and
rather precise blend of all elements together is a nearly ideal mineral
nutrient supply for most biological cells and organisms.  so instead of
"salt," we carefully refere to this as "sea solids" or "sea minerals" to
distinguish it from the other toxic, incomplete and unbalanced crap.

it seems clear our terra preta work requires a similar careful
development and use of rhetoric.  referring to our product as "charcoal"
is an invitation to confusion with all the other established ideas and
commercial products that are lumped under this term.  so perhaps we
should all make a consistent and concerted effort to avoid using this
confusing term "charcoal" to describe what we are working with to create
fully fertile and alive soil.  it seems we are almost there by using the
words "char," "biochar" and "agrichar," although perhaps we need to
exercise a more conscious, consistent and uniform semantic discipline in
public communication.  and even develop a further layer is
discriminating rhetoric and policy to further distance our product from
the current crowd of unsuitable charcoals.

i haven't yet done the research to confirm this myself, but i suspect
even simple, unprocessed commercial charcoal is not the best -- the
ideal substance -- we want to put into soil.  sometime earlier i
referred to this conventional commercial charcoal as the equivalent of
stale bread -- and even over-baked white bread.  yeah, sure it works,
but it is still a poor substitute for properly made and freshly produced
char.  what we want is a major qualitative step beyond such a mediocre,
uncertain product.

and considering we are suggesting putting this char on food-producing
soil, we might even have to resort to certifying the authentic product
that is produced according to certain minimum standards and processes,
much as we have had to create "certified organic."  although having
helped create the organic certification system in the US, i'd almost
rather be roasted that go through that protracted, nit-picking,
semantic-slicing, document drafting madness.  but whatever it takes, we
will have to define and defend the identity and integrity of our product
from look-alikes and cheap unsuitable substitutes.

david

----- Original Message -----
From: Gerald Van Koeverden <vnkvrdn at yahoo.ca>
Date: Sunday, November 25, 2007 10:20 am
Subject: Re: [Terrapreta] Fwd:  compost and charcoal
To: Gerald Van Koeverden <vnkvrdn at yahoo.ca>
Cc: terrapreta preta <terrapreta at bioenergylists.org>

> Charcoal is Not a Good Soil Amendment in Colorado
> 
> from      http://www.coopext.colostate.edu/4dmg/Soil/charcoal.htm
> 
> 
> 
> 
> On 24-Nov-07, at 10:27 PM, Gerald Van Koeverden wrote:
> 
> >
> >>
> >> Tom,
> >>
> >> Thanks for that link about the enhancing effect of charcoal on
> >> compost by Japanese researchers.
> >>
> >> Looks like some revision of the accepted methods of making compost
> >> might be in order.  The first site I went to on making compost
> >> specifically advises avoiding charcoal in the compost pile!!
> >>
> >> http://www.tceq.state.tx.us/assets/public/assistance/education/
> >> waste/composting.pdf
> >>
> >> The next two advised against using any charcoal ash.  By not saying
> >> anything positive about using charcoal itself, the message conveyed
> >> is negative towards using charcoal at all as a composting 
> component.>>
> >> Gerrit
> >>
> >> On 24-Nov-07, at 6:33 PM, Tom Miles wrote:
> >>
> >>> See the presentation on charcoal mixed compost at the IAI
> >>> conference by
> >>> Shuji Yoshizawa, Satoko Tanaka, Michio Ohata or
> >>> Meisei University and Shigeru Mineki, Tokyo University of Science.
> >>>
> >>> http://www.biochar-international.org/images/Yoshizawa_-
> >>> _Charcoal_Composting_
> >>> of_Rice_Bran_Effect_on_Microorganisms.pdf
> >>>
> >>> One slide:
> >>> "Composting from mixture of charcoal and biomass waste (Charcoal
> >>> Mixed
> >>> Compost, CMC)
> >>> Composts made from garbage generated by homes, restaurants and 
> food>>> industries and livestock
> >>> waste, and its utilization is receiving attention from the
> >>> viewpoint of
> >>> recycle of biomass wastes.
> >>>
> >>> As wood and bamboo have pores which are the size that are suitable
> >>> for
> >>> microorganisms to support, by
> >>> adding the charcoal from the beginning of composting, the
> >>> proliferation of
> >>> microorganisms will be enhanced."
> >>>
> >>> Their results were positive.
> >>>
> >>> Tom
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>> -----Original Message-----
> >>>> From: terrapreta-bounces at bioenergylists.org [mailto:terrapreta-
> >>>> bounces at bioenergylists.org] On Behalf Of Gerald Van Koeverden
> >>>> Sent: Saturday, November 24, 2007 10:42 AM
> >>>> To: terrapreta preta
> >>>> Subject: [Terrapreta] compost and charcoal
> >>>>
> >>>> We've had a lot of talk about the cost-benefit of applying 
> charcoal>>>> to large acreages of land.  And also about using 
> compost or
> >>>> manure to
> >>>> enrich charcoal before applying it.
> >>>>
> >>>> What about adding charcoal to the compost pile at the 
> beginning of
> >>>> the process?  Has anybody researched the value of adding  
> >>>> charcoal to
> >>>> the biomass right at the beginning?  A lot of ammonia is  
> >>>> released to
> >>>> the atmosphere during composting;  would charcoal act as a  
> >>>> sponge to
> >>>> soak it up and hold it, along with mineral nutrients which are
> >>>> easily
> >>>> susceptible to leaching?  In effect, if this is true, charcoal 
> 
> >>>> fines
> >>>> as part of the composting process would significantly add to the
> >>>> potential nutrient value of that compost.
> >>>>
> >>>> gerrit
> >>>>
> >>>> _______________________________________________
> >>>> Terrapreta mailing list
> >>>> Terrapreta at bioenergylists.org
> >>>> http://bioenergylists.org/mailman/listinfo/
> >>>> terrapreta_bioenergylists.or
> >>>> g
> >>>> http://terrapreta.bioenergylists.org
> >>>> http://info.bioenergylists.org
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
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> 