[Terrapreta] Newbie

[Jim Joyner]

Hi all,

I'm  a newbie to the list. My wife and I farm (berries) and garden organically in
middle Tennessee (US) -- been doing so for about 27 years. Before that we gardened in Guam.. Our soil here is a highly acidic (4.7 avg), extremely well-drained, wind-blown silt, which means it has practically
nothing in it, and with southern heat and humidity it holds very little organic material
for long. It's a constant struggle to keep humus, fertility and cation exchange
capacity up. Ah, but with terra preta . . . maybe . . .

We are making plans
for a device (not sure what else to call it) that will make charcoal
and heat our house in the winter (we are converting a very efficient outdoor
masonry stove.)

I've just skimmed through several months worth of list discussion and while I find it interesting, it all seems a bit theoretical for me. That's not a complaint. Someone has to be theoretical. Bless their hearts, someone has to do the research. Being a farmer involved in feeding people, however, my interests are, I think, more down to earth: farming. 

Are there any temperate climate farmers here who have experience using biochar growing crops?

Thanks,

Jim Joyner



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