[Terrapreta] First Hello & General Background

[Lloyd Helferty]

I'm hope that everyone copied on this thread who has an interest in Biochar
and field trials in Ontario will eventually sign up to the group.  I know it
might be a lot to ask (I have difficulty keeping up with my own e-mail most
of the time too), but I think it's important to do this.

	Lloyd Helferty
	Thornhill


-----Original Message-----
From: Jp Warren [mailto:jpwarren at interlog.com] 
Sent: June 9, 2008 8:04 AM
To: Laepple
Cc: Lloyd Helferty; 'Gary Barei'; terrapreta at bioenergylists.org;
jnasr at ryerson.ca; doug at douglasprest.com; 'Bruce Darrell'; 'DennisMorrison';
'Edward Someus'; 'Erik Van Lennep'; 'Natalie Helferty';
rspiegal at pathcom.com; 'Xavier deLamo'; Rob Yost
Subject: Re: [Terrapreta] First Hello & General Background

So could powdered Char be legislated a hazardous material re transportation?
-detrimentally affecting price. (Sounds like a recipe for good coffee, you
want to grind it at the point of final use!)

Thanks for setting up the GoogleGroup, Lloyd, I signed-in this morning.

I tried to copy this email there by starting a new discuss thread, but
couldn't get past the login, though I'm already another group's member. I'll
figure it out later.

I assume this entire discuss is now moving over to the BioChar Toronto
GoogleGroup page.

Cheers,    Jp

Jp Warren
416-467-1339 (desk)
416-629-2512 (mobile)
Toronto


Quoting Laepple <laepple at golden.net>:

> Hi Every One,
> Very interesting conversation, would someone have the time to start   
> a "Biochar" yahoo group, so we can save files, post news, announce   
> events, arrange meetings and follow a more formal agenda?
> With your help and input, I can see the opportunity of adding a bio   
> char pre feasibility study project to our ( already established and   
> growing) Renewable Energy Co-operative's agenda. Currently we are   
> working on ( and have received some funding for) Community Wind and   
> Co-operative Biogas.
>
> Linda Laepple
> Chair
> Local Initiative for Future Energy Coop Inc.
> Petersburg Ontario
> N0B 2H0
> Tel: 519 634 1033
> www.lifecoop.ca
>
>
>   ----- Original Message -----
>   From: Lloyd Helferty
>   To: 'Gary Barei'
>   Cc: terrapreta at bioenergylists.org ; jnasr at ryerson.ca ;   
> doug at douglasprest.com ; 'Laepple' ; 'Bruce Darrell' ; 'Dennis   
> Morrison' ; 'Edward Someus' ; 'Erik Van Lennep' ; 'Jp Warren' ;   
> 'Natalie Helferty' ; rspiegal at pathcom.com ; 'Xavier de Lamo'
>   Sent: Sunday, June 08, 2008 9:10 PM
>   Subject: RE: [Terrapreta] First Hello & General Background
>
>
>   Gary,
>
>     Thank you for the post.  I am also in Ontario and have been   
> discussing with others here in Ontario (and elsewhere) how we can   
> move ahead with field trials of biochar.  The lead people on this   
> 'project' have been Linda Lapelle, an organic farmer who lives south  
>  of Guelph (in Petersburg, Ontario), and Douglas Prest, a socially   
> responsible entrepreneur who lives in Dundas Ontario.  We have many   
> other people involved in discussions as well.  Linda has even   
> mentioned doing trials on (a small part of) her 250 acre organic   
> farm and maybe even a neighbouring (conventional) farm.  Both Linda   
> and Doug have talked to OMAFRA about doing trials, but with little   
> coming out of it at this time. (I think that if others were to   
> mention it, this might help them realize that there is a real   
> broad-based interest -- especially if it comes from the farming   
> community.)
>     We've also been talking about using Biochar on Rooftop Gardens   
> with a gentleman in Toronto by the name of Dennis Morrison as well,   
> and have had discussions and met with folks from as far away as   
> Ireland and the US and SE Queensland, Australia.  We had even met up  
>  recently (in Montreal) with a gentleman who lives in Budapest,   
> Hungary who has a system that creates a biochar soil enhancement   
> product from biowaste that he claims is one of the most innovative   
> and environmentally friendly systems to date, and he would like to   
> market, sell, install and support a new business based around his   
> systems in North America. (We are looking at the possibility of   
> creating somewhat decentralized regional biochar processors through   
> farming co-ops or 'socially responsible' businesses rather than   
> profit-only driven businesses.)
>     I would suggest you contact Doug and Linda as they are also   
> interested in "research and use of biochar from a gardening soil   
> enhancement level" and perhaps also "to the multi-product strategies  
> of corporate players".  I'm thinking that a 'critical mass' may
> have  been reached here in Ontario to start our own separate e-mail   
> discussion list centering around Biochar and the testing /   
> application thereof.
>   Get back to us on what you think.
>
>       Lloyd Helferty, Engineering Technologist
>       Product Development and Support Specialist
>       Thornhill, ON
>
>
>
>
>
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
>     From: terrapreta-bounces at bioenergylists.org   
> [mailto:terrapreta-bounces at bioenergylists.org] On Behalf Of Gary Barei
>     Sent: May 28, 2008 5:29 PM
>     To: terrapreta at bioenergylists.org
>     Subject: [Terrapreta] First Hello & General Background
>
>
>     Hello List Members!
>
>     I've been reading archived terrapreta list posts for some time   
> now and have enjoyed following links, photos and discussions that   
> you have all provided.  Thank you.
>
>     I live in Guelph, Ontario, Canada, (for about a year now), which  
>  has a fine agricultural/veterinary tradition and University.  I am   
> looking for honest/fun/interesting opportunities in a sector that I   
> can honestly contribute to in a positive way.  The kids are gone to   
> college, one in architecture and one into computers.  Me? I'm an old  
>  "biotech" guy - B.Sc. in Microbiology and Immunology, then some   
> M.Sc. studies related to T-cell development, lots of time in   
> laboratories.  Then I got into the sales & marketing / management   
> end of things, mostly providing a huge array of biotechnology   
> products to private, commercial, hospital and government labs across  
>  the country.  This allowed me to wear a tie and travel a lot, but   
> still keep current with my love for science, new technologies and   
> opportunities. Along the way, I've developed a pretty eclectic array  
> of interests - Hydrogen storage and biomass usage technologies among  
> them.  It was always fun providing the basic research reagents and  
> tools to such a broad base of scientific labs across the country -  
> lots of people doing lots of cool stuff ... and of course, some not  
> so cool.
>
>     I've been a senior manager at companies like Amersham   
> BioSciences, Sigma-Aldrich and Fisher Scientific, among others.
>
>     I'm particularly interested in this list's discussions into   
> research and use of biochar from a gardening soil enhancement level   
> to the multi-product strategies of corporate players like Eprida,   
> Best and Dynamotive.  Perhaps my experience bringing lots of new   
> technologies to markets in the biotech sector can serve well in the   
> renewable biomass and carbon sequestration world!
>
>     In any event, I hope I haven't started off with a "too   
> irrelevant" post and I hope to be able to make a small contribution   
> to your discussions.  Questions & comments are OK by me!
>
>     Kindest Regards,
>
>     Gary Barei
>