Biochar and natural farming

Water John

Say My Name, this is what you should be doing with the seawater, selling it to people, not spraying on the fields, ha.
https://www.sterimarnasal.co.uk/our-products/nasal-hygiene#breathe-easy-daily

Say my name

Water John wrote: »

Say My Name, this is what you should be doing with the seawater, selling it to people, not spraying on the fields, ha.
https://www.sterimarnasal.co.uk/our-products/nasal-hygiene#breathe-easy-daily

If it's anything like sea salt when you first start taking it. You'll have dreams so vivid you'll believe you're still awake.
You'll be seeing seven fat cows and seven thin cows when you hit the pillow.

Water John

So better than the magic mushrooms.

Say my name

Water John wrote: »

So better than the magic mushrooms.

The only shroom that went in this gob was a button out of a polythene tunnel.

Castlekeeper

Say my name wrote: »

If it's anything like sea salt when you first start taking it. You'll have dreams so vivid you'll believe you're still awake.
You'll be seeing seven fat cows and seven thin cows when you hit the pillow.

Is it not just the same as putting a bit of salt (sea) on the chips or spuds?

Say my name

Castlekeeper wrote: »

Is it not just the same as putting a bit of salt (sea) on the chips or spuds?

How are you getting on with your biochar plots?

Castlekeeper

Say my name wrote: »

How are you getting on with your biochar plots?

Only went our this week as it was to dry. I'd say it might be too little to be significant, only a few hundred kgs mixed in with 60000 gals of slurry. I mixed in some humans and molasses as well.

I'll keep you posted.

Water John

Castlekeeper wrote: »

Only went our this week as it was to dry. I'd say it might be too little to be significant, only a few hundred kgs mixed in with 60000 gals of slurry. I mixed in some humans and molasses as well.

I'll keep you posted.

Has someone contacted the Guards?

Say my name

Water John wrote: »

Has someone contacted the Guards?

Ah he meant humates. I think.

Or maybe tiny humans.

Say my name

Castlekeeper wrote: »

Only went our this week as it was to dry. I'd say it might be too little to be significant, only a few hundred kgs mixed in with 60000 gals of slurry. I mixed in some humans and molasses as well.

I'll keep you posted.

Cool.

Pit kiln?

Say my name

It's electro magnetic frequency protection paint. For when you don't want mobile phone coverage in your house or concerned about cancer causing micro frequency waves or whatever job you want it to do that the tin foil hat can do.
It's deadly serious and people use it to prevent radiation from power lines or transformers etc from entering the room, house.

https://www.emrss.com/collections/emf-shielding-paint

All it is charcoal, carbon, biochar paint and does what it says on the tin.

Albert Bates showed a pressed pad of charcoal a while ago in Ireland placed over an electrical wall socket, stopped the frequency, charge, emissions, whatever from getting past the charcoal layer.

Danzy

Fantastic

Say my name

Danzy wrote: »

Fantastic

The endless use of carbon.

Danzy

Do you ever add IMOs to the slurry tank just before agitation.

Trying it this year.

Say my name

Danzy wrote: »

Do you ever add IMOs to the slurry tank just before agitation.

Trying it this year.

No. I doubt they'd work in slurry though. I think the whole point of IMO's is that they're aerobic. Would the slurry being anaerobic nullify the benefit? (Kill them).
There's another poster on here was making their own slurry bugs from kitchen waste might be more benefit.

Say my name

Another batch made.

Inoculated with seaweed that was left in an ibc and molasses added.

In the picture - biochar, kiln, tractor, bucket of seaweed/molasses inoculant, coleus plant growing in 100% biochar, concrete and feed barriers.

Say my name

Feel the love between these two news presenters.

(I had to add it in).:p

https://youtu.be/tyqks1MHjBE

Say my name

Someone sponsor me a new phone. :pac:
The footage is terrible.

https://youtu.be/H_2BK7Srunk

Ye get the idea anyways. No fert since end of May/June. Seaweed and molasses alright.
And they all received dirty water/slurry. Only difference is there was biochar in some and not in other applications.

Castlekeeper

Say my name wrote: »

Feel the love between these two news presenters.

(I had to add it in).:p

https://youtu.be/tyqks1MHjBE

Castlekeeper

Say my name wrote: »

Someone sponsor me a new phone. :pac:
The footage is terrible.

https://youtu.be/H_2BK7Srunk

Ye get the idea anyways. No fert since end of May/June. Seaweed and molasses alright.
And they all received dirty water/slurry. Only difference is there was biochar in some and not in other applications.

I'd get a new camera man.

Say my name

Castlekeeper wrote: »

I'd get a new camera man.

He's left already.

Wages weren't great!

Water John

Say my name wrote: »

Feel the love between these two news presenters.

(I had to add it in).:p

https://youtu.be/tyqks1MHjBE

She really lowered the temp in the studio.
I suspect he again went ad lib and she wants to stick with the autocue.

Say my name

Water John wrote: »

She really lowered the temp in the studio.
I suspect he again went ad lib and she wants to stick with the autocue.

Probably just their dynamics.
Like Ivan Yates and Chris Donaghue..were.

Whatever it was. Was funny.

(Yates started his own show on South east radio this afternoon. Didn't hear it though.) Probably on their player thingy.

Say my name

There's a very inspiring piece on biochar in this week's farming independent.
A well written account of a farmers experience over the last three years in Kildare using it.

Say my name

The farming/biochar/horticulture/gardening thread. :pac:

I better share an update on the coleus before it gets the chop up for cuttings.







Not bad if I do say so myself. And proves plants (well this one) can be grown on 100% biochar (miscanthus).
Things I learned : it seems there is a difference in aged and fresh biochar. Wood vinegar use gives a kick after six months of application and this followed through with it really kicking on after six months the char was made.
Innoculating the char with sea minerals doesn't harm the plant.
It also likes to be watered with cold tea from actual tea leaves.
And the char and plant acts as an air conditioner indoors cleaning the air..just like the Japanese tradition of indoor air cleaning with charcoal.

Fin.. Snip, Snip.

NcdJd

Say my name wrote: »

The farming/biochar/horticulture/gardening thread. :pac:

I better share an update on the coleus before it gets the chop up for cuttings.







Not bad if I do say so myself. And proves plants (well this one) can be grown on 100% biochar (miscanthus).
Things I learned : it seems there is a difference in aged and fresh biochar. Wood vinegar use gives a kick after six months of application and this followed through with it really kicking on after six months the char was made.
Innoculating the char with sea minerals doesn't harm the plant.
It also likes to be watered with cold tea from actual tea leaves.
And the char and plant acts as an air conditioner indoors cleaning the air..just like the Japanese tradition of indoor air cleaning with charcoal.

Fin.. Snip, Snip.

I used to grow these commercially along with bedding plants and other potted flowers years ago for selling to the public and some garden centres..they would only be about a third the size of that... pat on the back there say my name. Gerry Daly would be envious at the size of that coleus.

Say my name

NcdJd wrote: »

I used to grow these commercially along with bedding plants and other potted flowers years ago for selling to the public and some garden centres..they would only be about a third the size of that... pat on the back there say my name. Gerry Daly would be envious at the size of that coleus.

I haven't snipped it yet.

I'm seriously considering leaving it be and seeing how far it'll go. Ok I'll leave be..

In other speaks the sea minerals that got is called Ormus. That and biochar mixed together is supposed to be very good but the reports were sketchy and only from a few online. But for me for the first attempt at making both, I'm happy enough.
The leaves on it on the upper bits are nearly the size of my hand.

If it gets to six foot in that pot I'll throw up a few more pics. :pac:

Freejin

Very interesting stuff on this thread. Is there anybody in ireland producing biochar at a commercial level?

Say my name

Freejin wrote: »

Very interesting stuff on this thread. Is there anybody in ireland producing biochar at a commercial level?

I think Arigna fuels is making it from imported olive stones?

There is a difference between dry made and quenched biochar though.
One is moisture repelling the dry made.
And the quenched is moisture attracting.
So one is more receptive to absorbing minerals.
But the dry just needs that little longer to act as well as the quenched.

I have a feeling bord na mona could be looking at it too. They've announced they'll be starting up their boilers on biomass next year and they've a few years research on biochar done.

Say my name

Mixing cattle minerals, seaweed and biochar, Australian style.

Dung beetle footage in the comments section.
It should share...it's a public group.

https://m.facebook.com/groups/360613800973215?view=permalink&id=1203465430021377

Say my name

For anyone that's interested.

Here's the EBI whitepaper released in October.

https://twitter.com/BBiochar/status/1321937413577576450?s=20

Say my name

Yesterday.



Today.

_Brian

Say my name wrote: »

Yesterday.



Today.

Going to need a bit more help with tha, what am I looking at ?

Lime Tree Farm

_Brian wrote: »

Going to need a bit more help with tha, what am I looking at ?

Famine pot !

Say my name

_Brian wrote: »

Going to need a bit more help with tha, what am I looking at ?

A jfc round water trough with the ingredients added to make Jadam microbial solution heated to 19 - 20c by a lister water heater.
Tomorrow and the next day a foam of bubbles should form on the top.
At the 72 hr mark or when there's a definite disk of foam it's ready to use.

With the cold weather forecast I won't be spraying on the soil so instead I'll use it as a slurry bug in the tanks.

Only cavaet I used brakish water on the limit of a tidal river. It's recommended to use seawater or sea salt in the solution.

It's poping already so it looks like there's life there. We'll see how it goes. First time making it.
Whatever 500 litres of slurry bugs is worth?

Danzy

Say my name wrote: »

Yesterday.



Today.

Give the peace process one more chance?

Say my name

Danzy wrote: »

Give the peace process one more chance?

No.

Say my name

May as well continue on right through.

It's 39 hrs now since I started this.



A wheel of foam is on the surface. I think what happens is bubbles of carbon dioxide and methane? rise to the surface from the activity of the bacteria and fungi. When they hit the surface some burst and ripple the surface of the solution and some don't. The rippling doesn't allow foam to remain near the edge of the trough nor near the heater with the back ripple when it hits the solid object.

It's working anyways. I'll give some to a neighbour with their tanks to try out.
If you were wanting to store it you'd have to mix it with wheat bran for later use.

It's still 36 hrs away from being ready I reckon. You could use it now but it's still multiplying and I'll get the best use from it.

Say my name

It's 63 hrs now.



There's a stronger disc than yesterday so all still good.
I'll use it this afternoon while all's still good and live.
If I were to to wait till tomorrow I could end up a solution of dead biota and just fertilizer.
When the disk starts to break up. It's dying and it's gone too far.

If this was to be used on soil it would cover an area from 0.3 acre to 8 acres.

This is called JMS - Jadam Microbial Solution orginated from Youngsang Cho in South Korea.

The originator states it can be used in drinking water for poultry and stock and sprayed on bedding too.
The starter for this was soil beneath a deciduous tree.
This should contain lactic acid bacteria, fungi and other anaerobic bacteria.

I was listening to Dr Elaine Ingham the last day, she wasn't so complementary about biochar! But, one use she did see for it was as an aid to relieve compaction which I thought was interesting.

Say my name

[Deleted User] wrote: »

I was listening to Dr Elaine Ingham the last day, she wasn't so complementary about biochar! But, one use she did see for it was as an aid to relieve compaction which I thought was interesting.

There's such complexity to char and not that people don't really understand it.
If you make it the wrong way it won't work.
If leave tars and pac's on it it won't work.
If you don't break open the pores you're not making the best char.
If you don't mix it with manure it won't work.

But if you get your head around those simple facts it's the greatest thing that the planet and soil has encountered.

Mix it with your organic material and you won't look back. The soil will become better every year.

Have a look at the biochar Facebook groups. Albert Bates and Dr Claudia Kammann.

If you were in the locality I'd show you paddocks that received dairy washings with char in them. Tis good stuff!

endainoz

Say my name wrote: »

There's such complexity to char and not that people don't really understand it.
If you make it the wrong way it won't work.
If leave tars and pac's on it it won't work.
If you don't break open the pores you're not making the best char.
If you don't mix it with manure it won't work.

But if you get your head around those simple facts it's the greatest thing that the planet and soil has encountered.

Mix it with your organic material and you won't look back. The soil will become better every year.

Have a look at the biochar Facebook groups. Albert Bates and Dr Claudia Kammann.

If you were in the locality I'd show you paddocks that received dairy washings with char in them. Tis good stuff!

I'm very interested in biochar and hope to make some batches in the new year. Just wondering about how to get it in the soil. Would it bo possible to have is so dry that it would go out on a wag tail spreader? Or would it be better being added to the tanks as an additive and being spread as slurry? Or would it be best added to dung as it goes out in a much spreader?

Sorry for all the questions, but I really do think it's a great way to improve soil health.

Say my name

If you've slurry. Mix it with slurry.

If you've dung. Mix it with dung.
You could add it dry to the bedding. But I've no experience with it dry and you might be coughing up your lungs in years to come.

It'll act the very same as dung spread in a field when added to slurry in that it lasts.
The future of slurry applied should be black slurry.
The problem you'll get is accessing enough material.

But slurry is easiest as you have the equipment for spreading and it's being treated.

There's another than me at this a lot longer than I even though I never met the man.
It should be an absolute match with organics.

https://www.independent.ie/business/farming/forestry-enviro/can-this-home-produced-farm-product-cut-beef-emissions-by-up-to-20pc-39549824.html

Say my name

Anyway. Final piece of the jigsaw.

Added to the tanks.



A lot better than those piddly dead microbes on the market.

Panch18

Say my name wrote: »

There's such complexity to char and not that people don't really understand it.
If you make it the wrong way it won't work.
If leave tars and pac's on it it won't work.
If you don't break open the pores you're not making the best char.
If you don't mix it with manure it won't work.

But if you get your head around those simple facts it's the greatest thing that the planet and soil has encountered.

Mix it with your organic material and you won't look back. The soil will become better every year.

Have a look at the biochar Facebook groups. Albert Bates and Dr Claudia Kammann.

If you were in the locality I'd show you paddocks that received dairy washings with char in them. Tis good stuff!

Is it possible and feasible to make biochar at a farm scale level? Like say for a 100 acre farm - what would it entail to make enough biochar to make a telling difference?

How often would you need to "apply" it?

Sorry novice questions but just starting on the basics

Danzy

I've made batches of it, circa 200kg, broke it up and scattered it on the slats. The soaking up of nutrients, charging it, is vital.

endainoz

Danzy wrote: »

I've made batches of it, circa 200kg, broke it up and scattered it on the slats. The soaking up of nutrients, charging it, is vital.

So did the urea in the tanks charge it or did you add something else into it before?

Say my name

Panch18 wrote: »

Is it possible and feasible to make biochar at a farm scale level? Like say for a 100 acre farm - what would it entail to make enough biochar to make a telling difference?

How often would you need to "apply" it?

Sorry novice questions but just starting on the basics

Speaking for myself. I got a 1100 litre open kiln made that cost me €1300.
I have euro brackets on it so I don't 'handle' the char. Just throw in the feedstock by hand when I've a burn going. It's handled then with the loader.

My thinking would every year you've slurry. But the benefits should increase every year.

Quantities. I've seen a benefit of that 1100 litre burn in 10,000 gallons of dairy wash/slurry over not.
They say a bit in your hand has the surface area of a football field. And that surface area traps the nitrogen and phosphorus.
So if you've my example, multiply my 10,000 gallons by how many you'd have.

I am getting another kiln made by the same manufacturer with a lid this time but their price has increased a bit more.
If you've a kiln for a loader or forklift the only cost after will be your time provided you've the feedstock.

Panch18

Say my name wrote: »

Speaking for myself. I got a 1100 litre open kiln made that cost me €1300.
I have euro brackets on it so I don't 'handle' the char. Just throw in the feedstock by hand when I've a burn going. It's handled then with the loader.

My thinking would every year you've slurry. But the benefits should increase every year.

Quantities. I've seen a benefit of that 1100 litre burn in 10,000 gallons of dairy wash/slurry over not.
They say a bit in your hand has the surface area of a football field. And that surface area traps the nitrogen and phosphorus.
So if you've my example, multiply my 10,000 gallons by how many you'd have.

I am getting another kiln made by the same manufacturer with a lid this time but their price has increased a bit more.
If you've a kiln for a loader or forklift the only cost after will be your time provided you've the feedstock.

Interesting stuff

Have you photo's of your kiln? Good idea to have it on the loader

Panch18

Say my name wrote: »

Speaking for myself. I got a 1100 litre open kiln made that cost me €1300.
I have euro brackets on it so I don't 'handle' the char. Just throw in the feedstock by hand when I've a burn going. It's handled then with the loader.

My thinking would every year you've slurry. But the benefits should increase every year.

Quantities. I've seen a benefit of that 1100 litre burn in 10,000 gallons of dairy wash/slurry over not.
They say a bit in your hand has the surface area of a football field. And that surface area traps the nitrogen and phosphorus.
So if you've my example, multiply my 10,000 gallons by how many you'd have.

I am getting another kiln made by the same manufacturer with a lid this time but their price has increased a bit more.
If you've a kiln for a loader or forklift the only cost after will be your time provided you've the feedstock.

Also more importantly roughly how much feedstock are you talking about to make the 1100 litres?