What is Biochar?

Biochar is charcoal produced, prepared and applied for optimal benefit to living soil ecologies. Biochar is made from woody biomass, insuring that organic carbon trapped through photosynthesis is sequestered as inert char, thus preventing organic carbon returning to the atmosphere as C02, as biomass inevitably oxidizes through microbial decay, is burned in natural fires, bonfires, or incinerated.

 

What is Pioneer Valley Biochar Initiative?

We are a group of farmers, professors, students and concerned citizens, promoting public awareness that a growing body of soil science affirms biochar’s value as a soil amendment that can increase soil productivity and enhance crop health when incorporated into farm, forest and garden soils.

 

We are motivated by biochar's ability to sink atmospheric carbon, and biochar's incredible potential for restoring soil health as a natural catalyst aiding living soil systems. We believe both of these benefits are a crucial response to the worsening climate crises, and will help mitigate future food shortages by increasing both agricultural yield and resilience to draught and disease.

 

We support environmentally responsible biochar research, production and land application. PVBiochar policy is to draw from clean sources of woody biomass detritus such as farm waste, yard waste, and storm damage, and to utilize process heat from clean char making processes.

 

We encourage members of the Pioneer Valley community to become informed and to educate others about carbon sequestration and the production and agricultural use of biochar. Please add your voice by joining our online forum.