Thanks to Marc Dekens that was visiting us, we got introduced to a method of making biochar. This natural material can bring huge benefits for nature: it is recognized as offering a number of powerful soil health benefits. The extremely porous nature of biochar is found to be effective at retaining both water and water nutrients. And other then most fertilizers- it can stay and function in the soil for many years.

We know charcoal from the black material that is left after we burn wood. During the burning process, oxygen is needed for the fire to transform the material into something new- charcoal. But when we take the oxygen out of this process, we don't burn the wood, but we 'char' it. And this results to an enormously potent material for the soil: biochar. This can be done in various ways. For example by putting wood in a metal box with a lit on top so no oxygen can come in and then putting the box in -yes- fire. Exposed to intense heat, the wood will slowly turn into its new form: a porous 'charred' piece of wood that crumbles once you pick it up. Making this into powder and spreading it in the soil is proven to be a very effective way to improve the soil conditions for a long time. We produced biochar in a controlled open fire.

Another benefit is: the carbon that is stored in biochar will forever be stored. There is no way to release it into the atmosphere again: it is the end stage of transformation for the biomass. This makes for a huge potential material to store carbon in the ground, while serving as a sponge for water and numerous nutrients.

So if we burn wood, let's try to burn it without oxygen, and produce black gold for nature. We put it in various spots in the land and will analyze the areas closely.