http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/10/12/biochar-production.aspx
This article's assertions seem pretty
reasonable, except that I am far enough removed from formal science
classes that I have questions that I can't usefully guess answers to
about the downsides (there must be some) of this low-oxygen burning
process ... other than that, this-all fills in a gap I've been trying
to figure out: how to reasonably re-texture the soil (peat moss is a
non-renewable resource at the rate it is now used, and manure or compost
take too long to use over large areas ... even with 20+ horses!).
For poor-nutrient soils, the charcoal acting 'like a land-based coral
reef' is awesome ... that connects the dots to a microorganisms/fungi
set of articles I was reading a few months back in the local
agricultural paper :) ... I
hope some people put in demonstration fields in each state sometime soon
to show us how it works (and how well/not well it works)!
I'm
glad too see discussion of grazing animals as the environmental agents
they were designed to be (by God in my worldview, but "by evolutionary
constraints and symbiotic relationships" works, too).
The earth
is a giant energy-storing battery (and thus we have warmth and life)
because not only do plants suck up the sunlight, but also they turn into
dirt (which animals help with in all kinds of ways) ... it's the dirt
that really stores the chemical energy from the sun in a stable but
reasonably accessible way ... I actually (at least somewhat
scientifically) think the reason our planet's core stays molten is
because subduction feeds this stored chemical energy into the planet's
inner furnace, exactly like adding logs to a fire; I suspect living,
healthy dirt (turned into rock <=> a well-cured log) is why we
aren't Mars. So, I'm pretty bullish on the concept of dirt, but I'm
also practically pretty ignorant ;) : P...
[Mom], what think ye of this article? Your grazing management efforts fit right in :). Betcha didn't know your business plan inherently included carbon sequestration efforts ;).
Now we just need some alpacas or sheep, and a WAY bigger chicken run ;), and maybe some of this charcoal doohickey stuff, which sounds like an awesome soil amendment.
Thank you, A.O., for the link :).
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