TerraChar
Farming - Columbia, Missouri, United States
TerraChar Employees
TerraChar Details
Carbon is a very essential key to life. It is the fourth most abundant element in the universe, fifteenth most abundant element on earth, second most abundant element in the human body, after oxygen. Carbon is present in all known life-forms. It exists in many inorganic compounds (gases, rocks, liquids) and in all organic ones. Half of the dry weight of most living organisms is you guessed it, Carbon! Due to conventional farming methods of turning over soil and exposing it heat and sunlight along with heavy uses of chemicals, has decimated soil microbial life and released mass amounts of carbon into the atmosphere in the form of CO2. The problem at hand is taking the carbon that has been lost and putting it back into soils to start rejuvenating life again, while at the same time solving some of detrimental environmental problems. Our biochar is 76%> carbon 2%< ash, so what better way to start taming our problem than biochar. This 2,000 year-old practice converts agricultural waste into a soil enhancer that can hold carbon, boost food security, and increase soil biodiversity, and discourage deforestation. The process creates a fine-grained, highly porous charcoal that helps soils retain nutrients and water. The method of 'charging the soil will ensure nutrients around to be held around the root zone, and be available when the plant needs them throughout the growing season. The populated microbes (mainly fungi) will be more efficient in delivering nutrients to the plant and hold even more water. Truly, biochar is a win-win for soil life, giving shelter to the critters and holding their food source (inorganic carbons) nearby allowing for easy cycling of nutrients.
