Learning Database

CenUSA is evaluating biochar impacts on farm and garden crops production.

A presentation of 1.5 years of research in partnership with University of Delaware under a grant to Howard EcoWorks from the National Fish and wildlife Foundation for the Ellicott City Soak It Up campaign.

In Brazil's Central Amazonian Basin scientists have studied how these farmers, for thousands of years, have create

The top-down pile burning technique is a cleaner burning fire that produces biochar. This guideline gives step-by-step instructions for making biochar in a burn pile.

U.S. National Forests have over 380,000 miles of roads. Many of these roads are over 25 years old, sub-standard, compacted, and invaded with non-native plant species.

In this video,  we show you how to make Biochar Enhanced Compost that can be used to improve soil conditions

The threat of climate change is increasing constantly. This is seriously bad news. And as this becomes more and more understood and accepted, the pressure on policymakers and business to act is also growing.

In the US, lawns are the largest agricultural crop at approximately 40 million acres and growing. These acres can act as green infrastructure when biochar is used to manage urban runoff and pollution.

Biochar Increases Plant Survival

Read case studies in how biochar improved plant survival rates, boosted yeilds, and saved money. Sandy soils particularly benefitted from biochar.

Thanks to USBI, Biochar Is a US Forest Service Wood Innovation Success Story

Learn how Biochar Garden Genius, David Yarrow, builds rich garden beds on poor, compacted soils using biochar, minerals and microbes.

Conservation Corps putting Research into Action 

When Big Table Farm wanted to expand their vineyard, they searched for a better solution than the standard open pile burn. They wanted to avoid putting smoke in the air and the potential soil damage.

Converting walls to carbon caches could be compelling when you consider just how much wall space there is in the average US home.

One of the most effective and long-lasting ways farmers can move carbon from the atmosphere into the soil is to use biochar. But if it is so effective, why don’t we see biochar everywhere?

Some construction and demolition (C&D) fines that contain gypsum emit H2S toxin. C&D also consists of sand and dirt, asphalt products, brick, block, concrete, and organic materials like wood.

Combined heat and biochar (CHAB) technologies are systems that optimize the combustion of wood residues.

The Great Lakes Biochar Network aims to be a centralized hub for biochar information relevant to the Great Lakes region. This website offers articles, publications, videos, human resources and a webinar series on biochar topics.

Presentation at the Restoring the West Conference, 2019: "Using fire to build soil carbon and water holding capaci

The simplest and most efficient method to biocharge your biochar is to simply mix it into your compost piles, stacking functions to benefit both the biochar and your compost.

Both compost and biochar production are methods to utilize and recycle organic wastes.

Dr Brandon R Smith, National Program Coordinator for the US Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service (USDA-NRCS) National Soil Health Division, discusses biochar in relation to current NRCS policy in this presen

The Umpqua Biochar Education Team developed flame cap kilns for an NRCS Conservation Innovation Grant.

Learn how Utah State University Forestry Extension is making big box biochar in the Intermountain West. By using low-value waste wood, our team is reducing fuels and improving forest health.

RIT Golisano Institute for Sustainability

USBI Briefing Paper: Biochar and Western Forests – A Win-Win Solution to Benefit Forest Restoration, Climate, and Sustainable Economies The Problem: Forest ecosystems in the Western United States are in trouble.

“Green roofs” are an increasingly popular practice that can accomplish a wide variety of jobs in the urban landscape. Whether you are looking for reductions in utility costs, providing habitat for resident and migrating wildlife, or even utilizing your roof for hyper-local food production—there isn’t much a green roof can’t do. However, that is not to say establishing your aerial Eden doesn’t take a bit of preparation. This publication will talk you through the opportunities to incorporate biochar into your green roof. 

From the Minnesota Stormwater Manual:

This page provides information on biochar. While providing extensive information on biochar, there is a section focused specifically on stormwater applications for biochar.

In this 48-minute film from NHK World Japan, learn how carbon farmers Gabe Brown in the US, Toshimichi Yoshida in Japan, and others are taking action against the climate crisis by employing regenerative agriculture or carbon farming.

This Webinar series organized by the Sonoma Biochar Initiative and the California Biochar Association took place over two mornings on October 13 and 14.

This webinar presents results from a USBI assessment comparing technology options for adding Combined Heat and Biochar (CHAB) equipment to t

Biochar can benefit your soil, but only if properly prepared prior to application.

This guideline was developed by the Umpqua Biochar Education Team for an NRCS Conservation Innovation Grant. The plant bioassay we use is a two week germination and growth test using cucumber seeds.

We emit 37 gigatons of CO2 every year.

The Biochar Atlas is an online, interactive tool from the USDA-Agricultural Research Service. The tool provides guidance to farmers, gardeners, and other end-users on the potential benefits of biochar.

This video is from Hamilton Native Outpost’s 2020 field days concerning the topic “Diversity of Plants: Stronger T

The Umpqua Biochar Education Team developed techniques for using biochar in composting for an NRCS Conservation Inn

What: A combination of live, online and in-field presentations and demonstrations on making and using biochar on site in the forest and WUI (Wildland Urban Interface). 

Visit this site for upcoming and archived US Forest Service webinars on biochar. Past webinars include:

This fact sheet describes a do-it-yourself technique for making small-batch biochar.

Digital version of the USBI Biochar In Compost Fact Sheet created in 2022

Improve compost and save money.

Follow Kathleen Draper's biochar home building project to learn more about how she has stashed carbon in every nook and cranny of her new home!

This 7-page fact sheet from the US Forest Service describes several methods for making and using biochar in forest soils and tree nurseries.

In this episode of In Search of Soil, we’ll be getting information about biochar straight from a biochar expert, Kelpie Wilson.

Market Research and Insights for Grape Growers and Biochar Producers - A Report by Dovetail Partners with the International Biochar Initiative and the US Biochar Initiative