By Kobus Venter
The Vuthisa Biochar Initiative is progressing well thanks to the Energy and Environment Partnership Southern and East Africa funding. EEP-S&EA have partnered with us until July 2015 to fund 50% of our project costs.
We were busy setting up a tent for Biochar storage when I noticed a pile of charcoal “fines” of around 3 tons (under 15 mm diameter) was still there 2 years on. The “fines” was dumped there by us continuously between November 2011 to April 2012.
This farm is frequented by cattle, with dung piles littered over it, but no fires have been through it. The area circled in red is the same area in the picture above it – just under 20 months later. The charcoal layer somehow compacted down into the soil and the soil is only reached by digging down 0.5 metres or so.
Another interesting development was the appearance of natural vegetation somehow anchored to the charcoal. See below.
We have adapted our system to produce quality Biochar now as many of you know.
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