Biochar Project Boosts Soil Health for New York Farmers

By Blake Jackson

A new project in New York's North Country aims to empower small to medium-sized farmers by promoting the adoption of biochar for enhanced soil health.

Led by River Valley Regeneratives, the initiative will provide participating farmers with the knowledge and tools to generate and apply biochar using locally available resources.

The project will also demonstrate biochar's positive impacts on soil biology through microscopy assessments of soil and compost amended with biochar.

Four locally manufactured Kon-Tiki biochar kilns will be distributed to selected farms, including a First Nation Akwesasne mixed vegetable and dairy farm, a Latino-owned mushroom and vegetable farm, a permaculture site, and a market garden focused on soil regeneration.

The project team will offer personalized support through on-farm visits and remote consultations to guide farmers in biochar production and application.

Once comfortable with the process, each participating farm will host a full-day workshop for regional farmers, featuring a lecture followed by hands-on field activities.

Workshop announcements will be disseminated through various channels, including listservs, partner organizations, social media, and word of mouth.

The project team will also develop educational materials for integration into existing toolkits of Compost for Good and the Composting Association of Vermont. These workshops and site visits will continue beyond the project's official timeframe.

A key objective is to lower barriers to biochar adoption. The project aims to increase biochar generation and application by providing on-farm training, conducting regional workshops, illustrating biochar's effects on soil microbiomes, and compiling best practices into accessible resources. Informational materials will be translated for First Nation and Spanish-speaking communities to reach historically marginalized farmers.

The project anticipates increasing awareness of biochar's benefits and application techniques among regional farmers, enhancing their capacity for on-farm biochar production.

By expanding local biochar production and community awareness, the initiative also seeks to stimulate markets for local soil health products, such as biologically enhanced compost and woody byproducts, and create demand for locally built biochar kilns. The project, funded with $29,270.00 awarded in 2025, is projected to conclude on May 31, 2027.

Photo Credit: gettyimages-casarsaguru