Talkin' After Hours with the Lower Blackwood LCDC

In this Talking After Hours podcast Kate chats to Professor Stephen Joseph about biochar and its applications in renewable energy and agriculture.

Biochar is the result of thermal decomposition of biomass in an oxygen-starved environment. It can be made from various feedstocks, including grasses, manures, and wood. Different biochars have different effects on soil and plant growth, and their application rates need to be optimized. Biochar can increase yields, improve water holding capacity, and enhance soil health. Biochar has the potential to improve soil health and agricultural productivity. It can be made from various biomass sources, including woody weeds and crop residues. Biochar can be produced in a trench or using a portable pyrolyzer. It can be mixed with manure or compost to enhance its effectiveness. Biochar can improve water holding capacity, nutrient retention, and microbial activity in sandy soils. It can also reduce greenhouse gas emissions and leaching of nutrients like phosphorus. Farmers can purchase biochar from suppliers or make their own using DIY methods like the kontiki technique.

Key Takeaways

• Biochar is the result of thermal decomposition of biomass in an oxygen-starved environment.
• Different biochars have different effects on soil and plant growth, and their application rates need to be optimized.
• Biochar can increase yields, improve water holding capacity, and enhance soil health.
• Biochar can be made from various feedstocks, including grasses, manures, and wood, woody weeds and crop residues.
• It can be produced in a trench or using a portable pyrolyzer.
• Mixing biochar with manure or compost can enhance its effectiveness.
• Biochar improves water holding capacity, nutrient retention, and microbial activity in sandy soils.
• It can reduce greenhouse gas emissions and leaching of nutrients like phosphorus.
• Farmers can purchase biochar from suppliers or make their own using DIY methods like the kontiki technique.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Professor Stephen Joseph and his expertise in renewable energy and biochar 02:31 The journey from working as an engineer to becoming a biochar expert 10:21 Understanding what biochar is and its various applications 14:08 The historical use of biochar by Indigenous peoples and its potential benefits in modern agriculture 17:08 Exploring the use of biochar in combination with solar panels to improve farmland 21:37 The different types of biochar and their effects on soil and plant growth 23:50 Optimizing biochar application rates for maximum benefits 29:53 Introduction to Biochar and its Benefits 34:39 Making Biochar: DIY Options and Considerations 40:31 Impact of Biochar on Soil and Plants 42:38 Biochar in Pasture Scenarios 48:22 Biochar and its Relationship to Humic and Fulvic Acids 50:53 Advantages of Biochar in Sandy Soils 53:24 Purchasing Biochar and Determining Quality 57:45 Conclusion and Resources

In this episode of Talkin' After Hours we chat to Sam & Steph Hondema of Rosas Ridge based near Margaret River in the South West of Western Australia. 

These first generation farmers have been building a successful pasture raised chicken enterprise since 2019, with a vision to supply superior meats, both in nutritional density and rich flavour to their customers table whilst at the same time improving the health of their soils & pasture through regenerative practices 

Like all start ups their journey has not been without challenges, particularly when you want to do it differently from the conventional approach - our conversation is a warts and all dive into how they have managed to become the leading suppliers of pasture raised chicken.

In this Talkin' After Hours Episode Jo & Kate chat once again to local agroecologist Mark Tupman from Productive Ecology. This time we explore how to get a better band for your buck by including foliar nutrition to complement your soil fertility program.

In this month's episode Jo & Kate chat to two southwest WA landcarers who have been very active in working with livestock farmers to get some very handy ecosystem engineers working on their farms. We are talking about Dung Beetles and our local experts are Kathy Dawson from Southern Forests Community Landcare based in Manjimup and Kylie Cook from Wilson Inlet Catchment Committee, based in Denmark. 

Show notes available via Talkin' After Hours, our online community & information hub.

In this Talkin After Hours Episode Jo & Kate chat to Fred Provenza, Professor Emeritus, Dept. Wildland Resources, Utah State University. 

For the past 30 years, Fred and his team have produced ground-breaking research that has laid the foundation for what is now known as behavior-based management of livestock, wildlife and landscapes. This research led to the creation in 2001 of a consortium of scientists and land managers from five continents  called BEHAVE (Behavioral Education for Human, Animal, Vegetation and Ecosystem management). Fred has authored 3 books Foraging Behavior: Managing to Survive in a World of Change, The Science of Shepherding: Tapping the Wisdom of French Herder, and most recently published a book on his research titled Nourishment: What Animals Can Teach Us about Rediscovering Our Nutritional Wisdom.

Our conversation delves into this fascinating research with a particular focus on the impact of plant diversity on livestock health.

In this months podcast Jo & Kate chat with Mark Tupman from Productive Ecology on a topic that is absolutely fundamental to agriculture – that of soil function & fertility.

In our conversation we delve into what is actually meant by soil function, why and how it is so critical to soil fertility, and what are the most effective strategies we can implement to build soil fertility.

In this episode of Talkin’ After Hours Jo & Kate chat to Joel Williams on the hot topic of Nitrogen – how it works in the nutrient cycle and how can we best optimise its use – particularly in grazing systems.

In this months podcast we chat to agroecologist & partner in rural change management company Soil Land Food, David Hardwick on the hot topic of making your own biofertilisers .David learned the skills of making bugs and brews from the masters at Mas humas and has been passing on that information ever since. In the podcast David shares tips, tricks & recipes to make starter cultures, inoculants, bioferments and biofertilisers. 

Feral Pigs are a major pest across a Australia and are in fact wreaking havoc right here in our backyard in the Lower Blackwood Catchment. Here at the LCDC we’ve been working with the Lower Blackwood Vertebrate Pest Management group for a number of years on controlling the local pig population and are coming into our third year of our State NRM funded project ‘Feral Pig Focus – Protecting the Scott Coastal Plain’.

In this month's Talkin' Podcast we chat to Dr Heather Channon, the National Feral Pig Management Coordinator for the National Feral Pig Action Plan about the plan and how projects like ours fit in with her work on a National Scale.

This podcast is supported by the Western Australian Government's State NRM Program.

In this episode Jo & Kate talk to Agroecologist Mark Tupman on all things composting for farms - what the options are, how to make them, and how to best utilise the compost on your farm.

This podcast is supported though funding from Soil Wise. Soil Wise is funded by the National Landcare Program Smart Farms Small Grants – an Australian Government initiative. It is supported by Healthy Estuaries WA – a State Government program.