Hi All:
There are about 1/2 doz gourmet natural charcoal distributors( Google charcoal wholesale). Cowboy is one, most import from South America or even China. The only U.S. charcoal makers I have found are in Missouri.
I just started checking on the availability of Agricultural grade charcoal, dust to 1/2 inch,
high lignin feed stock, 4%- 7% moisture, and the lower the cook temperature the better.
I can only find it in Missouri, a 22 ton trailer , delivered to me in Harrisonburg, Virginia, @ $225/ton.
I have contacted Kingford (Clorox), hopping that occasionally their retorts in West VA may over produce for their use in making brickets, and I might get a load.
I also sent them the TP links,and my thoughts that the company would have interest in the over all carbon-negative aspects of the pyrolysis processes at Georgia Inst of Technology.
Their reply:
"Thanks for the reply and thanks for the links.
I've given your name to Clorox' Procurement Manager, who will be in touch.
Interesting propositions."
So keep your fingers crossed, this could be big
Also:
I sent TP post to the author of this new book, Teaming with Microbes: A Gardeners Guide to the Soil Food Web :
http://www.timberpress.com/authors/id.cfm/1262
"Dear Mr. Lowenfels,
After reading reviews of your book, I thought you may be interested in Terra Preta Soils and the roll they could play in establishing a sustainable agricultural technology in our climates. TP goes way beyond the old saw of "Feed the Soil, Not the plants" to "Feed, House, and provide water& waste infrastructure to the Soil! "
Erich
