John Reese brings the boundless energy of a born salesman and a passion for every project he does. As general manager of EnviraPAC Monticello, his focus is on a business venture that superheats sustainable forestry management residuals to create a highly carbonized product called biochar.
The EnviraPAC Monticello project is unique in its large scale, variety of potential uses for biochar, and ability to create consistency in the quality of the biochar it produces. It is an industrially focused company that makes a renewably engineered biochar carbon powder to provide alternatives to fossil fuel-based carbon.
So, what exactly is this magic material? According to the International Biochar Institute, biochar is created by heating biomass with little or no oxygen to drive off volatile gasses, leaving carbon behind. The process creates a highly porous charcoal and can produce clean energy in the form of gas or oil. When used in farm applications, biochar can improve water quality by helping soils retain nutrients and water, and more nutrients stay in the soil.
One of the ‘Coolest Things Made in Arkansas’
Located in southern Arkansas, EnviraPAC draws on the forestry background of Monticello, using soft yellow pine residuals from local lumber production as the biomass for its pyrolysis process.
“We bring in the chips from the sawmill across the street and put it into our process,” Reese said. “We’re interested in a consistent, quality product. We’re not using recycled wood or construction waste that can contain contaminants.”
The wood chips are dried in a kiln and heated to over 600 degrees Celsius in a process called pyrolysis. Chemicals and gasses in the wood are volatilized, leaving hunks of bone-dry charcoal that contain over 90% carbon.
“We recycle our wood gas, so once we get our process up, it’s self-sustaining as long as we keep feeding it chips,” Reese said, adding that this “continuous process” of recycled energy is unique in the industry and got them named one of the “Exceptional 8 in the Coolest Things Made in Arkansas” contest in 2022.
It also helps to ensure the quality of the biochar they create. EnviraPAC’s biochar product is certified by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and International Biochar Institute and is listed with the Organic Materials Review Institute.
Once the biochar comes off the carbonizing unit, it can be packed as-is or ground into granules or fine powder. Reese says the smallest grind provides the most surface area and better strength properties for industrial use. While the larger chunks go to agricultural applications like fertilizer, powdered biochar has practical benefits in hydroponics, machinery, metallurgy, textiles, chemicals, plastics, pigments and coatings.
‘You Have to Have the Cake’
Reese has traveled extensively through Arkansas, spreading the gospel of biochar to farmers. Ag producers can get financial incentives for using biochar through a USDA-led program.
“Farmers need to know they can get subsidized,” he said. “I figured at least I can make sure the local people know it’s available, the conservation districts, crop advisors, anybody advising the producers.”
To make this advice even more timely, farmers who use those subsidies could get a boon as Congress considers a new Farm Bill and, with it, the inclusion of the Biochar Research Network Act. That bipartisan legislation would allow more funding for biochar research and applications.
Reese has also looked to Congress as he works to inform and educate—his mission extends from Arkansas farms to the U.S. House of Representatives. His Monticello plant has hosted Arkansas Rep. Bruce Westerman, the current chair of the House Committee on Natural Resources and a proponent of biochar. Reese said many officials didn’t even know there was a biochar plant in Monticello, and he was more than happy to inform them.
Reese says EnviraPAC is also using their sales team to break into markets with clients looking to replace fossil fuel/black carbon sources with sustainable products like biochar.
One recent market breakthrough is using powdered biochar in commercial and industrial paint. Reese said they experimented with using biochar as a black pigment replacement, but the formula “wasn’t black enough.” So, the sales team returned to their formulation data and noticed that biochar produced a flat or matte effect that could be desirable in certain coatings.
“It’s hard developing a market, technologies and applications for a new product. It may not work everywhere, but when it gets to the right place, something happens,” Reese said. “You need to pivot to the nook or cranny where you’re gonna be successful.”
He admits the endeavor isn’t entirely altruistic, as he’s in the business of making money. But it can be a winning investment. This venture is backed by Generate Capital, which focuses on sustainable infrastructure investments in renewable technologies to fight carbon emissions.
Decarbonization and climate initiatives are gaining steam. Government funding can help push emerging technologies forward. Couple that funding with entities like EnviraPAC that produce a consistent, quality-controlled product, and the possibilities are immense.
“We’re trying to be high-quality and compete against petroleum products where we can,” Reese said. “We want to make a long-term product. Subsidies are icing, but you have to have the cake–you can’t just live off icing.”
Arkansas carbon venture turns sustainable forestry management residuals into market-ready product
John Reese brings the boundless energy of a born salesman and a passion for every project he does. As general manager of EnviraPAC Monticello, his focus is on a business venture that superheats sustainable forestry management residuals to create a highly carbonized product called biochar.
The EnviraPAC Monticello project is unique in its large scale, variety of potential uses for biochar, and ability to create consistency in the quality of the biochar it produces. It is an industrially focused company that makes a renewably engineered biochar carbon powder to provide alternatives to fossil fuel-based carbon.
So, what exactly is this magic material? According to the International Biochar Institute, biochar is created by heating biomass with little or no oxygen to drive off volatile gasses, leaving carbon behind. The process creates a highly porous charcoal and can produce clean energy in the form of gas or oil. When used in farm applications, biochar can improve water quality by helping soils retain nutrients and water, and more nutrients stay in the soil.
One of the ‘Coolest Things Made in Arkansas’
Located in southern Arkansas, EnviraPAC draws on the forestry background of Monticello, using soft yellow pine residuals from local lumber production as the biomass for its pyrolysis process.
“We bring in the chips from the sawmill across the street and put it into our process,” Reese said. “We’re interested in a consistent, quality product. We’re not using recycled wood or construction waste that can contain contaminants.”
The wood chips are dried in a kiln and heated to over 600 degrees Celsius in a process called pyrolysis. Chemicals and gasses in the wood are volatilized, leaving hunks of bone-dry charcoal that contain over 90% carbon.
“We recycle our wood gas, so once we get our process up, it’s self-sustaining as long as we keep feeding it chips,” Reese said, adding that this “continuous process” of recycled energy is unique in the industry and got them named one of the “Exceptional 8 in the Coolest Things Made in Arkansas” contest in 2022.
It also helps to ensure the quality of the biochar they create. EnviraPAC’s biochar product is certified by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and International Biochar Institute and is listed with the Organic Materials Review Institute.
Once the biochar comes off the carbonizing unit, it can be packed as-is or ground into granules or fine powder. Reese says the smallest grind provides the most surface area and better strength properties for industrial use. While the larger chunks go to agricultural applications like fertilizer, powdered biochar has practical benefits in hydroponics, machinery, metallurgy, textiles, chemicals, plastics, pigments and coatings.
‘You Have to Have the Cake’
Reese has traveled extensively through Arkansas, spreading the gospel of biochar to farmers. Ag producers can get financial incentives for using biochar through a USDA-led program.
“Farmers need to know they can get subsidized,” he said. “I figured at least I can make sure the local people know it’s available, the conservation districts, crop advisors, anybody advising the producers.”
To make this advice even more timely, farmers who use those subsidies could get a boon as Congress considers a new Farm Bill and, with it, the inclusion of the Biochar Research Network Act. That bipartisan legislation would allow more funding for biochar research and applications.
Reese has also looked to Congress as he works to inform and educate—his mission extends from Arkansas farms to the U.S. House of Representatives. His Monticello plant has hosted Arkansas Rep. Bruce Westerman, the current chair of the House Committee on Natural Resources and a proponent of biochar. Reese said many officials didn’t even know there was a biochar plant in Monticello, and he was more than happy to inform them.
Reese says EnviraPAC is also using their sales team to break into markets with clients looking to replace fossil fuel/black carbon sources with sustainable products like biochar.
One recent market breakthrough is using powdered biochar in commercial and industrial paint. Reese said they experimented with using biochar as a black pigment replacement, but the formula “wasn’t black enough.” So, the sales team returned to their formulation data and noticed that biochar produced a flat or matte effect that could be desirable in certain coatings.
“It’s hard developing a market, technologies and applications for a new product. It may not work everywhere, but when it gets to the right place, something happens,” Reese said. “You need to pivot to the nook or cranny where you’re gonna be successful.”
He admits the endeavor isn’t entirely altruistic, as he’s in the business of making money. But it can be a winning investment. This venture is backed by Generate Capital, which focuses on sustainable infrastructure investments in renewable technologies to fight carbon emissions.
Decarbonization and climate initiatives are gaining steam. Government funding can help push emerging technologies forward. Couple that funding with entities like EnviraPAC that produce a consistent, quality-controlled product, and the possibilities are immense.
“We’re trying to be high-quality and compete against petroleum products where we can,” Reese said. “We want to make a long-term product. Subsidies are icing, but you have to have the cake–you can’t just live off icing.”
How Human and Ecosystem Health Intertwine
By NCAT Sustainable Agriculture Specialist Nina Prater
Sometimes cause and effect are easy to understand. Habitat destruction, for example, obviously leads to a decline for those creatures that depend on that habitat. Less milkweed means fewer monarch butterflies. Cause, effect. But sometimes the cause and effect are not immediately apparent.
Take this example outlined in a recent study by Dr. Eyal Frank, environmental economist with the Harris School of Public Policy at the University of Chicago. Dr. Frank found that white nose syndrome, a deadly fungal disease in bats, created a domino effect that led to increased infant mortality rates in humans. Here are the dominos: bats eat insects. A disease drastically reduces bat numbers. With fewer bats, there are more insects, many of which are pests for farmers. Farmers then use more insecticides to control these pests to protect their livelihood. But an increase in the use of insecticides knocked over the most heartbreaking domino, a rise in infant mortality rates.
A study like this makes clear that we cannot separate our wellbeing from the wellbeing of the ecosystems in which we make our homes. Imbalances in the interwoven relationships that surround us can cause terrible harm in ways that can be hard to predict. This study emphasizes the need to think through how we look for solutions to challenges in our agroecosystems. We should look for solutions that will restore balance and cause the least harm.
Surprising New Research Links Infant Mortality to Crashing Bat Populations. The New York Times. September 5, 2024.
Farmer Guide to Fertilizing with Urine Available Online
The Rich Earth Institute has a new publication available free, online, Farmer Guide to Fertilizing with Urine. The Rich Earth Institute reports that interest in urine nutrient reclamation has been surging, driven by spiking synthetic fertilizer prices, global supply disruptions, and increasing regulations on aquatic nutrient pollution. This 27-page guide compiles information and best practices from Rich Earth’s research with farmer-partners in Southern Vermont, as well as the literature from a growing community of researchers and farmers around the world who are reconnecting links in the food nutrient cycle. This guide is primarily intended for farmers interested in partnering with established urine reclamation projects.
Western SARE Local Education and Demonstration Grants
Proposals are due by November 6, 2024.
Western Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) is offering Local Education and Demonstration Grants designed to increase the application and adoption of the results and recommendations from previous SARE-funded research by identifying and overcoming the environmental, economic, and social hindrances of adopting sustainable agricultural practices locally. The implementation of demonstration and/or education events can address local issues related to the adoption of sustainable agricultural practices, bolstering confidence in adoption, and reducing risks. Successful proposals are required to integrate findings from previously-funded SARE research projects, translate those results into practical demonstrations of application, and bring those results into the field through demonstration and/or educational activities for agricultural professionals and producers.
NAFDMA Value-Added Dairy Professional Development Scholarship
Applications will be evaluated starting September 20, 2024.
Through USDA Dairy Business Innovation Initiative resources, University of Tennessee Extension is providing opportunities to value-added dairy producers or key personnel in the Southeast region (Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia) to participate in a premier professional development opportunity. Scholarship recipients will be reimbursed up to $2,500 to help defray registration and eligible travel expenses to attend the 2025 NAFDMA Agritourism Convention and Expo in Lexington, Kentucky, to be held February 6-10, 2025. The conference and expo provide opportunities for producers to improve direct farm marketing operations through educational sessions, farm tours, and networking events.
Small, Black-owned Farms Practicing Climate Farming
As part of National Public Radio’s week dedicated to coverage of food and climate, a story highlighted small, Black-owned farms in the Gulf South that are choosing crops and farming practices with the climate in mind. For example, Louisiana farmer Hilery Gobert grows diverse crops, utilizes cover crops, and produces rice using drip irrigation rather than flooding fields. Advocates of climate-smart farming say the practices deliver benefits to farmers and communities, in addition to their potential climate impact. Alcorn State University is one of the entities working to measure the extent of those benefits, as well as helping to educate farmers about the practices. The education effort also involves farmer cooperatives that are helping Black farmers access funding incentives for adopting climate-smart practices.
Minnesota Seeking New Members for Emerging Farmers’ Working Group
The Minnesota Department of Agriculture’s (MDA) Emerging Farmers’ Working Group has openings for nine volunteer members for two-year terms. Minnesotans interested in making it easier for new and emerging farmers to create or sustain an agricultural business are encouraged to apply by October 1, 2024. MDA is particularly interested in perspectives from diverse communities.
California Explores Agave as Heat- and Drought-Tolerant Alternative Crop
As part of its week-long focus on food and climate change, National Public Radio reported on California agriculture’s interest in agave as an alternative crop. Unlike many other crops, agave can grow with just three inches of water each year, and it is tolerant of high heat. More producers are planting agave in California, and researchers are testing which varieties perform best in California’s climate and soils. A California Agave Council formed in 2022 to support growers’ efforts. Proponents see agave not necessarily as a wholesale replacement for other crops, but as an alternative option growers may want to consider in certain locations and conditions. The crop requires patience, though, with around seven years of growth before harvest.
Innovation in Dairy Processing and Packaging Grant
Applications are due by October 31, 2024.
The Northeast Dairy Business Innovation Center is accepting applications for Dairy Processing and Packaging Grants ranging from $75,000 to $350,000 with a 25% match required. This grant will provide funds for dairy processors, dairy producer associations, packaging manufacturers, supply chain businesses, educational research institutions, and technical assistance providers to support innovation for Northeast dairy processors across a variety of scales.Funded projects will be centered on developing alternatives to current industry standards through projects that are applicable, scalable, and replicable to small- or mid-sized Northeast dairy processors, with beneficial environmental and/or economic impacts. The Northeast region includes the following states: Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont.
Episode 359. Teatime in Mississippi
In this episode of Voices from the Field, NCAT Sustainable Agriculture Specialist Audrey Kolde talks with Timothy Gipson, co-owner and co-founder of The Great Mississippi Tea Company in Brookhaven, Mississippi. Their conversation touches on the challenges and successes the company has had growing this popular specialty crop in the Magnolia State.
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