ANNOUNCEMENT: Huge Scale Environmental and Humanitarian Projects to Repair The Earth

[astrid]

Good work Cjay..
I'm with you all the way.

I'm studying with David Holmgren myself next year,
all things going well.

Permaculture, is the future, IMO.
Also look up Dr. Phil Callahan
and ROCK DUST,

[Rocky_Shorz]

this would make a good start for a World Changing Projects subsection of the forum...

We could start putting all the Projects Avalon is working on in one section so none of them get buried...

[InTheBackground]

Cjay, I am so impressed by people who can not only see the big picture and necessary restructurings and fixes, but who can also enact a workable plan. Many kudos and blessings to you and your people -- I wish you EVERY possible success with these and future endeavors. And from the roots of my own small garden, may I also thank you for the reminder about compost tea! Making a note to look for an aquarium pump and tubing for this spring's gardening.

RockyShorz, I don't know who you are, but I've been reading your posts for nearly two years now, and quite frankly, they fascinate me. =)

Carry on!

[778 neighbour of some guy]

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=Ct8Emx8qSd8

Btw when biochar can increase crop yields by 880 % and magnetic water increases it by up to 23 % and the fertilizer tea works miracles as well i would be very very very anxious right now to see what a combination of these three could do to a veggie garden, i would very much like to see a zucchini the size of of a small minivan ( or a large one for that matter), and with a fast growing crop like hemp that triple whammy combination can revolutionise the building industry practically overnight, carbon sucked out the air by the 100 thts of tons.

Great post Cjay

[Selene]

Posted by blufire (here)
I agree 100% with Dennis’ assessment . . . I would like to add a bit of my own personal experience.

First, I have begun to realize I am more of a ‘cat herder’ . . . I wish I could be a border collie or even like my old beloved German Shepherd that never leaves my side. But, alas I have found that people who are more in the organic/green/alternative/Avalon type arenas are more like cats. . . . . they are very hard to keep organized long enough to get much accomplished. If you stroke them the wrong way they are apt to hiss, claw you and worst yet . . . bite. The tend to only pay attention to their own well being and think that anyone outside that which interests or benefits them is not worth their attention or worse yet worth giving much or their time too.

I also agree 200% with Dennis (if I read correctly) regarding large corporation’s and government programs. First work hard to understand ‘truly’ where they are coming from and use this knowledge to your advantage. There are many people who do the actual work within these conglomerates that are more in our camp . . . they will help you. They will help you understand how to get some of those millions you need to fund your operation.

You need your other border collies that share your vision and will work along side with you.

But you/we also need the financial ability of ‘them’ and their ability to maneuver the greater herd.

Also too, if I may,to truly influence our future planet we have to learn to work with ‘them’ and stop ramming against them. They control the masses . . . we will influence and gently plant seeds that will take root and spread like wild fire.

An example . . . . I am deep in a project I never thought I would be in. This project involves waste coal, Alpha Natural Resources, Chesapeake Gas, several government agencies, a company that reclaims damaged strip mined land and my little town and me. I am learning quickly how to ‘root out’ people like us in these massive companies that will help me herd this project to a multimillion dollar green sustainable project. And it is working. My ultimate goal is to start generating ongoing funds, specifically Alpha Natural Resources, that will spread out to other small towns that have been ravaged by coal mining and natural gas drilling.

These conglomerates listen . . . . you just need to make absolute sure you herd your cats/ducks/ border collies in the generally same direction and that you are very clear on your goal . . . . and keep drilling it in every chance you can . . .also spin it to where it becomes their idea . . . egotistical they are.

So don’t be so quick to discount the greedy vulture capitalists . . . . they are only at the top, the people that actually get things done and keep these companies running are more like us.

And to be totally honest . . . I have yet to find someone or large corporations in the alternative world that have millions to invest. Usually all I find are more people like us needing millions to begin to change the world. There are MANY who are willing to put in the sweat equity (work) but are usually financially challenged.


Good Luck . . . pace yourself . . . . keep your eye on the goal . . . . and don’t let anyone tell you won’t succeed.

And I hope you find yourself a pack of Border Collies.

Blufire, your comments are beyond perceptive, beyond profound or even useful. They are It.

Understand, CJay, that you may actually have important allies among those who may appear to be working for “the other side”; this is a crucial realization.

Yes. But.

You must also understand that some who may come forward “to help you” are actually working to shut you down… s*x, I know. But you will get both; this is the good news. The good ones are good, or at least useful. The rest can be ignored.

But, even so, nothing is ever black and white. And the middle between all these forces is where you will get your work done.

All my profoundest best wishes, CJay, you are riding a mighty tiger ~

Cheers,

Selene

[Cjay]

Thank you everyone for your input.

Astrid, we are aware of the benefits of the right types of rock dust. Thanks for the heads up on Dr. Phil Callahan. His work is very interesting. I mentioned in the opening post a very large source of ORMUS/minerals - 150 square miles.

Plumber, we will have extensive permanent field trials using various blends of biochar made from plants, bones and manures, as well as compost, soil microbe teas, trace minerals, water technologies, etc. The video you posted is excellent. I have downloaded it and added it to my extensive library.

Selene, the points you highlighted are important. We are aware and alert to positive and negative influences. I have some very wise and passionate helpers in my core team, including six Avalonians.

I'm loving the excellent feedback. Keep it coming.

[ulli]

Wow, Cjay, this is truly the best and most comprehensive vision / project I have read about on Avalon.
I congratulate you.
Meanwhile on the Here and Now thread we continue to fertilize people's hearts.
And considering how little room they require, I see lots of possibilities for Rocky's vertical farms, still.
It's all great.

[778 neighbour of some guy]

Interesting presentation about biochar, unfortunately the video goes black at 1 hour and three minutes, otherwise this would have been almost a two hour presentation about different aspects of biochar, hope this is an usefull contribution to this great thread.

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=eWREwtmHygQ

This seems to be a part of an unintentional part two?

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=M_B0rnLG1u0

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=V2j6xIGlsgs

And from Cornell University.

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=poR6YJH6UJI

Stanford

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=pX3zhZ6ETWI

[778 neighbour of some guy]

Compost tea seminar, excellent info too.

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=7dTM81dKeiM

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=HE2A67E-KLk

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=tM3nzG8vNGw

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=letYHLp4MqU

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=N3if0YfPha0

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=Ch7s3nXUzQ0

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=CZj5IPKwddY

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=P6LmRsWlEMI

[Cjay]

Thanks again, plumber, for your valuable contribution. This information is gold. I haven't watched the videos yet - so much information, so little time - but I will add all of them to my video library and watch them as soon as I can.

For anyone interested in biochar, the most comprehensive resource for information about biochar research is the International Biochar Initiative:
http://www.biochar-international.org/

[panopticon]

G'day Cjay,

Posted by Cjay (here)
Richard explained to me how he uses 1,000 litre tanks with a spa-blower to produce a type of "compost tea". He adds a spoonful of laboratory-selected beneficial soil microbes, including nitrogen-fixing bacteria and some nutrient to feed the bacteria as they multiply exponentially. After 30 minutes of aerating the water, the weight increases from 1,000 kg to 1,170 kg! The extra 170 kg is mostly nitrogen taken from the atmosphere by the bacteria. This "tea" is then diluted and sprayed onto crops using broadacre irrigation systems. The results are stunning.

I was having a think and reckon that if you can provide evidence that this has noticeable results (through broad acre irrigation) then it could be possible, just with this one example, to provide a "beginning to end system".

Does the tea, following fermentation and before it is diluted, have a shelf life or require immediate use (eg does it decrease in effectiveness when bottled)?

• If it doesn't then it can be bottled and marketed.
• If it does then a prefabricated unit could be designed for onsite use.

I've had a quick look at some of the scientific literature to do with aerated compost tea (ACT) and non-aerated compost tea (NCT)...

I now know more about it than I ever wanted to (we use a bucket ).

The lack of research data (in particular the benefits of ACT in plant growth, though NCT has been researched in relation to overcoming disease etc) in conjunction with variable product consistency and high application rates seems to be getting pointed at as the main reasons for its lack of uptake in the agricultural sector.

From this it would indicate that there may be a place in this market if research data can be gathered and a consistent product supplied. I also came across numerous commercial systems however if a good relationship could be established with a research agency/farmers federation, and evidence of product consistency guaranteed, then there may well be an opportunity here (though a much deeper analysis and thorough review process would be needed).

I found a review paper on it from CSIRO (2011) that might be a launching pad for the section of your team interested in this element of your model:
'Use and understanding of organic amendments in Australian agriculture: a review'.

The use of extensive research plots you propose will produce the much needed quantifiable data that may well provide an impetus for the various alternatives to mined fertilisers. This is an excellent approach since many broad acre farmers, as you are well aware, can be quite conservative.

Yes, there are various kits like this on the market already, however if a consistent product can be developed then it might get some large scale farm uptake (ie non-organic farms) while producing a start-up revenue stream (plus access to grant money for the research itself) and a good track record for the project to expand on (build up social capital).
Kind Regards,
Panopticon

References:
'Microbial Starter for the Enhancement of Biological Activity of Compost Tea'.
'Overview of Compost Tea Use in New South Wales (2007)'.
'Compost Tea Production Practices, Microbial Properties And Plant Disease Suppression'.
St. Martin, C. C.G. (09/2012). "Effects and relationships of compost type, aeration and brewing time on compost tea properties, efficacy against , phytotoxicity and potential as a nutrient amendment for seedling production". Biological agriculture & horticulture (0144-8765), 28 (3), 185.
DOI: 10.1080/01448765.2012.727667
Soil health issues for Australian cotton production: Growers’ perspective.

[blufire]

Hi cjay,

okay lets do some basic boot strap numbers. . . . Say with the biochar method only.
a farmer has a 200 acre farm that has been conventionally farmed for fifty years. Soil is as dead as a doornail.

What would be basic start up cost for equipment.

What would cost per acre be for production (growing)

What would be the yield (lets use field corn) first year through following 5 years.

How are invasive weeds managed until soil is healthy. How many years or management cycles before healthy soil can be maintained?

Can product or resource for creating biochar be sustainability produced on a farm this size or would the farmer have to purchase the elements.

Last but not least. . . Have you looked all the way to the core foundation "who " is behind this particular movement. . . . I see a massive flock of circling vultures of a particular bloodline

[panopticon]

Posted by blufire (here)
Last but not least. . . Have you looked all the way to the core foundation "who " is behind this particular movement. . . . I see a massive flock of circling vultures of a particular bloodline

Which foundation/movement blufire?
The 'International Biochar Initiative'?

[Cjay]

Hey pan, Richard has lots of proof, as do many others. It definitely works. I can't publish some things just yet, especially when it involves others' businesses.

We will establish several large permanent research sites in a wide range of soil types and climate zones to test/demonstrate the effectiveness of each type of soil amendment alone and in combinations (eg. biochar + compost + liquid organic fertilizer + ORMUS + bio-tea + water technologies). Side by side comparisons speak for themself.

I am not sure about the shelf life of the teas but aerobic micro-organims need air, so shelf life would be short. Generally, they are applied immediately after brewing. Kits may be the best way to go. I prefer solutions that empower individual farmers to do it themselves as inexpensively as possible.

We will be actively educating farmers how to maximise soil fertility using 100% organic methods. It's so much easier than they think. The brainwashing of the agri-chemical businesses needs to be undone. We need a complete mindset reset.


Blufire, there are so many variables. I can't provide specific answers right now. The short answer is, organic farming is considerably less expensive than chemical farming and will deliver significantly more harvest and higher quality. Benefits are very rapid - virtually immediate. Return on investment is in the first harvest. The soil will continue to improve every year for decades, then eventually level out - opposite to the ever-declining soil health that is virtually guaranteed when using agri-chemicals.

I believe that we should continue to add biochar for at least a century, if not, forever. Some Amazonian terra preta soils are two to three metres (up to 10 feet) deep. They didn't create that in one year.

Solutions will be found for all types of invasive weeds. Where there is a will, there is a way. Hemp is extremely effective for suppressing weeds. I know hemp can't be grown legally everywhere but there is a wave of change happening right now. There are lots of other ways to control weeds. Often weeds are a symptom of poor soil health. Permaculture teaches us to use weeds as indicators of problems. We do NOT need chemicals on farms.

Biochar can be produced in amounts ranging from grams to ship-loads. One of my aims is to make a range of equipment to suit farms of all sizes and factories that will sell the biochar products as cheaply as possible.

Just for example, European Union countries produce an estimated 200 million tonnes of biomass WASTE every year. The European Commission has realised there is a direct connection between not recycling that biomass waste and the current European financial crisis. They are drafting legislation now, for enactment in 2013, to mandate the recycling of all biomass waste. Extrapolate this globally and we can produce several billion tonnes of biochar per year. If we add purpose-grown crops into the mix, the potential biochar production will be far more than double.

If we use whatever biomass waste is available - plants, bones and manure - and convert some (or most) of it into biochar, add beneficial soil microbes, liquid organic fertilizer (a by-product of producing biochar), rock dust or ORMUS for trace minerals, then if the balance is right, whatever you grow in that soil will produce more harvest than before. Then you will have more biomass waste available to produce more biochar and increase the harvest even more.


A cautionary note: Not all biochar is good for the soil. Some biochar can have very negative impacts on soil health. Some biochar will work well in some soil types and not well in other soil types. Think of biodiversity in terms of soil micro-organisms (bacteria, fungi, etc.) and soil macro-organisms (earthworms, insects, etc.), biodiversity of source materials for making biochar and biodiversity above the ground. Any type of monoculture, including in making biochar, is a recipe for disaster. Community co-operatives will be far more beneficial for all than individual farmers working alone.

I will provide a lot more specific data as time goes on. The new website will be like an encyclopedia of organic farming that will continue to expand for many years. These projects go way beyond the traditional concept of organic farming. Combining all of the soil improvement methods has never been done before on a large scale.

Posted by blufire (here)
Have you looked all the way to the core foundation "who " is behind this particular movement. . . . I see a massive flock of circling vultures of a particular bloodline

Would you like to elaborate on that?

[blufire]

Posted by panopticon (here)

Posted by blufire (here)
Last but not least. . . Have you looked all the way to the core foundation "who " is behind this particular movement. . . . I see a massive flock of circling vultures of a particular bloodline

Which foundation/movement blufire?
The 'International Biochar Initiative'?

Yep . . . .and actually the entire technology and philosophy

Took me about 30 minutes on IBI to take it to the source

[blufire]

Cjay . . .

You altered your post.

At 6:00 am my time when I read your last post. You stated in the last paragraph that you know International Biochar Initiative is backed by Monsanto and subsidiaries.

Why did you change your post?

[blufire]

Blufire, there are so many variables. I can't provide specific answers right now. The short answer is, organic farming is considerably less expensive than chemical farming and will deliver significantly more harvest and higher quality. Benefits are very rapid - virtually immediate. Return on investment is in the first harvest. The soil will continue to improve every year for decades, then eventually level out - opposite to the ever-declining soil health that is virtually guaranteed when using agri-chemicals.

This post tells me that you have never actually farmed (large scale) organically and/or that you have not yet collaborated with an organic farmer that has actually brought dead soil back to a healthy fully balanced producing level

[onawah]

I hope you will elaborate on this, Blufire. It sounds like you are on to something...
Though you yourself have said that even those who appear to be black hats can turn out to be allies, it's good to know just who they are and who they are allied with.

Posted by blufire (here)

Posted by panopticon (here)

Posted by blufire (here)
Last but not least. . . Have you looked all the way to the core foundation "who " is behind this particular movement. . . . I see a massive flock of circling vultures of a particular bloodline

Which foundation/movement blufire?
The 'International Biochar Initiative'?

Yep . . . .and actually the entire technology and philosophy

Took me about 30 minutes on IBI to take it to the source

[sandy]

Hmmmm don't know what to think of this turn of events?? Does make more sense though as to the funding that is expected to come about shortly..................................

[ThePythonicCow]

Posted by blufire (here)
Cjay . . .

You altered your post.

At 6:00 am my time when I read your last post. You stated in the last paragraph that you know International Biochar Initiative is backed by Monsanto and subsidiaries.

I can look at the edit history of posts. The above is a true statement .