Hi everyone

[Alec Bauserman]

 

I'm a 26 year-old high school teacher (Earth Science and Biology) working and living in the northern Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. I am also a gardener and future farmer.

 

My Dad and I are both really passionate about the natural world as we both grew up on a 160-acre farm in West Virginia. He read a book about Terra Preta and passed it on to me. I thought it was a pretty cool concept but I didnt really see its significance until just recently. Im now looking closely at it for a number of reasons but most especially for the soil-amending possibilities. I've found a lot of great info here, particularly on the scientific reasons for charcoals affect on soil. Ive also come across a good link detailing the construction of a retort (http : // 64.176.180.203/ charcoalretort . htm). I contacted a local recycler and they sell closed-top 55 gallon drums for $5 (!!). Add to that the fact that 1) my school is remodelling and there is a dearth of leftover scrap metal and lumber and 2) my neighbor is a welder. Things are looking up!

 

Nice to meet you all. I look forward to sharing my experiences and learning from yours. Im sure we're on the leading edge of a concept which, if widely practiced, could reshape our world for the better.

 

Cheers

-Alec

[Tormod]

Welcome to Hypography! We look forward to your contributions.