Last month I visited the lovely Jones family that owns and operates WoodTek which is nestled in the bucolic hamlet of Welshpool in Wales. WoodTek not only manufactures pyrolysis equipment on the family farm, but they use the farm as a living laboratory for a variety of uses of the biochar they produce. Not only that, but they will soon be manufacturing these systems using the heat and electricity produced by their pyrolysis equipment! That is the tightest closed loop I have yet seen in the world of pyrolysis and biochar.

In addition to using biochar in their cattle bedding and then making a high-quality compost which is used on the farm, they’ve used biochar extensively in their gardens and in tree plantings across the farm.  Of particular interest to me was their clever yet simple water filtration system that they use to filter manure and other contaminants and excess nutrients typical on most farms. Mick Jones, farm owner and head of WoodTek, tells me this: “I recognized that while biochar studies showed great results in filtering heavy metals and nutrients, there was no suitable solution for watercourse filtration. My goal was to create a robust, low-cost system that could withstand flood overflow without damage. The biochar filter is designed for quick and easy replacement, with captured nutrients repurposed for composting or tree mulch – ensuring a sustainable, zero plastic solution.” With the right topography, a gravity fed pond like the one at Caebard farm, could be replicated anywhere. Concrete culvert pipes, slotted metal grates, a PVC pipe and a few dozen burlap bags of biochar and a day of digging is about all it takes. This cost-effective solution could also be used as a recharging pit in areas where groundwater tables are low – which covers an ever-widening part of our planet.  Flood mitigation could also be a co-benefit.