The Salt, NPR’s food blog:
You’ve probably heard of compost – that thick chocolate-colored stuff that’s an organic gardener’s best friend and supplies plants with all kinds of succulent nutrients.
But what about biochar? It’s another ancient farming material made from slow-burned wood (also known as charcoal) that holds nutrients and water into soil without them draining away. And lately it has enjoyed a certain revival because it can also pull and store the carbon in greenhouse gases from the air. Everyone from California grape growers to home gardeners on YouTube is trying it out.