Biochar

I want to introduce you to a new product that is changing the way many people understand soil amendments. This material is being rapidly adopted by compost producers focused on the microbial aspects of compost. It is usually an ingredient in premium compost, and it is called Biochar. 

What you are seeing is the carbon structure of wood.  Think of bees depositing honey inside a hive.  The 'honeycomb' would contain nutrients, water and microbes which can feed the plant.  This carbon structure has proven to last over 1,000 years in the soil.
By itself, Biochar is not nearly as productive as when it is “charged” with microbes. The best way to do this is by including it as an ingredient in the composting process. The concept is similar with bokashi. When we manufacture the bokashi bran, we are including the biochar in the initial fermentation of the bran. We then dry the bran down in sunlight to produce the dry bran you purchase in the stores or farmer’s markets.  Alternatively, you can purchase moist bokashi bran from us for a lower price at this page link.

The following excerpt is from the Wikipedia Biochar page:
Biochar is a name for charcoal when it is used for particular purposes, especially as a soil amendment. Like all charcoal, biochar is created by pyrolysis of biomass. Biochar is under investigation as an approach to carbon sequestration to produce negative carbon dioxide emissions.^[1] Biochar thus has the potential to help mitigate climate change, via carbon sequestration.^[2] Independently, biochar can increase soil fertility, raise agricultural productivity and reduce pressure on forests, though the degree to which results offer long-term carbon sequestration in practice has been challenged.^[3] Biochar is a stable solid, rich in carbon and can endure in soil for thousands of years.^[1]

The picture below shows the difference between two holes dug near each other in Brazil.  Biochar was applied to the soil on the right, and not to the soil on the left.
We are now introducing a new product to the market, Bokashi PLUS, which will ship just before Christmas time (though we cannot make any guarantees of delivery in time for December 24^th). Bokashi PLUS differs from regular bokashi because of the premium biological support PLUS provides to your soil. In Bokashi PLUS, we have added additional Azomite, Mycorrhizae and Biochar.

MORE VALUE, SAME WORK

Bokashi PLUS is for people focusing on improving their soil, rather than just a smart way to dispose of surplus foods. By adding the PLUS ingredients to Bokashi, we are adding critical trace elements, fungi and housing for microbes to expand their role in your soil. The other main requirements of the soil are nutrients (provided by your fermented surplus food), water, and carbon (mulch or leaves above the soil). Because these PLUS ingredients are incorporated into the Bokashi bran, there are no additional tasks to incorporate these great products into your soil.  Another benefit is that the added carbon helps to absorb and reduce odors from your bokashi bin.