William Bronson

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"Check Out Our New Pyrolysis Unit! Biochar in Cincinnati is One Step Closer
Oct 28, 2026
Cincinnati will be one of the first cities in the US to produce biochar, an amazing substance that sequesters harmful CO2 from the environment and helps new trees grow faster and stronger. The magic happens in our brand-new, just arrived, pyrolysis unit where wood waste will be converted into biochar. This innovative technology has many environmental benefits. It will be used to capture carbon, improve urban plantings, grow the tree canopy in underserved neighborhoods, and even support more effective stormwater management.

A new production facility will be constructed to make biochar through a specialized process where plant material is cooked at very high temperatures in a low-oxygen environment. Ultimately, the biochar will be used to enhance tree plantings done by Cincinnati Parks and our other partners. Contributors to the project include Great Parks, Cincinnati Parks, Carbon Harvest, Bloomberg Philanthropies, and the City of Cincinnati’s Office of Environment and Sustainability.

In addition to the pyrolysis unit, a large boiler, an Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) generator and cooling loop were received. The delivery of this large, specialized equipment is a key milestone in the development of Cincinnati’s first such facility.

Biochar will be one component of a larger undertaking to renovate Cincinnati Parks Sinton Avenue operations center, coupling two significant and complex projects together. The Sinton Avenue hub currently serves crews throughout the Cincinnati Parks system and is badly in need of repair and improvement. Project components include a new roof with covered loading area, exterior glazing, new zoned HVAC, electric, offices, employee restrooms, solar panels, EV charging stations, improved material storage, and more."

It sounds like processing rather than cultivation and breeding might be the way to go.
Humans use cooking, fermenting and pickling to make many plants nutritious and  platable verse poisonous and disgusting.

Aside from heat, koji seems like the simplest way to turn inulin into something more digestible for humans.
Of course not everyone can tolerate koji based products.
Most of the animals we use as livestock can digest inulin, by a number of different means.

Mostly it goes in/on when I plant, but it could be applied anytime, especially if the plants are struggling.

I have also filled a few n beds  and many containers with finished compost but usually I top a bed full of leaves or woodchips with compost, then plant into that.

I don't make any hot compost, most everything is broken down by chickens, fungus and/or worms.

Parks are a big deal in Cincinnati.
We have acres of wooded parkland.
Most of our undergrowth is invasive honeysuckle.
Our park workers and volunteers remove it and now they will have a way to turn it into biochar, while also heating their new facility, and generating electricity.

"A new production facility will be constructed to make biochar through a specialized process where plant material is cooked at very high temperatures in a low-oxygen environment. Ultimately, the biochar will be used to enhance tree plantings done by Cincinnati Parks and our other partners. Contributors to the project include Great Parks, Cincinnati Parks, Carbon Harvest, Bloomberg Philanthropies, and the City of Cincinnati’s Office of Environment and Sustainability.

In addition to the pyrolysis unit, a large boiler, an Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) generator and cooling loop were received. The delivery of this large, specialized equipment is a key milestone in the development of Cincinnati’s first such facility."



https://www.cincinnati-oh.gov/cincyparks/news/check-out-our-new-pyrolysis-unit-biochar-in-cincinnati-is-one-step-closer/?fbclid=IwY2xjawVPgT1leHRuA2FlbQIxMQBwZG9mA3NydGMGYXBwX2lkDzQwOTk2MjYyMzA4NTYwOQABH3HQoDG63PBJTvpQy0MB0HF8qd7k6qAvFy611H9ZeJd_YE1IDMFXpab9zf20_aem_bWkUrN4bsRHD95aLE7OOMA

paul wheaton wrote:

William Bronson wrote: What have y'all been feeding them?

I think that is the key.

Hugelkultur.  Mulch.  Polyculture. Chop and drop certain neighbors (like snowberry).

Notably, not heavy nitrogen but heavy carbon/lots of organic matter.

Thank you for the great replies!
I will be tucking them in around my raised beds.
I might put alfalfa in the paths proper.
Does the foliage die in winter?

Judith Browning wrote:Gordon, Mine seem to take forever to ferment but as long as I keep them below the brine there is no mold just a bit of scum to remove occasionally and they are about as crispy as fresh.

We just finished last years a month or so ago...refrigerated after I called them done enough and they kept well😊

Yours might have been good still if the surface mold (scum?) was removed and the brine topped up?

This makes me curious, have you ever juiced them?
Could make a great fermented drink, or maybe they could ferment in their own juice?

The side of these things!
I clearly need a better strain of sunchokes!
What strains get that big?
What have y'all been feeding them?

I just received 7 yarrow plants, each looking kinda rough.
I have north facing terraced front yard that I'm focusing on right now.
I plan on using them the way I use comfrey, for mulching.
I'm wondering if they would be good in the middle of my paths- can they take foot traffic?

Wow, I only have to deal with squirrels and that's bad enough!

Your elderberries should propagate very easily, like stick a piece in the ground easy , so that might help.
I don't know if they will eat walking onions, but they are also easy to grow/propagate.

Good luck!