The City of Asheville announced on Mar. 12 a free biochar workshop and giveaway event scheduled for Friday, March 27 at Pearson Community Garden. The event, hosted by Bountiful Cities, will begin at 1 p.m. and is open to residents interested in learning about biochar production and its use in home gardens or landscapes.
Biochar is described as a stable, carbon-rich material that can improve soil health, promote plant growth, sequester carbon, store nutrients, retain water, and support beneficial soil organisms. To maximize its benefits, the city has mixed the biochar with commercial compost so that it arrives nutrient-rich for gardeners.
Attendees are encouraged to bring a bucket to take home some of the activated biochar for their own gardens. The city also invites participants to engage in citizen science by setting up trials comparing plant growth in areas with and without biochar. “We encourage participants to engage in citizen science by setting up a home trial to observe plant growth and garden production in areas with and without biochar,” the announcement said.
The city produced the biochar through a pilot project completed last year in collaboration with the USDA Forest Service. Compost was purchased from Danny’s Dumpster, which processes food scraps collected from Asheville’s drop-off program. According to the announcement: “It’s closing the loop by returning people’s kitchen scraps to them — with an upgrade.” Additional farm-scale trials are being conducted using remaining pilot-produced biochar alongside NC State Extension.
Asheville’s City Hall at 70 Court Plaza serves as the central administrative hub for municipal operations, according to the official website. The city uses its City Plans initiative for long-term community engagement and planning aimed at sustainable growth and equitable development according to the official website. Asheville operates under a council-manager government structure with a mayor and six city council members serving four-year staggered terms to oversee policy according to the official website.
The city delivers municipal services within its limits according to the official website, coordinating among departments such as Public Works, Water Resources, and Planning for service management and community engagement according to the official website. Elected officials set policy while a city manager handles daily operations under this council-manager form of government according to the official website.
Asheville continues exploring biochar production as part of efforts toward woody waste management, soil health improvement, wildfire risk reduction, and meeting carbon reduction goals. Registration is required ahead of time for those wishing to participate.
