re:char is excited to participate in this year’s Maker Faire. Join us May 19th and 20th in San Mateo for two exciting days of DIY creations and open-source fun. We’ll have our newest shipping-container-based factory present and in operation. Stop byShop-In-A-Box #002  to make biochar with our Climate Kiln, sew your own vertical garden, and mix a custom blend of Black Revolution. Get tickets here if you haven’t already, and be sure to check out all the other sustainability projects as well. Hope to see you there, and happy making!

The humble toilet. For the past 200 years, it has helped the Western world to safely collect and manage human waste. Unfortunately, because traditional sanitation systems are expensive to build and maintain, they are far less prevalent in the developing world. For over a billion people around the world, a clean toilet is a luxury they will never experience.

Far more prevalent is the pit latrine, pictured above. A pit latrine is, as its name implies, simply a hole in the ground. While pit latrines are relatively cheap to install and maintain, they can have very expensive consequences on human life. Pit toilets rapidly become infested with flies, produce pungent odors and have the potential to leak into water supplies spreading diarrhea and cholera.

Last year, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation announced a $42 Million initiative to ‘reinvent the toilet.’ The goal is to develop new technologies for sanitation in the developing world that cleanly convert waste into fertilizer and/or energy and cost <$.05/user/day. re:char was selected by the Gates Foundation as a grantee to investigate and develop a sanitation system based around biochar and pyrolysis.

We recognized that for any appropriate technology to be successful, it must meet the following criteria:

• Locally prototyped, tested and produced
• Ultra low-cost
• Made with locally-available or recycled materials
• Aspirational (ie sexy)
• Fits within existing behavioral and cultural norms

We designed and deployed a prototype feces collection chamber that fits within existing pit latrines. This chamber can serve an entire family, while reducing odors and flies. The chamber cleanly captures the waste until it is ready for conversion to biochar.

Users then insert the collection chamber into the chimney of our Climate Kiln biochar system and produce a batch of biochar. The heat from the pyrolysis is transferred to the feces collection chamber, completely sanitizing and pyrolyzing the waste. The end product is inert, carbon-negative and ideal for use as an agricultural amendment. What’s more, the entire system (kiln & waste collection system) can be produced in our shop in a box for <$80.

Over the next few months, we’ll be working to refine the technology and field test it. In August, we will present our work to Bill Gates and other members of the foundation in Seattle at the ‘Reinvent the Toilet Fair.’ We will actually be bringing a shop in a box production facility to Seattle to demonstrate! We hope that biochar can become another tool in the sanitation arsenal.

About two weeks ago, we prepared and planted demonstration plots at the re:char shamba here in Bungoma. The goal of the testplots is to show local farmers, farming organizations and you – our readers and re:char followers – the benefits of using biochar.

In our two sets of test plots, which include 19 and 21 beds each, we have used different fertilizers and controlled the amount of biochar included in each test plot. The effect of this method is to scientifically demonstrate the effect of biochar on crop growth. The goal is to demonstrate to local farmers that by using biochar, which will continue to stay and improve their soils for hundreds of years to come, they can reduce the amount of expensive chemical fertilizer they need to use, which they use every season.

So far, as you can see from the pictures below, the future is looking promising. The finger millet test plots already show marked improvement where biochar has been used. For example, by using just 1.6kg of biochar in a 4×4 meter test plot, the finger millet is growing better with half of the recommended fertilizer application rate. Additionally, the test plots are also showing that increased rates of biochar application further improve crop growth.

We look forward to keeping you posted on the results of the test plots throughout the season!

Recently, I was having dinner with a friend and startup investor. We were discussing Black Revolution, and he asked if we would be employing a ‘Buy one Give one’ model like Tom’s Shoes or Warby Parker. For the unfamiliar, Buy one Give one means that when a consumer in the developed world buys a product, a similar product is given to a person in need in the developing world. While I respect both of these companies tremendously for their success and commitment to improving lives, I responded that Black Revolution will not be sold under such a model.

The challenges of the BoGo model have been well documented. Oftentimes, when western companies donate goods in the developing world, local merchants and artisans are forced out of business. It’s hard for a small business owners to sell or make shoes at a profit when new ones are being given away for free. At re:char, we believe that we can generate the greatest social and economic change in Kenya by giving people skilled, high-paying jobs, not handouts.

re:char currently employs twelve Kenyans in sales, management and engineering positions (that’s over 50% of our team). Western Kenya has some of the highest unemployment in the world, particularly among young males. As re:char grows, so will the number of jobs and job-training for local people. However, as a social enterprise, it’s at times challenging to find the growth capital to expand our business in Kenya. Many social enterprises serving customers at the Bottom of the Pyramid must rely on grants or impact investments to cover capital expenses and to grow their business. We believe Black Revolution is the first step to building a more sustainable model for social enterprise and global biochar deployment.

The proceeds from Black Revolution are used to grow our operations in Western Kenya. While we don’t give away a kiln in Kenya for every bag of Black Revolution sold, we use the profits to invest in capital equipment– things like new fabrication tools or production hubs. As our business grows in the developing world, we can hire more people and serve more customers. We can also lower our cost of goods sold, passing savings along to our farmers. Our friend and fellow social entrepreneur, Manoj Sinha (Founder of Husk Power Systems) recently had these kind words to say about Black Revolution and our model:

I think you guys are going to make a killing using this model. The value proposition is completely aligned with climate change and people’s inclination towards using environmental friendly stuff. You should be in Lowe’s and Home Depot.

We launched Black Revolution as an experiment. We wanted to see if we could change how business works in the US and abroad. We hope you will join us in this endeavor, and help us to improve the lives, livelihoods and environment of people around the world.

We’re thrilled to announce that our Black Revolution pre-sale on kickstarter was successfully funded! We exceeded our pre-sale goal, and are now working hard to send out our initial orders and ramp up our manufacturing operation. The support and excitement we’ve received around this product is overwhelming. We had no idea the market would be so receptive to the world’s first carbon-negative soil.

To all the folks who’ve contacted us since the close of our pre-sale, we will have a full webstore up within 10 days to take orders. We should begin shipping out orders by the end of April. ¡Viva la Revolución!

This week, we were treated to a delicious meal on the front lines of the Black Revolution. Shibumi, an authentic Japanese Izakaya in Santa Fe, NM, is one of  a handful of cutting-edge restaurants using biochar to grow their own food.

We met with owner and executive chef, Eric Stapleman, who learned about biochar via the internet approximately 1 year ago. Since then, Eric has started an herb and vegetable garden behind the restaurant, which he amends with a mix of biochar and compost.

Eric’s biochar comes from the leftover charcoal dust used by the restaurant’s hibachi. Eric only purchases japanese charcoal, prized for its flavor and quality. He takes the dust and adds it to his home composter. After several weeks, he applies the biochar/compost mix to his raised beds growing everything from carbon-negative arugala to mountain strawberries.

According to Stapleman, biochar has allowed him to grow more food, earlier in the season. He is eager to determine if the use of biochar improves or alters the taste of any ingredients. We will be providing Eric with a supply of Black Revolution to test its effectiveness as a carbon-negative growth media in his raised beds. We hope that other restauranteurs and chefs will follow suit and begin experimenting with biochar.

The next stop in our tour of restaurants joining the Black Revolution is New York City’s Blue Hill Farm. Please stay tuned!

In honor of the great traveling road shows of the early 20^th century, we at re:char decided to take our message, products, and a bit of live entertainment to the streets of northern Bungoma County.

Armed with a neighboring restaurant’s flatbed truck, we and our sales reps were able to reach hundreds, if not thousands of area farmers. While the promoted message was brief while in transit, we were able to settle in four different markets (Myanga, Chwele, Kimilili, and Webuye for those of you with easy access to google maps) along the way.

Upon pulling in to each market, our locally recruited dance team (the third best in western Kenya for those up on the rankings) unleashed a fury of choreographed moves, drawing in the crowd.

If the entire day was a complete failure otherwise, we at least made the afternoon of this elderly woman during our stop in Myanga. Twenty straight minutes of raising the roof. I kid you not.

After the crowd’s appetite for entertainment was sated, one of our sales reps named Nightingale brought it all home with stirring speeches about the harms caused by chemical fertilizers to both soil and bodily health. Additionally, she explained how use of biochar can reduce chemical usage and boost yields from currently degraded soils.

Nearly everyone we met throughout the day had a great time, and left each stop with a newfound interest in re:char, biochar, our Rutuba Kiln, and an open invitation to visit our farm.

Speaking of visiting our farm, just two days after our road show we hosted a planting event for area farmers to learn about application of biochar to the soil. The idea was simple – the long rains are just around corner and that means everyone is making preparations to begin planting. We want people to be including biochar in those plans.

We had around one hundred farmers show up throughout the day to learn about organically increasing their yields and decreasing their chemical fertilizer usage. It’s amazing how well the ideas of organic agriculture and deforestation prevention have resonated with Bungoma farmers, and really it makes sense when people are this close to their food and their land. For the record, the bottom right picture above may look like a chemical spray, but it’s actually a 15% human urine mixture we recommend as an organic way to add nutrients to the soil.

While we obviously buy in to the idea of biochar and taking steps toward organic agriculture, it is becoming abundantly clear that our neighbors here do too. We have distributed 30 kilns to excited customers in just the past few days, and that number will be closer to 40 by week’s end.

Acre by acre, the BLACK REVOLUTION is taking root in western Kenya.

re:char is excited to announce the launch of our newest product for US and European Markets: Black Revolution. Black Revolution is a soilless growth media for plants containing biochar. It’s the world’s first carbon-negative replacement for potting soil, and we need your help to launch it. We’ve set up a campaign on kickstarter.com to pre-sell a small quantity of Black Revolution, before it’s available to the public. With your help, we can jump start this exciting new product.

The potting soil industry is traditionally one of the most environmentally destructive. Most potting soil contains peat moss and vermiculite–non-renewable resources mined in endangered areas. Black Revolution contains carbon-negative biochar, sustainably produced compost, and waste coconut husk. Not only is it environmentally-friendly, but it can improve the growth of your plants up to 200%.

Black Revolution is suitable for use in pots, gardens or raised beds. It can be used as a soil amendment, or a complete replacement for soil. It comes packaged in recycled burlap from old coffee bags, inspired by the vertical gardens in Kenya’s largest slums. Users can even plant seeds directly in the bag to create a carbon-negative vertical farm.

We’re unbelievably excited to launch this product. For the past 4 years, we’ve been working with farmers around the world to determine the optimal blend of biochar for different environments. We’ve realized that on its own, raw biochar is difficult for novice farmers to use. That’s why we created Black Revolution. Now, anyone can grow their own food at home and help fight climate change. Every bag of Black Revolution is equivalent to offsetting between 5 and 60 miles of driving a US automobile (depending on bag size).

Please take a moment today and check out our Kickstarter campaign. Watch our video, filmed on-site in Kenya, and learn more about re:char and Black Revolution. As always, the work we do in the developed world helps re:char to grow its operations in the developing world. Please consider pre-ordering a bag (or two) of Black Revolution for yourself or the gardnerer in your life. If you can’t make a pledge today, please tweet, share or email out the link to our campaign. We’ll be showing off Black Revolution this week at SXSW in Austin, so if you’re around please come visit! Every bit we can do grow our own food and fight climate change is a small step in a global revolution.

To give most of our readers an introduction to Kibera: there is always trash in sight, and it is usually within a few steps. There is an ever-present stench of sewage, which caused us to recall stories of “helicopter toilets” and the general problems of human sanitation that we hope innovative biochar projects can improve. Buildings in Kibera are dark and generally constructed from metal sheeting that seem very weak. And yet, despite this gloomy depiction, Kibera as we saw it is an exciting and dynamic place, full of conversation, activity and commerce. There are vegetable stands, butcheries, electronic repair shops and myriad other stands every 20 feet. People are found in the streets talking or moving onto the next errand or chore. It is a very active place.

We visited Katherine, an enterprising young woman making her living in urban agriculture. Katherine grows kale and vegetables for sale using innovative vertical farming systems.

Katherine takes old burlap or plastic grain sacks and fills them with soil. She then places a central column of stones into the bags to allow water to permeate through the soil. Katherine can grow 3-4 very large kale stalks in each sack.

By using these simple, appropriate technologies, Katherine is able to generate additional income in very challenging conditions. She also helps her neighbors and family to access nutritional food that is locally produced. We hope to help urban farmers like Katherine around the world to grow more food and sequester carbon.

Henrik and I held a two-day orientation in Musamba, Kenya, about a half hour south of Bungoma, for nine (yes there are nine, despite the bonus two guys who jumped at the opportunity to get in on the team picture) newly minted biochar experts. It was a packed two days consisting primarily of discussions about the benefits that farmers will get from using the Rutuba kiln to produce biochar, field visits to over 100 local farmers, and about ten runs with the Rutuba to make sure everyone is familiar with how to use it themselves going forward.

I like to believe that all of our sales reps learned valuable information and sales techniques from Henrik and I, but in the end it was an equal if not greater learning experience for the two of us. Each of our reps had insightful, proactive thoughts on how to most effectively reach farmers. They understand how their community members – fellow farmers and future customers – think about income and expenses and how they frame the benefits we are trying to sell.

The reps organized a field day for local farmers the Friday following our Tuesday-Wednesday orientation. People from the area were invited to come learn about biochar and experience first-hand the simplicity of using the Rutuba. Nearly everyone in attendance (the few small children excluded) actively participated in the loading and unloading of the kiln during each run and asked great questions about the long-term effect of biochar on their soil and how they can pay for our product. By the end of the day every single person who attended left with a new found passion for biochar, and a handful left with arrangements made to start installment payments for their new Rutuba kilns.

One of the best received benefits during the event was the ability of Rutuba users to make charcoal briquettes from biochar. The currently prevailing practice is to cut down trees to make charcoal – a process that is both incredibly costly for the environment and prohibitively cumbersome for most who use briquettes for cooking. In addition to organically increasing the fertility of their soil, the biochar produced by the Rutuba enables farmers to use their agricultural waste products to produce their own charcoal briquettes. These can both be used for personal consumption and sold in bulk at local markets for a reasonable sum. This way, customers are able to realize both long term and immediate revenue increases in the form of yield improvements and briquette production.

Going forward we will be experimenting with various sales mediums like the direct visit/farm demo model employed this past week. Additionally in the coming weeks we will be setting up displays and demos at various markets in the area for our sales representatives to manage while Henrik and I engage in further discussions with local agrovets (agricultural retail stores), government agricultural offices, and other organizations actively working with farmers in the area.

Every day more and more people are learning about the biochar revolution and volunteering their support. Whether through purchases or offers to host community demonstrations that they themselves organize, Western Kenya’s farmers are adopting biochar as a newfound solution to depleted soils, deforestation, and the high cost (both financially, and environmentally) of inorganic fertilizers.

Text edited by Eric Solomonson