I am seeking some assistance with two Franklin Treecroppers projects I am involved with.

First is the Franklin Food Forest.  We are developing a community learning and demonstration food forest at Pukekohe High School on the site of the school’s under-utilised orchard.  As part of the ground prep, I am wanting to use  biochar inoculated with compost tea.  I can do the compost tea but need around 1/2 cu m of char (reasonably fine).  I am sourcing some from Gavin Hedley’s biofuel plant, and that is very fine indeed, but need more.  Does anyone have some to spare?  Timing is for Saturday September 5th so that I can inoculate for 24 hours.

Second is that we Franklin Treecroppers are holding the NZ Tree Crops Assoc annual conference in Pukekohe next year (April 22 – 24).  I have biofuel/biochar on the agenda, both as a 1.5 hour presentation (speakers are Gavin Hedley and John McDonald-Wharry) and as a field trip.  I anticipate the biochar filed trip being at the school’s orchard but am not fixed on that if there is a more suitable venue.   At this stage, but subject to change, Gavin and John’s presentation is scheduled for 11:00 to 12:30 on the Friday (22nd April) and the biochar part of the field trip will be from 13:45 to 15:15 on the Saturday (April 23rd).  For the biochar demo, I would like to have some biochar making technologies lined up for viewing by 150-200 attendees in 3-4 bus loads.  A TLUD, plus a retort-kiln system plus one other is envisaged.  Can anyone help with this?

One final thing – does anyone have a working small scale rocket stove?  I fancy the idea of making afternoon teas on one as an integral part of the demonstrations.

cheers