Bonechar! From Farm to Phosphorous
August 16, 2015
This past spring, I traveled out to St. Francis, Kansas to visit Callicrate Cattle Co. Mike Callicrate, his family, and his employees run a very unique ranch. Formerly a 12,000-head feedlot, the ranch is swiftly emerging as a case study in regnerative agriculture. Pasture-based beef, free-range hens, and happy pigs make the farm what it is. Not long ago, Mike consulted with Darren Doherty. One topic was the reintegration of bones into the system. Biochar is pyrolized wood. It provides soil structure and a home for soil microorganisms. Bonechar is pyrolized animal bone. It behaves like biochar, but contains soil nutrients, particularly phosphorus and calcium. Phosphorus encourages fruiting in plants (flowers, tomatoes, tree fruit, berries), and calcium strengthens cell walls (giving vigor to plants).
Below is a short film about bone-char, made by us at CAS:



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