They Make Charcoal From Wood, Livestock Bones

They Make Charcoal From Wood Livestock Bones FERTILIZER APPLICATION You can make “biochar” or “bone char” with the Exeter Charcoal Retort from Exeterra LLC The 3 000-lb all steel unit uses a small amount of wood to begin the charcoal process before switching over to burn the volatile gasses in the char-making chamber     “The Exeter is designed for farm-scale conversion of wood to charcoal and bones to bone char as a way to increase revenue ” says Scott Bagley “It is a versatile machine that allows farmers to add value to waste or low value materials ”     The 8-ft long by 6-ft wide Exeter consists of a firebox underneath a chamber built to hold a cord 2 cu yards of wood or livestock bones That includes green-cut wood up to 6 ft long and 6 in in diameter No external power source is needed     Once the fire is lit in the firebox the organic material in the retort chamber heats and gives off moisture and non-volatile gasses Once it reaches the point where volatile gasses are released exit flues are adjusted to direct them to the firebox From that point on the unit is self-sustaining When all the volatiles are released and burned all that remains is biochar or bone char One batch produces around a cubic yard of charred material a day     The Exeter can be mounted on a trailer for mobile operation It can be pulled to a site where wood bones or other materials are being harvested leveled with corner posts and the process begun     Bagley is working with a local metal fabricator to make the Exeter The price ranges from $20 000 to $25 000 depending on options While the payback on charcoal selling at $10 to $12 for a 15-lb bag might be slow Bagley suggests that bone char could be a higher value product It is 60 to 80 percent tricalcium phosphate and recommended as an organic fertilizer     “It would be ideal for a Community Supported Agriculture marketer who sells meat and has to pay a fee for offal disposal ” says Bagley “They could take the bones back and make another product to sell or use it in their own soils ”     Bone char is being used by some specialty restaurants in place of charcoal to grill foods According to an article in the Biochar Journal bone char is also used in sugar refining water treatment and in pigments     Bagley is not only selling the Exeter but is setting up a collaborative network called Back Forty Colliers to help users market their products     Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Exeterra LLC 340 West State St Unit 8 Athens Ohio 45701 ph 740 818-4017; www exeterrallc com

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