Hawaii Biochar Products Go Statewide!
BEI, Hawaii's premier agricultural products distributor has added HBP's products to their list. Previously only available in large quantities via direct orders, Biochar soil amendments are now available in 1 cubic foot bags or 1.5 cubic yard bags on all major islands. Charfish 8-6-6 fertilizer blend is available in 40lb. bags. Call your local sales personnel for current prices and availability. Locations and contact information for BEI can be found at: beihawaii.com/contact_us.php Information on HBP products carried by BEI can also be found here.

New Kiln Up and Running
After many months of contemplation, design, and fabrication the new kiln is alive. Put together by Bob Ely with some financial help from the Big Island Resource Conservation and Development/USDA, HBP has built an operational prototype retort-kiln (referred to as Betty). This will lend greater efficiency, capacity and control of the biochar making process.

  
Firebox loaded                   Loading the retort

  
Fire in the hole!                          Instrumentation

  
Great biochar!

Another New Product
After twenty some odd years of dumping millions of pounds of off-grade papayas in the same place, you would think that there would be a lot of black compost. Actually, what is found is "mummified" papaya seeds. Acidic, containing weed seeds and other pests, this product was not ready for market. But, with the help of Betty, HBP has rendered it sterile, slightly charred and with a pH of 5.5-6. Exhibiting great uniformity in texture these "Papaya BB's" have a fairly high nitrogen and phosphorous content, a CEC of about 30, and strongly resist further degradation. Blended or used alone 'Papaya BB's' seem destined for nurseries and gardens statewide for many years to come.

Josiah's Papayas
The Big Island's first attempt at commercial scale production of organic Papayas has begun to bear fruit. "I have learned a lot and I am happy to have made it this far." Says Josiah Hunt about the experience. Using only the HBP fertilizer blend, "Charfish", and a mixture of his own compost tea and 'Korean natural farming' foliar applications Josiah now has fruit for sale at Island Naturals health food markets on the Big Island. In a collaborative effort with Eric Weinert of Calavo Growers, the idea of the project is to find alternative methods of producing papayas that can provide a more sustainable future for the papaya industry both economically and ecologically. More information on the project can be found here.

        
         Healthy new growth             Young fruit

  Young trees (note: no herbicides)