Guest speaker: Tony Davies
Tuesday 27th October from 7pm to 9pm
at the Herb Garden Café, Llandrindod
The uplands of the Elan Valley has areas of an under-utilized grass, 'Molinia caerulea' (Purple moor grass, Molinia). Molinia is a dominating species, and the spread of Molinia is having a damaging effect on species diversity, habitat quality, fire risk, access for recreation and agricultural productivity.
A project funded by the Welsh Government has been completed to look at methods of reducing the dominance of Molinia and the improvements to the habitat created by this removal. Experimentally processing the harvested biochar into Biochar has also been part of the project.
Biochar is produced through a process called pyrolysis that heats biomass with limited amounts of oxygen present. The carbon rich biochar resists degradation and can lock up carbon in soil for hundreds or even thousands of years.
Soil rich in biochar has improved water and nutrient retention and has potential commercial usage within the market garden and other growing sectors.
About the speaker
Tony Davies is a tenant farmer at Henfron Farm in the Elan Valley with a passion for renewable energy and sustainability. Tony is the fifth generation of the Davies family to farm at Henfron Farm, his ancestors having first moved to the farm in 1860. For more information please visit the Henfron Farm website.
Admission to the meeting is free. A donation will be requested to contribute to the costs of refreshments.
A poster to help promote this meeting is available to download.
