This $124,939 Project Grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) under the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program CFDA 10.212 supports Blue Earth LLC, a self-certified small disadvantaged business, in testing and demonstrating the feasibility of using Eastern Red Cedar biochar-based plant growth media blends for specialty crop production in the Central Kansas Food Corridor.
The project aims to evaluate various formulations of ERC-biochar co-composted with on-farm biomass waste for their effects on the growth and yield of 30 specialty crop varieties. This research seeks to establish a climate-smart, carbon-negative plant growth media recipe that can be adopted by small, rural, and urban farms. The project will also explore cooperative commercialization models through the existing Central Kansas Food Corridor network. Outreach efforts will include informational materials and engagement with targeted stakeholders to assess interest in a co-op that produces, uses, and sells the plant growth media and its commodities.
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