Char Chit Chat

Char Chit Chat is created by Dylan Graves and explores char in New Zealand and beyond. The podcast aims to interview a range of people involved in biochar, activated charcoal, carbon anodes, and so on. The main subject will tend to be biochar as that is most accessible and scales from individuals making char in their woodstove over the winter to large industrial pyrolysis units outputting several tonnes per day. Biochar is also a great soil conditioner and improver and so is relevant to gardeners and farmers alike. An introduction and overview of Biochar: https://www.sces.org.nz/biochar

Char Chit Chat is a education podcast hosted by Unknown Host, with 35 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

Unknown Host hosts Char Chit Chat, a education show with 35 episodes published.

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  Char Chit Chat

  CCC S2E14 with Kevin Rapson (Buzi-B Flower Farm)

  Sep 23, 202635 min

  Episode 14 was a fun chat with Kevin Rapson from Buzi-B Flower Farm . We chat about how he has used biochar to improve his and his wife Trish's soil for growing flowers commercially on their small holding on the Kaipara Coast, North West of Auckland. I met Kevin and Trish at the Fieldays in June at the Biochar Network stand and I could tell straight away that Kevin was passionate about biochar. He agreed then to be interviewed and so here is his journey into learning about biochar, making it, and now helping others to learn about it (as well as composting and flower growing).

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  Char Chit Chat

  CCC S2E13 with Amanda Currie (Tinwald Farm)

  Aug 22, 202658 min

  Episode 13 of the Char Chit Chat with Amanda from Tinwald Farm covered a lot of cool stuff. I feel like more women are needed in the world to run farms so that they become way more connected with the living systems that they are part of. Amanda farms regeneratively near Cromwell where her challenges are improving degraded soils and reducing inputs. She is doing this by breeding and applying microbes at scale and incorporating biochar into various aspects of the farm. Amanda has studied extensively with the Soil Food Web Foundation where soil life education is paramount. Amanda explains in detail how microbes are extracted from home made compost and applied to the vineyard and pastures at scale. And also how grapes can be grown in a regenerative way. Current trials involve applying mixed compost and biochar under a wool mulch to those vines that need it. And of course, how biochar is made and with what feedstocks in the Kontiki Kiln with skids for ease of mobility... An introduction and overview of Biochar: https://www.sces.org.nz/biochar The national biochar network in NZ: https://biochar.net.nz/ (BNNZ)https://freesound.org/people/joshuaempyre/sounds/250749/

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  Char Chit Chat

  CCC S2E12 with Greg Hart (Mangarara Farm)

  Jul 27, 202636 min

  Episode 12 features well known regenerative farmer Greg Hart from Mangarara Farm in the Hawkes Bay region. Dylan has known about Greg and his tree planting for many years and met Greg at the Underground Festival in 2025 after he attended his biochar workshop. It's great that Greg is now seeing the benefits of biochar to his farming systems and he is an excellent advocate for its widespread adoption. Greg talks about his farming journey and his move towards exploring better ways of raising animals without the abundant use of fossil fuels once he realised it's completely unsustainable around 20 years ago. Trees on farm are a massive part of this as are other ways of cycling nutrients such as on farm slaughter and charring of bones. Greg also is interested in intentional communities and is setting up an agrihood to address the "more people needed on the land" issue in a proactive and practical way. Lovely photos at: https://passionatepermies.wordpress.com/2026/07/27/char-chit-chat-with-greg-hart/ An introduction and overview of Biochar: https://www.sces.org.nz/biochar The national biochar association in NZ: https://biochar.net.nz/ (BNNZ)https://freesound.org/people/joshuaempyre/sounds/250749/

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  Char Chit Chat

  CCC S2E10 with Phil Stevens (Slow Farm)

  Jun 19, 202615 min

  Dylan's first face to face podcast with an update from Phil in Ashhurst about what he is up to (S1E2 here ). We had just returned from Hamilton with John after Fieldays 2026 and I was spending two days staying with Phil on my way to Wellington. Phil has been at this property , soon after arriving from the States, for 21 years. It was great to have a tour of his permaculture influenced block of around 1 ha in size. Captioned photos show some of what was on show: https://passionatepermies.wordpress.com/2026/06/20/phil-stevens-podcast-no-2/ Phil also showed me a small local community garden at the library and community orchard near his farm. It seems Ashhurst has benefited from like minded people contributing towards community resilience over the years. Phil is the current Chair of Biochar Network New Zealand and also has some great biochar info on his Slow Farm website: https://slowfarm.co.nz/services/biochar Listen to the podcast on your favourite podcast app, including YouTube podcasts.

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  Char Chit Chat

  CCC S2E9 with Lydia Thomsen (Pickled Compost)

  May 26, 202643 minS0

  <p>Episode 9 with Lydia from the Wairarapa covers the relationship between soil health, plant nutrition, and human health. Lydia is a qualified nutritionist on a mission to pickle household food scraps using bokashi buckets along with her bone char made from her friend's Complete Cow farm business, and supporting people on a mission to improve their health.</p><p><br></p><p>We talk about her 2 businesses; Pickled Compost and her personalised nutrition support and her work in public health and as a market gardener. There are some great images from Lydia's websites on the supporting blog post: https://passionatepermies...

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