Quick PSA - after the launch of our first season of Grounded, we decided to turn each podcast episode into bitesize, short form blogs for those visual learners that want to follow Restord’s journey. So, without further ado. Let me tell you a story...

It's a story about getting your hands dirty, about the trials and tribulations of launching a climate startup, and it's happening to me right now. As I write this, we’re still at the beginning. Welcome to the blog 1 of Grounded: A Climate Startup Journey. In this episode, we’ll take a walk in the fields, deal with some bad work news, and introduce a machine affectionately called Betty (I can only apologise to any Betty’s out there).

Flashback to Wales

In late November, 2023 I found myself in a wet Welsh field, my running shoes squelching in the mud. It was a fish-out-of-water moment. I had driven up from London in an electric car, a journey requiring two charging stops... Mick Jones, a farmer, guided me through his fields. We walked on a strip of land where he had trialled biochar, a substance that might just hold the key to carbon storage and soil health improvement.

"Three years ago, this strip had very little clover," Mick explained. "After applying biochar mixed with green manures, by the end of September, there was clover everywhere."

Rewind: The Genesis of My Biochar Journey

So, how did I end up here, fascinated by clover? Let's rewind. I’m Tom, and this journey started more than three years ago with a podcast.

In late 2020, I began working on a podcast about carbon removal, a lesser-known climate solution at the time. Carbon removal (CDR) includes methods like reforestation and direct air capture, aimed at pulling carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere. Over several months, I spoke to dozens of experts and quickly became hooked. I realised that alongside decarbonisation, CDR methods are crucial for achieving our climate goals.

The Discovery of Biochar

One of our early episodes introduced me to biochar. My co-host, Emily, explained it to me:

"Biochar is made by heating biomass in the absence of oxygen, a process called pyrolysis. This locks in carbon that would otherwise be released back into the atmosphere as the biomass decomposes."

This process intrigued me. Biochar isn’t just about carbon storage; it also improves soil health, builds climate resilience, and enhances crop yields. My excitement was hard to ‘sequester’.

The Turning Point: Biochar’s Potential

As I learned more, I began to question why biochar wasn’t more widely used. It can be made from waste biomass, is more affordable than other carbon removal methods, and has additional agricultural benefits. Could I start a biochar business?

My work at a leading carbon removal marketplace, Supercritical, reinforced the urgency of scaling up CDR. Despite promising growth, the industry was far from meeting the required 5-10 gigatons of annual carbon removal to hit our climate targets. Biochar, already proving itself, seemed like a promising solution.

The Decision to Start

By the summer of 2023, I was seriously considering setting up a biochar business. On a whim, I gave myself a deadline to incorporate something before the end of the year. But then, in November 2023, I was made redundant. Suddenly, it was now or never.

Despite self-doubt and practical concerns—permitting, costs, stakeholder buy-in—I thought, scr*w it, let’s do it. I needed inspiration and reassurance, hence my visit to Mick and Darren Jones’ biochar project in Wales.

The Visit to Wales

Six hours, two charges, and several coffees later, I arrived at the Jones’ farm. Darren gave me a tour, explaining how their family business evolved from timber to biomass boilers and eventually to biochar production almost by accident. They had a frankenstein prototype machine called Betty, which they used to produce high-quality biochar.

Seeing Betty and hearing about their journey made everything real. You can make biochar in the UK, and you can do it on an initial farm scale. Mick Jones, a farmer with no PhD, had heard about biochar on a wildlife documentary and decided to try it. Now, they were seeing tangible benefits on their farm.

Betty in all her glory (ignore the big red machine, she’s behind that).

The Birth of (another) Podcast

Driving back from Wales, I felt a mix of excitement and conviction. I hadn’t just found enthusiasm for biochar; I believed that small-scale pilot projects on farms could be a viable starting point. Farms have an abundance of biomass, and farmers would likely want the biochar for their soil.

But I also realised something else. I wanted to document this journey, to create a playbook for setting up a biochar project. And so, a podcast and this subsequent blog series was born.

Our podcast art. We’re very proud of it.

Wrapping up

This really is just the beginning. Over this 5 part blog series, we’ll dive into the practical questions: permitting, costs, and finding the right location for your project. Why isn’t this happening more in the UK? Why aren’t there more Mick and Darren’s? Stay tuned as we lift the lid on what it takes to get a CDR project setup (to the best of our ability!)

If you want to listen to Episode 1, click the link below (It’ll be the best 30 minutes of your week…)

Follow the podcast to hear Tom’s journey, or visit restord.earth to learn more about the project.

Thank you to the guests who featured in the full podcast episode, including:

Genevieve Hodgins – Project Manager, The Biochar Demonstrator
Mick and Darren Jones – Woodtek Biochar
Emily Swaddle – Co-host, The Carbon Removal Show
Alex Hume – Senior Associate, Finance Earth

Episode 1: "Scr*w it, let's do it"