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Post Date:
1st Jan 2026
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Post Summary:
Every so often, you discover something that stops you in your tracks - something that makes you completely rethink your approach. That's what biochar did for me. Here was a solution that could genuinely transform how we grow, improve our soil, and capture carbon
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Bio Bloom
| Introduction
At GrowMad, there's nothing we love more than connecting fellow growers with the people and products that can genuinely transform the way they garden. We're passionate about shining a light on the artisan producers, the innovators, and the small-scale makers who are doing things differently - with integrity, sustainability, and a deep respect for the soil beneath our feet.
These aren't mass-produced solutions shipped from industrial warehouses. These are products crafted with care by real people who understand the land because they work it themselves. They're the growers, the thinkers, the problem-solvers who've often spent years perfecting something special - something that makes a real difference not just to your plot, but to the planet too.
That's why we're delighted to introduce you to Jodie Buck and her remarkable work with Bio Bloom biochar, and proud of all that she has achieved. Here's someone who embodies everything we champion at GrowMad: sustainable farming practices, regenerative thinking, and products that are genuinely made by hand, with intention, on a small UK hill farm
You can watch the video here
This is Jodie's story in her own words...
| Bio Bloom: From Fallen Trees to Living Soil - Jodie Buck
On our small hill farm in Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons,Wales) trees have always been more than part of the landscape, they’re part of our family.
My grandparents planted many of them decades ago, where winter storms sometimes bring down even the strongest oak. Windfall trees have always been part of life here. Traditionally, they became firewood. That was simply the farm rhythm: a tree falls, it heats the home.
But everything changed the day a huge, beautiful oak came down. It was far too magnificent to cut into logs, and my dad, the inventive soul he is built a bandsaw out of old farm materials so we could mill it. The oak became our kitchen table, and around that table, something shifted.
We realised every fallen tree had a story worth honouring, and maybe firewood wasn’t the end of that story.
That moment planted the seed for what would become Bio Bloom.
Around this time, I began learning more about soil, and that led me, quite accidentally, to biochar. Biochar is simply carbon created for the soil, produced by heating wood in a low-oxygen environment. This burns off volatile compounds and leaves behind a stable, porous form of carbon.
What captivated me was how those tiny pores work: they store water, hold nutrients that would otherwise wash away, and become permanent homes for beneficial microbes. But the most powerful part is what biochar does before it ever touches the soil:
It locks carbon away for hundreds of years, even thousands.
When a tree grows, it draws CO₂ from the atmosphere and stores that carbon in its wood. Normally, when wood rots or burns, most of that carbon returns to the air. But through pyrolysis, we convert it into a form that stays in the ground long-term.
Biochar is essentially carbon sequestration you can hold in your hands, a practical, grounded way to remove atmospheric carbon and store it safely in the soil.
And although it sounds modern, the idea is ancient. Indigenous communities in the Amazon created Terra Preta - deep, rich “black earth” enriched with charcoal, proving that carbon-rich soils can remain fertile for centuries. Those soils are still thriving today.
It struck me deeply: this wasn’t just about improving soil… it was about shaping the future.
My own soil journey started in the simplest way, a shovel, a hole, and a fascination with how things break down and become life again. Meanwhile, my parents were running Buckwood Studios, crafting beautiful pieces from the very same windfall trees I was hauling from the fields.
But even the most talented woodworker ends up with off-cuts: crooked branches, knotty limbs, twisted pieces and brash that no table or sculpture can use. Instead of discarding them or burning them, I started to see those pieces as potential — the beginnings of something regenerative.
Using recycled farm materials and a lot of trial-and-error, I built a small kiln on our hillside. The straight, clean cuts became biochar; the imperfect pieces heated the kiln. The vapours drifting up the flue were captured and condensed into wood vinegar, a natural aid for compost and plant health.
And because Wales rarely runs short on rain, I collect rainwater in to cool and quench the char.
Without planning it that way, I had created a circular system, exactly the kind of farming my grandparents lived by before “circular economy” became a modern term.
| Biochar on the Farm
Mixed into the bedding, it quietly transformed the environment: moisture reduced, smells faded, and the bedding stayed cleaner and more comfortable.
Most importantly, the biochar captured nutrients, especially nitrogen, that would otherwise be lost.
By spring, those beds had become a rich, microbially active manure. When spread across our hill fields, the biochar continued its work underground:
- Holding onto water during dry spells
- Improving soil structure
- Preventing nutrient leaching during heavy rain
- Supporting long-term microbial life
Year by year, the land responded. You can feel it under your boots, soil that’s more resilient, more alive.
| Why Gardeners Love It Too
Gardeners quickly notice the quiet improvements biochar brings. Once charged with nutrients or compost, it:
- Boosts water retention in hot weather
- Stores nutrients instead of letting them wash away
- Creates permanent habitat for soil microbes
- Lightens heavy, compacted soils
- Helps balance tired or acidic beds
- Locks carbon into the garden for generations
It’s a small addition with long-term benefits, a natural, stable foundation for healthier soil.
| Wood Vinegar: Another Gift From the Kiln
Wood vinegar, also known as pyroligneous acid, is a natural liquid produced during the slow pyrolysis of hardwoods. As the wood is heated in low-oxygen conditions, it releases vapours rich in natural acids, phenols, and beneficial compounds. We carefully capture these vapours and condensate them using the rainwater collected from our IBC tanks, ensuring a clean, sustainable, and environmentally responsible production process.
Once settled and filtered, wood vinegar becomes a powerful yet gentle input for soil and plant health. When diluted at a 1:200 ratio, it can help stimulate beneficial microorganisms, improve nutrient availability, and enhance root development. One of the most valued benefits it has is its natural antifungal action; many growers use it as a preventative treatment against common fungal pressures, helping to reduce disease incidence without relying on harsher chemical products.
In addition to supporting plant resilience, wood vinegar can also help reduce odours, improve composting speed, and encourage stronger, more vigorous growth overall. Its versatility and low environmental impact make it a highly effective tool for regenerative and organic growers.
| A Simple Vision — Healthy Soil, Healthy Stories
At the heart of Bio Bloom is something very simple: a desire to give back to the land that shaped my family. The trees that fall in winter storms, the soil that feeds our animals, the water that runs down these hills, they’re all part of the same story.
Biochar has taught me that nothing on a farm stands alone. Trees become Biochar, Biochar becomes soil, soil becomes life, and life becomes the next chapter. When gardeners use our biochar, they join that cycle, nurturing the soil beneath them while honouring the soil beneath us.
Healthy soil isn’t just where plants begin. It’s where connection begins, too. And that’s the story I hope to keep growing.
Bio Bloom - Sustainably Sourced & Naturally Produced Biochar
Jodie Buck
I don’t claim to be perfect, but I believe in starting. Every step I take is in the right direction — one sack of soil-building biochar at a time.
