Resilient Roots: Biochar-Enhanced Dry Farming for Potatoes and Peppers

Project Overview

FW26-017
Project Type: Farmer/Rancher
Funds awarded in 2026: $34,955.00
Projected End Date: 01/15/2028
Grant Recipient: Roots Farm
Region: Western
State: Washington
Principal Investigator:
Jennifer Clark
Email
Roots Farm

Commodities

  • Agronomic: potatoes
  • Vegetables: peppers

Practices

  • Energy: byproduct utilization
  • Production Systems: dryland farming

    Proposal summary:

    The Pacific Northwest is experiencing increasingly unpredictable weather patterns, leading to decreased rainfall and heightened drought conditions. This presents significant challenges for small-acreage farmers striving to maintain crop yields. Amid rising inflation and supply chain disruptions, fertilizer prices are increasing, prompting producers to seek affordable, locally sourced methods for enhancing soil health and sustaining essential crops for their communities.
    This project aims to investigate whether on-farm produced biochar, created from wood waste and inoculated with fish emulsion from Tribal hatchery waste, can enhance dry-farmed cultivation of potatoes and peppers on drought-sensitive Ragnar sandy loam soils. Our experimental design includes two side-by-side treatments replicated over two growing seasons:
    (1) a mulched, dry-farmed control
    (2) a mulched, dry-farmed setup with biochar incorporated into the top 6-8 inches of soil.
    The research will focus on three main questions:
    1. Does biochar help retain soil moisture under dry-farmed conditions?
    2. Can it improve soil health indicators such as organic carbon content, soil aggregation, and biological activity?
    3. Do these improvements lead to higher yields and more consistent production for small farms using on-farm fertility inputs?
    Data collection throughout the growing season will include soil moisture levels, soil health assessments at the beginning and end of the season, and measurements of the yield and quality of potatoes and peppers from each treatment. Anticipated outcomes include practical recommendations on how on-farm biochar can help small farms conserve water, enhance soil health, and reduce dependence on purchased inputs. Results will be shared through various channels, including field days, educational videos, and partner networks, allowing other producers across the Western region to benefit from our findings.

    Project objectives from proposal:

    Research and Education Objectives


    Research Objectives
    Soil Moisture Retention and Drought Resilience
    Quantify how on-farm, fish-inoculated biochar affects soil moisture under dry-farmed conditions (no irrigation after establishment) by comparing biweekly soil moisture readings in control vs. biochar plots over two growing seasons.


    Soil Health
    Measure how biochar influences soil biological, chemical, and physical indicators-including soil organic carbon, POM, MAOM, aggregation, and pH-using paired pre- and post-season soil health tests in control and biochar plots each year.


    Yield, Quality, and Disease Incidence
    Compare total and marketable yield, crop quality, and late blight/other disease incidence for potatoes and peppers in dry-farmed control plots vs. dry-farmed + biochar plots, using harvest data collected from both seasons.


    On-Farm Fertility and Replicability
    Evaluate the practicality and cost of on-farm fertility using Ring-of-Fire biochar plus Tribal fish-waste emulsion by tracking labor, materials, and partial budgets, and summarizing a simple, replicable protocol for other small farms.


    Educational Objectives


    Increase Producer Knowledge
    Reach at least 100 producers and agricultural stakeholders with project findings on dry farming and biochar through field days, biochar burn classes, and partner events, measured with attendance and WSARE surveys.


    Support Practice Adoption and Confidence
    By the end of the project, at least 50 producers reported increased confidence or an intention to try one or more practices (dry-farmed potatoes/peppers, biochar fertility), based on pre-/post-event evaluations and follow-up questions.

    Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and should not be construed to represent any official USDA or U.S. Government determination or policy.