Biochar for Farmers (Full Documentary)

Biochar is often promoted as a breakthrough for soil health and climate mitigation. But what does the evidence actually say when you put it in the ground, track the results, and scrutinize the scientific literature? This documentary follows field trials at Arthur’s Point Farm in New York’s Hudson River Valley, where we tested biochar and compost in a newly planted chestnut orchard. Alongside the farm work, we explain how biochar is made and share findings from a comprehensive scientific literature review focused on biochar’s agronomic performance, particularly in temperate climates and agroforestry systems. We also take the question on the road, visiting farms across the Finger Lakes, Hudson Valley, and Western Massachusetts, and speaking directly with soil scientists and biochar researchers at Cornell University and the University of Maine. Our goal is simple: give farmers, extension teams, researchers, policymakers, and curious viewers an honest, up-to-date picture of what biochar can do, what it cannot do, and where the hype runs ahead of the data. The film was shot in 2025 at locations in the Hudson Valley, Finger Lakes, and Western Massachusetts. Credits (In Order of Appearance): → David Newman, Arthur’s Point Farm, Ghent, New York - https://arthurspointfarm.com → William Brinton, University of Maine & the William Brinton Foundation (Formerly Woods End Agricultural Institute), Mt. Vernon, Maine - https://willbrinton.org/ → Bill Hilgendorf, New York Carbon & White Feather Farm, Saugerties, New York - https://www.whitefeatherfarm.org/ → Steve Krist, Four Fold Farm, Kerhonkson, New York - https://hudsonvalleyseed.com/pages/farm → Paul Martin, Sweet Land Farm CSA, Trumansburg, New York - https://www.sweetlandfarm.org/ → Jono Neiger, Big River Chestnuts, Sunderland, Massachusetts -   / bigriverfriend   → Johannes Lehmann, Cornell University, School of Integrative Plant Science, Soil and Crop Sciences, Ithaca, New York - https://cals.cornell.edu/people/johan... → Doug Young, Spruce Haven Farm, Union Springs, New York - https://drinkspruce.com/spruce-haven → Kirsten Workman, Cornell University Extension, Ithaca, New York - https://cals.cornell.edu/people/kirst... Produced and Co-Directed by David Newman, Arthur’s Point Farm - https://arthurspointfarm.com Film Production and Co-Directed by Costa Boutsikaris, Inhabit Films - https://www.inhabitfilms.com/ This project, including the field research and literature review, was funded by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, through the Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program under subaward number LNE22-452R. - https://northeast.sare.org/