Good Things Growing LLC: Boosting soil nutrients with biochar
BIG IDEA Spotlight: Good Things Growing LLC
Editor’s Note: Designed to shine a spotlight on the variety of rural innovation bubbling up across the Pennsylvania Wilds, this article is part of a series that features six innovators who were named as finalists in the 2024 PA Wilds BIG IDEA Contest.
Josh Zucal has been innovating solutions for the PA Wilds all of his working life. After studying engineering, he came back to his hometown to work at a sawmill, and seeing a need, created his own woodworking company. After that, he and his wife bought Aroma Cafe and Market in Emporium and kept it supplied with freshly roasted coffee from another one of his companies, Bearded Brewing. At the same time, he was also running Good Things Growing, a community-supported agriculture (CSA) program that offered boxes of fresh-grown produce to local buyers. So when Zucal learned more about biochar and how it could benefit the soil, and in turn boost vegetable production, he did what he’s done all of his life: he started a company to create a solution.
“Across our nation, there is a problem with soil depletion and there is a need for soil that is pest-resistant and resilient,” Zucal said. “Biochar fixes all of that.”
Zucal is developing his biochar solution within his Good Things Growing company. He says that in order to have good produce, good soil comes first. “If growers want to be successful, they need to start amending their soil appropriately. Biochar can remediate anyone’s garden and go into fields. It is on the verge of becoming standard, and I am just getting ahead of the curve.”
According to the USDA, biochar is a stable solid, rich in carbon that is made from organic waste material or biomass like timber slash, corn stalks, or manure that is partially combusted in the presence of limited oxygen. Zucal says that producing biochar can be just as beneficial as the end product. The heat can be captured and turned into electricity, or used in growing settings for greenhouses so that they can produce year-round.
“Biochar is a filter, capturing toxins. Right now, it is being used on the Chesapeake Bay to line the edges of streams and capture chemicals. There are a thousand other possibilities like that.”
Today, Good Things Growing is deep in development. “We are focused on making the char and testing the soil differences three years before and after. We are also testing methods to create the char, and then will be moving on to fabrications to capture gasses and wood vinegar, a byproduct that acts as a natural pesticide.”
As he continues to experiment, he says that his hometown of Emporium and the entire PA Wilds business ecosystem is there to cheer him on. “Our local community are very strong supporters for anyone attempting to be in business,” he said. “This is my fourth business, and from my experience, the response has been very positive.”
He says that in his past business experiences, the Cameron County Industrial Authority and Lumber Heritage Region have been big supporters of his endeavors, and the PA Wilds Center has been very helpful. “If someone wants to build something here, there is a huge level of support,” he said.
He says that winning the Big Idea contest would offer a next level of support and kickstart the idea even further. “We would be able to fabricate an initial unit to create biochar to scale. The funds would be used to leverage matching dollar grants that are available through the USDA for carbon sequestration companies. It would definitely be a great assist.”
About the PA Wilds BIG IDEA Contest Series: The PA Wilds BIG IDEA Contests were part of a three-year initiative funded by the Appalachian Regional Commission. Made possible by a collaboration between Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Central and Northern PA, PA Wilds Center for Entrepreneurship, the Pennsylvania Technical Assistance Program and Small Business Development Centers that serve the Pennsylvania Wilds, the contest took place annually, with each contest focusing on a different portion of the rural 13-county region and offering a chance to win up to $50,000. The 2022 contest included counties in the I-80 Frontier landscape, the 2023 contest included counties in the Allegheny National Forest & Surrounds and Elk Country landscapes, and the 2024 contest focused on counties in the Dark Skies and the Pine Creek Valley & PA Grand Canyon landscapes. After the three-year series concluded, more than $150,000 was invested in rural entrepreneurs, while participants who did not win cash prizes received invaluable technical assistance and business support. Additional details can be found at CNP.BenFranklin.org/BigIdea.
About Ben Franklin Technology Partners: The largest seed investor in our region, Ben Franklin Technology Partners (an initiative of the PA Department of Community & Economic Development and funded by the Ben Franklin Technology Development Authority) has been providing investment capital, business support services, and operational assistance to emerging tech-startups and small manufacturers for nearly 40 years. Since the start of the BIG IDEA contests, more than $3 million in cash prizes have been awarded throughout Ben Franklin’s 32-county footprint in central and northern Pennsylvania. The contest offers start-ups and entrepreneurs some much-needed seed funding, as well as business training, pitch experience, and industry contacts – often more valuable than the prize money itself. Learn more at www.CNP.BenFranklin.org. For more information, contact Karly Scala at karlyscala@cnp.benfranklin.org.
About the PA Wilds Center for Entrepreneurship: The PA Wilds Center for Entrepreneurship, Inc., is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization whose mission is to integrate conservation and economic development in a way that inspires the communities of the Pennsylvania Wilds. The Pennsylvania Wilds is a 13-county region that includes the counties of Cameron, Clarion, Clearfield, Clinton, Elk, Forest, Jefferson, Lycoming, McKean, Potter, Tioga, Warren, and northern Centre. The PA Wilds Center promotes the region and its 2+ million acres of public lands as a premier outdoor recreation destination as a way to diversify local economies, inspire stewardship, attract investment, retain population and improve quality of life. The PA Wilds Center’s core programs seek to help businesses leverage the PA Wilds brand and connect with new market opportunities, including: the Wilds Cooperative of PA, a network of more than 575 place-based businesses and organizations, and the PA Wilds Conservation Shop, a retail outlet primarily featuring products sourced from the WCO. For more information on the PA Wilds Center, visit www.PAWildsCenter.org. To learn more about the WCO, visit www.WildsCoPA.org. Explore the PA Wilds at www.PAWilds.com. Find regionally made products at www.ShopThePAWilds.com.
