By Zack Farr, Biotech Applied Research (BAR)
For years, Florida’s water has been in trouble.
What was once an abundant and reliable resource — clean water for agriculture, landscaping and everything in between — is now the subject of statewide concern. From toxic algal blooms and red tide to nutrient-filled runoff, the pressure on our waterways is rising — and with that comes the rising need for practical, scalable and sustainable solutions.
Interestingly enough, what if one of these types of solutions is already here… and it’s coming from an industry also facing its own crisis?
Located in the heart of Central Florida is citrus country. What was once the backbone of the Florida economy is now facing challenges due to disease, hurricanes and real estate development. There are tens of thousands of acres of citrus being pushed into a pile and burned each day — but from the ashes, a new opportunity is arising.
Biotech Applied Research, better known as BAR, is a 501(c)(3) community-based, nonprofit organization that has launched Florida’s first mobile biochar production operation. We are converting old and dying citrus groves into a powerful tool for water and soil restoration: biochar.
Biochar may be a new term for many, but it’s an ancient concept — a charcoal-like substance created by heating organic material, like citrus trees, without oxygen. While this process in itself is a climate mitigation strategy, what happens next is what makes biochar truly special. It acts like a sponge, holding nutrients in place, while filtering out harmful runoff and storing carbon for centuries.
Think of it as a natural filter that improves soil, reduces irrigation needs and protects nearby waterways from nutrient overload.
Florida is uniquely positioned to benefit from this sustainable technology. Our sandy soils struggle to retain nutrients, often leading to excessive runoff into all of our waterways: canals, lakes, estuaries and other sensitive water bodies. At the same time, agricultural and storm debris — including hundreds of thousands of dead citrus trees from greening and hurricane damage — are typically burned or landfilled, adding to the emissions and waste challenges while missing a great opportunity.
Based in Highlands County, BAR has built a nonprofit model that brings mobile carbonizers directly to the carbon source. BAR has been working for years creating the right collaborations with farmers, municipalities and water restoration project developers to convert the tree waste into biochar on site, then apply it back into the soil or install it in water filtration projects. This closed-loop, carbon-smart solution reduces waste, creates local jobs and revitalizes rural communities with new economic opportunities.
BAR is also working with researchers and growers to test biochar in citrus replanting efforts with a hope to close the loop even further by using fallen groves to prep the soil for the next generation of citrus.
At a time when our state is facing strong pressure from population growth, storm events and agricultural transitions, the BAR team has invested years of time and energy searching for tools that are regenerative, scalable and rooted in Florida. Through divine luck, BAR found biochar — and now it’s here to stay.
Zack Farr is the president and CEO of Biotech Applied Research (BAR), a Florida-based nonprofit that converts citrus and wood waste into biochar to restore soil and water. While Zack is typically bouncing from grove operation site to stakeholder meeting across the state, you can find him in his hometown in Highlands County, Avon Park. Learn more at www.biotechappliedresearch.org or by watching the video below.
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