The USDA has announced a $120 million investment to support six biocharBiochar is a carbon-rich material created from biomass decomposition in low-oxygen conditions. It has important applications in environmental remediation, soil improvement, agriculture, carbon sequestration, energy storage, and sustainable materials, promoting efficiency and reducing waste in various contexts while addressing climate change challenges. More projects across the U.S. as part of the Fertilizer Production Expansion Program (FPEP). This funding is part of a broader Biden-Harris Administration strategy to strengthen domestic agriculture, especially in the wake of global supply chain disruptions.

The grants will support biochar initiatives in Arkansas, California, Illinois, South Dakota, Washington, and Wisconsin, aiming to enhance local fertilizer production and reduce dependence on imports. Myno Carbon Corp., based in Port Angeles, Washington, received $20.49 million to build a biochar facility using timber waste, expected to produce 40,000 tons of biochar per year for 5,000 regional farms. Arkansas’s LSB Industries was awarded $77 million to expand its urea and ammonium nitrate facility, with plans to serve 450,000 users across four states.

Agtegra Cooperative in South Dakota will use a $3 million grant to double its starter fertilizer production at the Ipswich facility, aiming to increase production capacity to over 53,000 tons annually. Betley Farms in Wisconsin, with a $3.5 million grant, will install a nutrient concentration system, expected to yield 39 million gallons of liquid fertilizer per year.

Further recipients include Central Coast Worm Farm LLC in California ($4.3M) and Innovafeed Corporation in Illinois ($11.7M), each contributing to the USDA’s goal of strengthening American agricultural resilience through biochar and sustainable fertilizer production.