Bokashi (fermented food/garden waste) Composting Discussion

Hi Dean,
No, it isn't necessary. You can also add EM1 directly to a compost pile. It accelerates the composting process and completely controls odors...keeping away flies. Worms love the EM1 too! You can use EM1 and/or bokashi in a worm bin. You can spritz the worms using a 1 ounce per gallon solution (EM1 to water).

I had friends that used to just make bokashi to feed the dog...or their chickens. Works great for them. Controls bad breath, farts, and makes their fur really nice.

I'm guessing the "bucket system" was probably developed for apartment & urban dwellers who don't have the option of a compost pile. We fill a five gallon bucket in about a week. I rotate between three buckets - one in process of getting filled, one sitting out on the deck for 1st week fermenting, one on the deck for 2nd week fermenting, which then gets emptied into the worm bin and replaces bucket #1 as the fill bucket.

Thanks, Eric, I didn't know that!

Today I went to a feed store to get some Rice Bran so that I could make my own Bokashi Bran. I've just got a couple of chickens and have it on good authority that adding the bokashi to their feed not only keep the pong down but reduce the amunt of poop. I had the choice of stabilised powder, stabilised pellets, unstabilised powder or unstabilised pellets. I got stabilised powder and I hope that was the right choice. :-|

Hi wgnkiwi,
Rice bran has dozens of antioxidant compounds. My father-in-law raises free range chickens in Japan with EM1. He makes large batches of EM1 bokashi with garlic, rice bran, kelp, oyster shells (he raises them for the eggs) and alfalfa. He grows comfrey all over the property and cuts some on a daily basis and feeds it to them.
When using EM1 bokashi in the feed, use it at anywhere from 3-10% of the feed ration. There is no need to feed them only bokashi. You can also add the EM1 to the animal's drinking water. The typical amount is 1 teaspoon per gallon of water. This is a 1:1,000 dilution ratio.

If you can get your hands on fresh rice bran, which should be possible in California, you can get unstabilized.rice bran. Rice bran, because of the oils, tends to go rancid quickly. The fermentation process of making rice bran into bokashi prevents the spoiling and actually preserves it. You should be fine with any of the forms available.
Eric

Thanks for this Eric. Next time I'll get the unstabilised and save quite a bit of $$. I was just reading the EM website and saw that EM1 can be added to the drinking water. This is great because I received a bottle of SCD Bio Ag when I purchased my Bokashi Bin and had no idea what to do with it.
LOL you would think that it's easy to get all the goodies for making Boakshi Bran here in CA, I am firmly in the middle of a very urban area. There's not many Ag stores around here. If you knew the effort I went to to get the chickens, their organic feed, bedding and the rice bran.......

Hi wgnkiwi,
I do not use SCD's stuff. I know about it, but I stick with the original...EM1.

Eric

I would but it seems I can't buy the Activated EM1 (thats the one with the mother culture right?) from the "original" website.

"Mother Culture" is something that Braggs started years ago to refer to the sediment in the bottom of their liquid aminos and vinegar. The use of this term causes some confusion in the marketplace.

If I could, I would put a link right to it. I know some other people here can chime in and direct you right to it. I looked to see if there were any stores in Burlingame that were carrying it. The closest to you is in Berkeley, but that is quite a trip for you.

EM1 is the product that you are referring to that you "extend" or "activate". This process is a fermentation process that you use 1 part EM1, 1 part molasses, and 20 parts water (3/4C, 3/4C, fill a gallon container with warm water), mix them together with a cap on tightly, and ferment until the pH drops to below 3.7. This generally takes 3-7 days depending on the quality of the molasses and the ambient temperature. Since many people seem to be bothered by this process, Activated EM1 is available now, ready to go.

Eric

You can get the activated EM1 at www.emamerica.com. It keeps well if it hasn't been extended. It only takes a small amount to make a big batch of bokashi.

katiebear

wgnkiwi, have you tried the feed store in Half Moon Bay?

Eric what are you using to measure the ph?

They have the paper for measuring ph at www.emamerica.com. It used to be carried in most drug stores but it's getting hard to find.

kb

As in litmus paper? Couldn't find the info on the site, katiebear.

Yes, litmus paper. Send them an email if you can't find it. Their site is sometimes not the easiest to navigate.

kb

Will do and thank you ;) Just got the bokashi bucket in this afternoon. Wheee, more toys to play with. But think I'm going to buy some of th EM1 as well. That sounds a little less complicated to understand and apply. Thanks Eric, this is a great thread.

Litmus paper is available from drug stores. It's used by diabetics. Most of you should remember from high school chemistry.

But most drug stores don't carry it anymore. So if you order EM1 get litmus paper at the same time or you'll spend time futilely lloking a for it at a drug store (take it from one who knows).

kb

Litmus paper or pH paper at regular stores is used to measure urine pH or saliva. The proper pH range for Activated EM1 is between 3 and 3.7. If your saliva or urine go that low, you'd be dead. These papers you find in regular stores may also be used for pools, which don't go that low either.

I am not allowed to post links to my site, per orders of Dave's. If you have any problems finding something, please let me know. I do all the editing to our website. If I were, I would help you all find all the directions, books, research papers, etc. Also, if you want something else up on the site, please let me know that as well.

If you click on "web store" from our home page (it is in the top right, above the four sections), it will bring you to the home page of the web store. Under "our products" on the left, the last item is pH paper. Ask to have it shipped via USP to save on shipping.

Just ordered EM and litmus paper :) I'm really excited about this whole idea. Thanks Eric

I opened the bucket of bokashi that I buried a few weeks ago to check what was going on. Nothing yet but I'm putting that down to the very wet and cold weather we've been having. No bad smells either. I threw in some more bran just to be on the safe side and closed it back up.

G_M I checked out that feed store when I first started looking for chicks, but they didn't have the breeds I wanted and the chicks they did have were living in pretty dirty conditions. That kind of put me off going back there. I ended up driving up to Sonoma and bought some from a guy who's breeding Australorps there. While I was there I popped into a great feed store and picked up enough of everything to last me until I can find a good source down here.

I'm going to experiment with composting the chicken poop the regular way and with EM1. It will interesting to see how it turns out.

Very interesting, wgnkiwi. Please keep us updated.

Are you emptying the bucket into the hole you dig? It sound like you're burying the bucket but I just woke up so I might be misreading your post.

katiebear

You should let the stuff ferment in the bucket...with the lid on...for at least a couple of weeks. During this time, liquid settles to the bottom of the buckets. This is why there is a spigot. The amount of liquid that comes out really depends on what you eat (or don't eat and end up adding to the bucket). This liquid is a microbial fertilizer that can be used as plant food. You really don't want to use this any stronger that 1 teaspoon per gallon of fresh water.

Once the stuff in the bucket is fermented (white mold, no foul smell) you bury in the ground. Depending on moisture and temperature, it should take only a couple weeks to break down. In the Tucson heat, it can take a couple months. It is so dry out here, everything tends to mummify so I need to water it often. Now that I have worms in the garden things are going a lot faster than they were three years ago.
Eric

I didn't explain that very well did I? I let it ferment for a couple of weeks and then transferred it to another bucket that has the bottom cut off it and is buried in the garden. Then I topped that bucket off with some soil and put a lid on it. I don't have a lot of empty garden space and this method sounded like it work work well for me.

Aaahhhhhhh.

kb

Put the waste in the ground without the bucket and then let it sit.
Why did you put in the bucket? You can take the food wastes and bury in and around plants while they are all growing.

I used the bucket for a couple of reasons. I have a problem with critters digging up just about everything in the garden, and I don't have a lot of room to be digging holes. I figured that if I stick it all in a bucket then once it's finished fermenting I could just empty it out and spread it around the plants that need it the most.

The fermented food waste will rot when exposed to air. If it is not covered up with 8-12 inches of soil it will attract animals that want to eat it or flies if it gets stinky. I am not sure if it will break down in the bucket. Since the bottom is cut out it might. I might just take longer that if the food wastes were in more contact with the soil Give it some time and see if it works. You may have a found a really cool way to avoid digging holes!

If you have a compost pile, the pretreatment of fermentation breaks down the fibers in the foods, making them break down in a compost pile must faster than normal. Compost you can definitely use a side dressing or mulch.

i have really enjoyedreading this thread, printed out info & recipes... gave up my nap with the baby to read all this... well worth it!

tf

Hey Gal! Long Time No See.

I was just on the radio. Here is a link to the show. Sheri is a co-owner of Arbico Organics. She is a wealth of information. A nice bio is on this page: http://www.gcnlive.com/Programs/EasyGardener.htm
You can access here shows from this link. The one I was on will be available by 3pm today (Pacific Time).
Eric

Eric do ya know the name of it? it says on the page they are central time

I was able to load the show yesterday...not the one I did, but the one from the week before. I can't get it to load now. I don't know why.
It should be the show from 2/10/2008.

ok I'll try again tonight then thanks

Just click "on demand". Then click the system for your computer. The show should load right in. We're hoping to do some more in-depth shows later.

I will be on Sedona Talk Radio with CJ Marks on Thursday from 6-7pm Mountain Time. http://sedonatalkradio.com/content/view/90/146/

alrighty then will make sure to try for that one too.

question for ya are you the EVP so that anyone that emails the emamerica site it goes to you and you send the replies?
was going through my emails and clearing things out and ran across the one I sent back 9-27-07 when I found the site.
it just clicked as to the Eric you may be LOL...

Yup, that is me. Because of my involvement with EM America, I can't link to my site in Dave's. It is a little tricky to always make sure I walk the line. So far so good.

We had a customer email me to sign in to Dave's and help answer questions. Being an avid gardener myself, it was a great site to stumble into.
Eric

and we are glad you stumbled here!

I second that we are glad you stubbled in ...I should have asked you to stumble over when I started using the Bokashi and EM1 as at first I found no one in the texas section that believed me when I said you could compost this way.
Not to say Texas was wrong or bad they just hand't read the stuff yet and some are avid ol school composters and that is okay fo rhtem but I needed soemthing to get going faster so I could start planting this in my new home.