Bokashi Composting Anaerobic at Any Scale Matt Arthur & Adam Higgins BLH Farm BLH Farm: Who We Are ● Missouri cut flower farm focused on soil health ● Residential composting service serving St Louis ○ +1200 lbs of food waste per week through bokashi process & composting worms ● supplies ○ Bokashi kits & MO-kashi bran ○ Composting worms (red wigglers) & worm towers ● Instagram: @blh_farm Mission Statement

At BLH Farm we believe in regenerative agriculture, minimizing soil disturbance, avoiding all chemical inputs, and enabling our community to divert food waste from our landfills so it is available to feed the soil to produce healthy plants and food.

Our goal is to enable everyone to transform their food waste into a form that benefits soil health. We are proponents of bokashi composting for any scale -- from a single household to community composting -- so we can all grow beautiful flowers and nutrient-rich food on our patios, porches and in our gardens. Bokashi: Overview

Bokashi means “fermented waste”. Bokashi composting is:

● Originally from farming traditions of East Asia ● Anaerobic ● Homolactic ● Driven by and other effective microbes

The bokashi process produces relatively dry pickled compost to feed sub-soil microbes directly. Bokashi: What’s Happening

● Lactobacillus dominate ○ produced ○ pH drops ● Cell walls rupture ○ Liquid is generated ● Secondary EM take over ○ Yeasts, actinomycetes, etc ● Anaerobic-stable pickled state Thermophilic: Summary

Thermophilic hot composting is:

● Aerobic and carbon cycling ● Driven by assisted by fungi and insects ● Used extensively in North America ● Requires pile temps of 130+ for 3 days for pathogen mgmt ● Most common backyard method and the least successful

The thermophilic process produces moist homogenous organic material applied to the soil surface. Bokashi vs Thermophilic Compost

Bokashi Thermophilic Comment

Setting Sealed container Perforated Bin Bokashi is commonly indoors for small batches

Temperature Ambient 130+ Inviability of pathogens and weed seeds achieved via differing methods

Additions Inoculated Bran Carbon, Water Carbon = “Browns”. Wood chips, leaves, paper, etc

Management Drain Leachate Turn, Add Water

Pests None Mice, Snakes, Flies, Small Proper management avoids pests in Mammals bokashi bins

Appearance Pickled Homogenous, Crumbly, Black

Mass ~5% loss ~55% loss Bokashi C:N ratio 19:1 vs T 10:1

Use Bury Beneath Soil Surface Top-Dress onto Soil Surface Bokashi: The Process

1. Vessel Selection: Choose a container that’s airtight with the ability to drain liquid.

2. Prep: Close drain valve and insert the grate into the bottom of your bucket. Sprinkle MO-kashi bran on the grate.

3. Use: Add food waste, sprinkling MO-kashi bran between each layer. Pack down to remove air. Repeat until full. Seal lid tightly.

4. Fermentation: Store the full, sealed bucket for 14+ days, draining the leachate out of the bin every 2 days. Do not open bin during this period as oxygen will disrupt the anaerobic fermentation process.

5. Use: After 2-3 weeks your bokashi is ready for use! We suggest burying in the garden, feeding to composting worms, adding to an outdoor compost pile, or feeding to poultry.

6. Repeat: Start the bokashi composting process over! Bokashi Bran

● Carbon-rich substrate ● Semi-sterile environment ● Large surface area ● Inoculation points for bokashi process ● Effective Microbes! ○ photosynthesizing bacteria, lactic acid bacteria, yeasts, actinomycetes and fermenting fungi MO-Kashi Bran: The Process

● Organic wheat bran ○ Janie’s Mill in Illinois ● 150 lb batches ○ 50 gallon metal drums ● Fermented for 3 weeks ○ Dried or used fresh ● Ingredients: ○ Bran, Water, EM1, Molasses Bokashi Bran: Contamination

● Carbonaceous substrates perfect for: ○ Effective Microbes ○ White mold ○ Green mold ○ Others! ● Clean environment, tools, container ● Toss contam immediately! Bokashi Containers: Small and Large

Requirements:

● Airtight (anaerobic process) ● Drainage (collect leachate) ● Manageable (small container or on wheels) Bokashi in Pictures: Filling Bokashi in Pictures: Leachate Bokashi in Pictures: Finished Bokashi: Use

● Bury in the soil ● Add to hot pile ● Feed to composting worms ● Feed to poultry Bokashi: Use at Scale

● Use before cover- ● Consider addition of ● Ideal time for application of organic amendments ○ Azomite Bokashi: After 3 Weeks

● Eggshells (calcium carbonate) ● Not much else visible! Bokashi: Use Options

● (Very) large worm bins ● Slurry-ification ○ Add water ○ Chop or mix ○ Amend pH if desired with lime ■ Agricultural (low mag) vs dolomitic (high mag)! ○ Spread on fields ● Dig in soil ○ Trench mechanically upon bed formation ○ Soil box ○ Checkerboard Questions?

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