Bokashi composting is an anaerobic process which requires an air-tight container and and special microbes, called Bokashi, which actually ferment food scraps and break them down into nutrient-rich byproducts.īecause active microbes are used in the process, other food scraps which are typically non-compostable can actually be composted pretty easily with Bokashi.

While doing my research, I contemplated building a Bokashi Composter.

But once I factored in the materials required, the Bokashi microbes, and the time it would take to build it, I decided it would probably be worth it to spend $50 on a pre-built Bokashi starter kit. Not that it seems too difficult to build a Bokashi Composter, but I could just see it start leaking or for some reason not being air-tight and screwing up the process, so I decided not to take any chances with my first experience. Right off the bat I just want to say I have no affiliation with this particular company. I simply found the starter kit that seemed like the best value, had good reviews, and seemed easy to set up to get started. I went with a company called SCD Probiotics, who specialize in all sorts of probiotic products. Their Bokashi Compost starter kit had everything needed to get started and was ready to use right out of the box. So let’s take a look as I unbox it! Unboxing My New Bokashi ComposterĪt first glance, the Bokashi bin just seems like a normal 5-gallon bucket.The Espitals decision to live on the farm was borne from their background in community development. “Before becoming parents, our background is in community development, I teach livelihood diversification and biodiversity conservation while Gio teaches sustainable farming and livelihood linked to eco-tourism,” Leila says. We wanted to apply the learnings we had from those years of work and see if this lifestyle is doable for our family.” “Both of us have seen how small communities changed for the better by protecting their natural resources and starting an organic farm as their livelihood. The many positive experiences in their work led them to decide on an agricultural path for their family, even before their son Nayon was born. “First, we have a control over our health and healing. Growing our own fruit and vegetables gave us a variety of food each day. It tastes better because we always have them fresh and it is safer to eat because we do not treat them with chemical pesticides, which are linked to numerous diseases. “Second, we find peace being surrounded by nature. It makes us happy to see the garden grow that soon attracts birds, butterflies, frogs, worms and bugs. Working with the soil sparks the wonder of our child, helps decompress our minds from whatever worries we have and lets us be present in the moment. Instead of spending the biggest chunk of our budget to buy vegetables, we can allocate them for other utilities at home and add to our travel fund. It is also a joy for us to have a source of income that offers health to other people through farm produce and composting kits. “But above all of this, we decided to lead this lifestyle because we believe that it is our moral imperative to take good care of our planet and our way of participation is make the soil healthy and grow food without harming nature. Manure processing takes very little space and a single Bokashi Cycle module can handle 22 tons of fresh manure per day in a space no bigger than a typical dairy barn.It is our duty as parents to model to our son the meaningful work that farmers do for their family and society. Dairy operators can process all manure on site, killing coliforms quickly, and converting manure into a high value biologically active product. Greenhouse gases linked to composting and AD processing are eliminated, while locking nitrogen into the byproducts. AgrowPulp TM is commonly tilled directly into the field to improve soil tilth and fertility.īokashi fermenting manure takes roughly two weeks, can be done throughout the year, and eliminates the need for expensive retention ponds, expensive pumps, and large tracts of land tied up with manure processing. AgrowTea TM is commonly applied via spray technologies, but can also be applied by gravity or drip irrigation, and it will not clog the sprayers. Roughly 75% (by weight) of the byproduct material is liquid (known as AgrowTea TM), and 25% is suspended solids, or cake (known as AgrowPulp TM). Fermenting organic waste involves closed systems, where oxygen is excluded, and specialized microbes and fungi use enzymatic degrading to break apart large molecules and disrupt cells, releasing a vast array of diverse and productive metabolites and nutrients.

Happy farmer bokashi