Bokashi Workshop

How to put on a Bokashi Workshop

2 plastic tubs (preferably food grade) per participant; one for making bokashi; one for using bokashi with food waste. Alternative: one plastic tub (for food waste collection) and one large ziplock bag (for making and storing bokashi) per participant
sufficient de-chlorinated water (at least 1 liter per participant); (just pour water out of tap and let it sit for 24 hours)
- or boil water and let it cool down ... or as last resort, use hot water tank which might already be sufficiencly dechlorinated)
source Friendly Microbes (commercial or homemade) ... see Bokashi for list of suppliers; encourage some sort of co-op or sharing
source of micro-nutrients: sea-salt or kelp
source of carbon: easiest is wheat bran or rice bran from animal feed store (suggestion: 2.5 kg per participant)

Local governments are beginning to collect green waste incl. meat, dairy and oils to compost them; acknowledge that up front
list advantages to handling one's own green waste:
- educational and a "gateway drug" to other composting and fermenting recipes
- in case local government stops collecting green waste, or has incentives to reduce city collections
- less pests, less smell, more ingredients for the compost

The story of how "Effective Microbes" were discovered in Japan
- Dr Terua Higo pioneered the study of multiple micro-organisms ; A mixture he had thrown on a patch of grass (as a failed experiment) became famous; he noticed the area where he had thrown the “waste” product had grown considerably.
Japanese lakes and streams pollution reduction with mudballs ref.
Story of Garbage enzymes

Recipe: 3/4 liter blood-warm dechlorinated water, 3 tsp (15ml) microbes, 3 tsp (15ml) molasses, 1 pinch seasalt/kelp; 2.5kg bran
- adding more microbes and mollasses is fine.
- Recipe as a ratio: 150:50:1:1 of bran:water:microbes:molasses
make sure the water is blood-warm (temperature of blood = 37 deg Celsius) by combining dechlorinated water with boiling water
mix ingredients together saving microbes for last; then wait 15 minutes
mix just enough liquid into each plastic tub
have participants "massage" the mixture (10 min) until it feels moist enough to almost hold when squeezed together (30% moisture)
verify that even the deepest parts of the tub are well mixed
have everyone squeeze their tubs and put some plastic on top to keep it anaerobic
advise participants to put something heavy on top of plastic when they get home; an appropriate sized plate is best
advise them to wait for 2-4 weeks in the warmest place of the house (or even better on a warm seed-starting mat)
discuss the indicators of finished , ready to use bokashi: white fungus (no other colors of fungus); or one month and no fungus
explain how to use it: layer 1-2 inches of food waste with thin layer of bokashi
discuss advantages and disavantages of drying bokashi (2 year shelf life) vs wet bokashi (2 months shelf life); best to dry in the sun outside rather than in oven where it will smell up the whole house

make sure participants understand the different steps and indicators clearly
- must store freshly made bokashi in the shade and in the warmest spot of the house for up to a month (or till white fungus appears)
- at that point, decide if it will get used within a few months, or if it should be dried (do not dry before this point)
remind them that if a batch has gone bad (and it is easy to tell by smell), to put it straight into composting
they can use any left over liquid as a spray for smelly parts of the house; or directly instead of bokashi on food waste