Michael Thomas came by on the weekend to interview us for his Bokashi project!
Last week he was talking Bokashi to attendees at the Beacon Heights Living Green 101 Earth Day celebration. I heard the event was packed and excellent - so sad to have missed it.
This weekend, he came over to chill a little at the bungalow, and got the low down on our experience thus far with the Bokashi composting (in this photo Dexter had just woken up from his nap and is watching a video of Michael's cat while having a yogurt drink).
So I finally got around to Earth's General Store to pick up my 2nd Bokashi composting bin! Now I have the first one that is full and hanging out while I'm filling up the 2nd one. This first one will sit for several more weeks. I'm on the verge of tea with this one, and I'll give it a couple of mixes and just wait for it to ripen for the garden in May.
Bin #1 has lots of moisture happening.
Bin #2 is still in progress. I also got a few plastic plates at the dollar store to squish down the contents and keep air circulating at a minimum.
Hello, food stuffs.
Just before Michael arrived my dad happened to be stopping by to take a look at our barren landscape (we're going to be doing a bit of work out there when it's warm enough). When I told Dad I was composting, he got all interested and asked me all the usual quesitons.
Dad: Well, it smells, right?
Miss Sarah: Nope, the Bokashi stuff makes it all good.
Dad: It's a lot of maintenance, like having a fish tank!
Miss Sarah: Not really. You just sprinkle the stuff on and then leave it.
Dad: Let me know how it goes, how long have you been doing it?
Miss Sarah: Since January.
I'm so excited that somebody like my dad would be interested in Bokashi compost! He has a super garden at his place and his plants (both indoor and out) would most definitely benefit from the compost tea. Plus, he could bury his finished compost in different areas to help boost the health of his trees and shrubs.
Time will tell whether he would be into something like this as an every day routine, but for now at least we know Dexter likes it.
He enjoys the sprinkling part the best, hence all the hoarding of that Bokashi bran.
In the interview Michael asked all sorts of questions like how Bokashi complemented or fit into our ongoing recycling. He inquired as to whether it was hard to get into a routine or hard to keep the compost healthy. I wish I had more exciting things to say, but the composting is really easy! You save the organic stuff you would otherwise throw in the garbage, and put it in the bin. Sprinkle it with the bran, then let it hang out.
After a while you get magic tea!
And I'm sure the compost itself is going to be excellent in the garden and with my planned potted tomatoes. But I'll have to get back to you on those.
My point is, being less wasteful and creating something useful out of your "garbage" makes sense. It seems logical to me... and maybe that's why I find it easy?
3 comments:
Here's the slightly rude question.... how much do you spend per month on the bran?
Erin - Good Question! One that I don't even know the answer to. When we signed up to do the trial bokashi with Mike, he brought over the bucket and three bags of bran. I've gone through one complete bucket, and have another one sitting and mulling and I still have 1 whole bag left.
I also got another bag that came with my starter kit when I bought my 2nd bucket (around $100 for the bucket et all) so I have that packet too. Once these run out then I'll be going back for bran only. But I would say I've been averaging about a bag a month per bucket? That's a pretty liberal estimation.
Interesting. I'll have to read up on this stuff. I live in the city, and while we have a house with a great deck todo raised garden beds on, I have no yard. I just recently acquired a worm composting bin, which I love but I'm intruiged by this Bokashi bin. Do you only get the tea, or will the veggies compost into organic material to spread in the garden also?
Thanks!
Kelly
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