It’s been a little over a week since I started fermenting my household food scraps using the bokashi method. Aside from being amazed that my kitchen scraps don’t stink, there are a few other things I’ve noticed.
- We take the trash out less often. There were so many times we emptied a half-full kitchen container because it smelled. What a waste of trash bags.
- We pay more attention to recycling
- When purchasing food, I pay particular attention to packaging. We purchase most of our trash at the grocery store in the form of packaging.
- I’m taking better care of my houseplants. The bokashi tea is great for the soil and leaves.
Today was the first trash collection day since I started with bokashi. There was less trash to throw out. Partially because there are no more food scraps, but I believe it’s mainly because we’re more aware of what we purchase and discard.
Dry Weather and Brush Fires
Because of the unusually dry northeast weather, we’ve been plagued with a record number of brushfires. Unfortunately, some of the brushfires were ignited as a result of the heat from compost piles. According to Washington State University site, the optimum compost temperature is between 135 and 165 degrees.
While high temperatures may be great for the compost, it’s not so good for the environment when you consider abnormally dry weather conditions. The more I learn about recycling and composting, the more I appreciate bokashi.
Bokashi Still a Hard Sell
Most folks still think my bokashi practice is a bit odd, but that’s okay. Once it has completed a full cycle and I have wonderfully healthy vegetables and houseplants, I think folks will begin to come around.
It’s sort of like when I first started blogging for a living. Folks thought that was odd too, but now that I earn a full-time income blogging from home, I’ve dropped a notch or two on the odd scale. 😉
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Felicia, thanks for your reply. I know you’re not an expert – and that is a really good thing! I’m trying to encourage people to start with Bokashi because it is so simple, and effective. So words for people who are new, or who are not “experts” would be really helpful!.
I look forward to hearing from you. Thanks.
Bokashier should be a word!!
On my site, I’m looking to find a few people to share a few thoughts about how they use Bokashi – would you be up for helping out? All it’d take would be a photo and a few words (could be general thoughts, tips, advice, or anything else about your Bokashi!). Your page would look something like this: http://www.bokashicompostinghq.com/projects/jenny/
Could you leave a comment here, or get in touch through the contact form on the site if you’d like to help?
Graham, I’d like to help, but you’ve got to realize I’ve been at this bokashi stuff for less than a month. I’m not an expert, but I’ll see what I can do. I’ll contact you directly once I’ve come up with something.
Great to hear about someone else picking up Bokashi. It’s great – more people should definitely take notice. There is nothing odd about it!
Hello Graham, my fellow bokashier (I know that’s not a word, but you get my drift). You’ve got some great bokashi info on your site. Thanks for the validation. I’m truly enjoying my bokashi experience.