An article written by Silvia Milanova appeared in EcoPlum on June 13th, 2012 addressing the Japanese method of Bokashi and its use in the USA.
- On the benefits:
As I mentioned before, Bokashi can reduce, if not completely eliminate the soiled smell that may come from traditional composting – putting food scraps into a container and waiting for them to break down over time (using carbon, nitrogen, oxygen and water – worms optional). But there are more positives to this method. Bokashi can help compost not only plant-based foods, but also chicken bones, fish bones, cooked and uncooked leftovers, breads and pastas, dairy products, biodegradable paper ware, i.e., scraps that can’t be dropped off at community garden compost sites or municipal drop off sites, says Vandra Thorburn.
- On fermentation:
Thorburn is founder and president of Vokashi, a composting service that provides the buckets and bran necessary to ferment food scraps and gives it to community gardens needing composting to take the fermented food waste.
“I’m suggesting that the new norm for handling our organic waste is to ferment it,” says Thorburn. “And we can ferment all food scraps.”
- On the advantage:
The NYC Compost Project suggests that 150 of the sites have composting, but really only 50 have functioning composting programs, according to Thorburn. And these composting sites will break down when there is a rat problem, due to the rotting food. Bokashi has the potential to solve this problem, since rats are literally allergic to the smell of bokashi.
- On the need:
“Rotting food waste needs to be handled immediately. That is the crisis,” says Thorburn. “Nobody wants rotting food or smells. It is dangerous and a health hazard. Being able to store food waste that is preserved rather than rotting is a game changer.”
- On the total process:
“Adding fermented food waste (bokashi – 1st step) to trench composting (creating humus or enriched soil – 2nd step) is a natural soil fertilizer. In non-growing season, gardeners can plough fermented food waste (bokashi) into their soils. We are also experimenting with trench composting as a way of making new soil. Combining fermented food waste, yard waste and soil and leaving for two to three months to decompose and then harvesting for top soil.”
