A Unique Composting Service
Vandra Thorburn, founder and president of Vokashi, thought about creating a composting service in 2009. “I knew I couldn’t manage rotting food waste,” Vandra explains, “so I began to search for an alternative method. When I found Bokashi New Zealand I knew I had struck gold!”
A fellow kiwi, Neville Burke suggested that Vandra contact TeraGanix the main distributors of EM-1 in the USA and Shig Matsukawa an EM-1 expert in New York.
Over the summer and fall of 2009, Vandra Thorburn developed a business plan for Vokashi – kitchen waste solution and submitted it to the Brooklyn Public Library’s PowerUp Business Plan competition. In January 2010, her business plan received an Excellence Award and $5,000 grant to start her business.
"We are also recycling other by-products from coffee roasting companies and home brewing activities." says Vandra Thorburn, president of Vokashi – kitchen waste solution.
General information about Vokashi Bucket and Bran:
- Vokashi uses recycled plastic EcoSmart buckets.
- Vokashi uses the Japanese method of fermenting food waste called EM-Bokashi. It is an anaerobic process, i.e., without air. Make sure that the lid is firmly placed on the bucket.
- Vokashi is proud to ferment and produce its own bran using the original Japanese microbial inoculant, EM-1®, molasses and water. We are also recycling other by-products from coffee roasting companies and home brewing activities.
- We aim to use as little nonrenewable energy as possible. In the summer, bran is naturally dried. In the winter, the bran is dried in a boiler room.
- 1 lb. bag of Vokashi Bran inoculated with EM-1® is good for use in 5 gallon bucket.
For more information, call 718.623.1911 or email vokashi@gmail.com.
Vokashi is currently based in Brooklyn, New York
