Composting

Related Resources

The Cornell Cooperative Extension has complied a great introduction to composting that is perfect for beginners. There is much more nuance to learn, but there’s plenty within to get the gears turning.

Other Valuable Introductory Resources from the Cornell Cooperative Extension:

The Environmental Protection Agency has many valuable resources related to the topic of composting, including Sustainable Management of Food Waste & Landfill Gas Production.

View these products at Uncle Jim’s Worm Farm

Food Scrap Pails (Bamboo/Stainless Steel)

Static Compost Bins (Exaco Juwel & Aerobin 400)

Turned Compost Bin (FCMP Tumbler)

Vermicomposting is a food scrap recycling method that utilizes specific earthworms to convert organic matter into humus quickly. The worms are contained in a specially designed bin that houses an ecosystem dominated by microbes and the worms, which work together to decompose your organic matter.

New Mexico State University’s Extension Service has a valuable introduction to vermicomposting accessible here

See the book below for the go-to resource for all things vermicomposting

View these products at Uncle Jim’s Worm Farm

Indoor/Outdoor Bins (Hot Frog & Worm Factory)

Outdoor Only Bins (Pet Waste Farm, Worm Feast, Subpod)

Bokashi utilizes specifically cultivated bacteria (e.g., Lactobacilli) to break down food scraps in the absence of a consistent oxygen supply.

In order to introduce this specific bacteria into your food scraps, a prepared fermentation starter is used. This is typically wheat bran inoculated with Lactobacilli. In our bokashi process, we add 1 tablespoon of starter each day (along with daily food scraps) until the bin is full, which takes about 2 weeks.

Inoculated food scraps are then left to ferment for 2-4 weeks.

A route of decomposition must then be decided upon, as fermentation only produces a partially decomposed product. You may choose to bury the fermented food scraps (FFS) in the garden, add it to a traditional compost pile, or utilize it as a food source for vermicomposting operations. When burying the FFS, you should avoid doing so in a location close (1-3 feet) to other plants you wish to cultivate, as the low pH can damage plants. After about two weeks, the soil's pH should normalize to levels that promote healthy crop growth (see Common Ground PDF below for more details). When adding FFS to a compost pile, treat the FFS like any other organic addition to the pile, ensuring to promote aeration and odor prevention through the use of bulking and cover materials, respectively (see Traditional Composting). FFS serves as an excellent source of nutrition and can be easily consumed by worms because it is partially decomposed.

Bokashi Cycle offers a wide selection of bokashi products for both residential and industrial applications. Their website also serves as an excellent resource for furthering your bokashi education.

BLH farm is a great small farm operation that practices community-based food scrap management. They offer a great bokashi starter kit on their website.

This website participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program.
The program enables us to earn funds for farming by linking to amazon.com and affiliated websites.