I Will Attempt to Sell You on Bokashi

In my first post I mentioned this indoor composting method I have been trying. I am pretty into it. I discovered it about a year ago we when were going through a phase of trying to eat at home more.  I was getting frustrated with how much food we were throwing away. The main clue was my smelly trashcan, but I also didn't like the idea that I was buying things that I only used a bit of before chucking the rest in the trash.

Every time I cooked or had something to eat there was some part of something that went in the trashcan- an orange peel, egg shell, the white stuff inside a bell pepper, the tops of strawberries, parts of garlic, the onions I always pick around. Or we weren't eating left overs fast enough. Towards the end of the week I would open my fridge and a litany of whines and conflicting feelings would just bubble up - throw it all away! I don't want to eat spaghetti again! I am broke! I don't want to take out the trash! 

Needless to say, I started browsing ways to deal with food scraps if you don't have a yard. The Bokashi bin stood out for three main reasons: the gross factor is pretty limited, it is easy, and you can put anything in it, including oil, meat, and dairy. In my household we have slight germaphobic tendencies and regular bouts of laziness. A terrible combination one would think, for composting indoors. Not for Bokashi, this method suits people with both those inclinations.

Before We Begin...

I am posting DIY Bokashi bucket instructions but you can buy manufactured bins.
 They look nicer and have a spigot. Probably the main reason it took me a year to get started was the start up cost if you go this route. Most manufactured or pre-made buckets are about 40 dollars, with an added ten for the Bran mixture, and I kept reading that it is ideal to have two buckets (it is). Eventually I buckled down and chose a couple sites with clear directions for making them yourself. It is less expensive, it literally took about 10 minutes per bucket once I had the supplies, and they definitely do the job. I'll admit the pre-made ones maybe worth it to avoid the hassle of shopping and for visual appeal, but I found these features mattered less or seemed less significant with time. Do what you gotta do to get started, if for you that is ordering it on the net, by all means - give it a go.

For those that don't have access to a yard don't get discouraged by the last step in the Bokashi process.
The last step in the Bokashi process calls for burying the Bokashi scraps in dirt or a compost pile. This seemingly requires a yard or compost bin but people have figured out ways around this. I just wanted to give you a heads up so you don't stop there. I have links to solutions further down.

Austin gives rebates to people that compost and offers composting classes.

I live in an apartment so it was hard for me to figure out how to get the rebate and ultimately focusing on this as a first step was preventing me from starting. If you can get one though, I'd recommend it, even if just to let Austin know that you support cool initiatives like this.

http://www.austintexas.gov/composting

Bokashi Part 1:

My Attempt to Explain Bokashi,

Links to Instructions for the DIY Bucket,

and Troubleshooting

This composting method works via an anaerobic process (I am sort of flying by the seat of my pants here, so bear with me) so as opposed to most compost methods it does not require contact with the air to get the decomposition process started. You keep the waste in an air tight bucket and cover your food scraps with a bran mixture that is mixed with micro organisms that work to ferment or sort of pickle your waste. As your bin is filling up, a liquid will gather in the reservoir below (you'll understand if you see the instructions). This liquid can be emptied about once a week, depending on how much you accumulate, and you can dilute it with water and use it on your plants. The microbes in the leachate are great for plants. People call it Bokashi Tea.

Once your Bokashi container is full (there are basically layers of food and then bran mix) you close it up and put it away for a few days. You don't want it to get super hot or super cold so if you are in a land of extreme temperatures, like summer Texas, maybe just sealing it up and putting in a closet is best. Remember, it doesn't smell or anything so no worries about stuff leeching out and permeating your things.

After anywhere between a few days to two weeks, take your Bokashi scrap mix and either bury it in the ground or in a compost pile.  If you bury it in the ground, you want it to be about a shovel head deep and wide enough to sort of spread the Bokashi scraps so that they all make contact with the dirt. Before you bury it completely again, also put a scoop of dirt on top that you mix in with the scraps, then bury it completely. If you put it in a compost pile burry it a little, don't just throw it on top. Or you can put it in one of those ones that spin.

After a couple of weeks you will have excellent compost dirt that you can mix in with your garden. Or if you are not a gardener just let it sit buried and bask in the reality that your trash is mostly paper now and you kept this stuff from sliming up a landfill.

The site below goes into more detail about the Bokashi bran mixture:

http://www.compostguy.com/anaerobic-digestion/bokashi-basics/

And this is a great FAQ page for Bokashi. Lots of excellent troubleshooting tips.

http://www.sunburstunlimited-org.doodlekit.com/home/faq_about_bokashi_composting

Here are the links I used to build the bucket myself: 

1. http://www.timetorecycle.com/compost/bokashi.asp

2. http://www.everyday-simple-living.com/bokashi.html

One of my buckets

My Suggestions/Troubleshooting:

1. Start with two buckets.
You skirt the possibility of running across a situation where you stop for a while and lose steam.

2. The screen is optional.
The second site I listed calls for a screen. I went ahead for the screen but I don't think it is necessary. It just ensures that scraps won't fall through the holes and start rotting and smelling in the reservoir below. If the holes are small enough though, this shouldn't be an issue. The problem with a screen is you have to buy a whole roll even though you only need a small portion, and it costs about 10-12 dollars. I was able to use the remaining part on constructing things in my garden (a critter barrier for my tomatoes). You could do this cool DIY project too: http://www.restoredstyle.com/diy-earring-display-frame/. Basically it is more precautionary than anything, so don't let this cost point hold you back.

3. I use a screw top lid for the bucket (as suggested at the bottom of the page in the first link posted above).
It is more expensive, seven dollars, but it is easier to open - another laziness and burn out prevention tactic, and it keeps air from getting in.

4. If you don't have a drill, they will make the holes for you at Home Depot.

5. You need a barrier between your food and the empty space above it in the bucket.
They make this seem optional on some sites but it really isn't. Mold kept forming on the side of my bucket where there was condensation. I read that some white mold is ok, and it wasn't forming on the food, but I didn't want to risk it. This barrier, be it something more solid like a pot lid or simple like a paper plate, really keeps it at bay. I have been using a cut out piece of cardboard.

6. It is ok if there is not a lot of liquid forming at the bottom.

You're still doing it right.

7. The leachate is smelly.
I was worried when I went to pour out the accumulated water and there was smelliness but that is normal.  It is the only smelly part of the process. 

8. Keep a bowl in the kitchen to accumulate scraps before opening the bucket.

I have a bowl sitting on my counter where I put scraps while cooking, so I can put them all in the bucket at once after the meal. This reduces the amount of times the Bokashi scraps in the bucket are exposed to air and it's just a hassle having to open and close it all the time. It also helps to give you a chance to consider using parts of the scraps in your garden- like egg shells or coffee grounds.

9. You might want something to press down the scraps as they add up.
We use a plunger.

Bokashi Part 2:

No Yard No Problem

The last part of the Bokashi process was the real stickler for me. The whole thing is touted as this urban-living-friendly alternative until it asks for a big hole in the ground or a compost pile. Kind of defeats the purpose one would think. I did some research and found some ways around this.

1. Burying Bokashi in a bin.

http://eachoneteachonefarms.com/2012/08/12/new-video-burying-your-bokashi-bucket-indoors/

and

Suggestions for Bokashi in an Apartment or Condo.

http://eachoneteachonefarms.com/2011/09/29/bokashi-composting-in-an-apartment-condo/

The links above are to the same website that also has video instructions, which is great if you want some reinforcement that you are on the right track. I found it through the first link, and the second page listed has some excellent ideas.

2. Drop off locations in Austin.

You should call some of these ahead of time to see if they take Bokashi, since they may have restrictions about meat or dairy.

http://compostcoalition.com/map-drop-locations/

It does takes some extra work if you don't have a yard but I figure the pros of the extremely easy, brainless, gross-less process, out weigh my anxiety over having to leave the house and reach out to others. The burden you place on others is actually pretty minor and most people are interested and excited to learn more about this cool new thing.

Part 3:

Reflections

As a result of this whole venture we take our trash out less often, it consists of mostly dry stuff like paper and packaging from things, the Bokashi tea (the liquid that accumulates at the bottom diluted with water) is great for our house plants and the garden, I am more aware of my ecological footprint, and I feel like I have a better understanding of how some basic natural processes work now that I am a part of ushering them along. So it is kind of a home run.

After having done this process through, and researching and finding even more cool ideas and ways to execute it, I am just kind of pumped and struggling to find a good reason not to try it. I think the hurdle to composting is the idea that you have to have be into gardening to get anything out of it. Not only does it make parts of your daily life easier, but in a fundamental way if you eat food or enjoy greenery in the world you sort of depend on something using compost or quality dirt at some point. So it isn't that foreign or irrelevant to your life. Whether you do anything with it or just leave it buried in your yard, it is still much more useful than it would be sitting in a dump. 

Sometimes in our house when we can't fall asleep at night we put on educational shows or weird science shows to lull us to sleep. Lately the show of choice has been "Dirty Jobs." The host, Mike Rowe, travels the US to take part in the dirtiest jobs he can find. The other night, I could not keep my eyes closed during this one episode where Mike visits the San Francisco dump. It was pretty gross and I noticed when looking at the trash, how much of the grossness was due to food scraps. After doing Bokashi for a while, it was a relief to think that the extent of the grossness, the vastness, and the waste is not necessarily inevitable, though it is easy to think so. Bokashi is a way to reduce your contribution to this mess and to give your food a second life.