Anyone use Bokashi?

[solona]

I would like to compost food scraps. Has anyone used Bokashi on the road?

 

[highdesertranger]

in the end what do you plan on doing with the compost? highdesertranger

 

[maki2]

It is all very well meant behavior to think of composting and it does work where you have a garden space, a farm or a municipal composting program. But when it comes to being out in the wilderness areas that need to be kept in their own natural condition the rule pack out what you pack in is the rule of the land because that is how it exactly how it needs to be done. You are not out there homesteading, you are just passing through as a visitor. You have a moral responsibility and it means that you do not change that natural eco-system you are visiting with your personal garbage of whatever type it is you have brought into the area.

You don't put your food waste into the ground in a forest because you would have to disturb the natural ground covering to do so. The food waste might also contain viable seeds from plants which do not belong there. It might attract wildlife which would dig the area back up to get at the food it smells.

Realize that you will not have sufficient time to fully compost the food waste you produce. That you can't have a fully closed composting system so it needs to be kept outside of your living space. If you kept it inside you would have a major issue with flies and maggots in your dwelling area. Fermenting food is like mana from heaven for all kinds of flies, a prime food source and nursery to lay eggs in.

If you keep it outside then you will also be attracting rats, mice, coyotes, racoons, bears, etc to come to your vehicle. The rats and mice will get into the wiring on your engine and eat it. All your food including pet food should be stored in airtight containers.. Garbage should also be in an airtight container for the same reasons.

So basically you are going to be very unhappy with the visitors who are going to be attracted to your compost bucket system.

 

[solona]

pack out what you pack in is the rule of the land because that is how it exactly how it needs to be done

I never said anything about dumping it in the wilderness and have no intention of doing that. I don't actually understand your reply because if someone is putting their food scraps into their garbage (sealed), according to you, they will also attract rodents and animals. So, do you recommend not having food in your vehicle at all?

Are you familiar with Bokashi? It's sealed because it's anaerobic.

 

[solona]

in the end what do you plan on doing with the compost

Giving it to my friends who farm/garden.

 

[solona]

You have a moral responsibility...

I am posting in the "Green" section because this is important to me. You don't know me, and you couldn't know this, so I will tell you. I've lived in some very extreme ways much of my adult life in order to have as minimal an impact on the environment as I can. Lived without a car and biked instead, grew my own food, composted everything, helped build a cob home, lived off the grid for years... I live without plastic to as much as an extreme as I can. So, I find it a shame that instead of making a new friend who shares my values, instead I feel like I'm being lectured to by someone who doesn't even know me and misunderstood my original question. I don't need a lecture about my moral responsibilities. I'm on here asking about the best ways of doing things precisely because I'm one of the ones who cares.

Maybe those who have used Bokashi and know what it is can speak about their experiences.

 

[highdesertranger]

"Giving it to my friends who farm/garden"

cool, I say go for it then. can you enlighten us dummies on how this is done?

highdesertranger

 

[solona]

can you enlighten us dummies on how this is done?

I hope you're being silly because I'm not calling anyone a dummy.

How Bokashi is done? Or how giving compost to a friend is done? Compost piles are aerobic. That's why they need to be stirred. Bokashi is more of a fermentation process. You add the right amount of a "bran" formula that will break down your food scraps. It was developed by a man in Japan. It's anaerobic, so you deprive it of air and it shouldn't smell at all. It's quicker than compost and takes up very little room, so people in apartments use it where otherwise they wouldn't be able to have a compost in the city. You could use it to plant something indoors (like a potted plant) I suppose, but I'd rather add it to someone's compost pile. When I owned my acreage, I would have been grateful for someone giving me their pre-digested food scraps! So, I see it as gifting black gold. I would imagine there must be WWOOF hosts in all parts of the world who would appreciate compost donations. Otherwise I can hold onto it until I get back home and give it to my farmer friends.

 

[highdesertranger]

relax, by dummies I meant for those of us that have no idea what Bokashj is. like I said go for it. highdesertranger

 

[bullfrog]

Space is such a valuable thing when living simply and if you have food scraps your wasting food. Had a small school principal that feed cafeteria leftover food scraps to a 4H pig the vocational teacher kept and at the end of school picnic we had barbecues!!! May you could just have a pig and a pork chop before they got to big! I have much more problems getting rid of the package the food usually comes in than the food. Every should do what they can but unfortunately many just don't have the space or the fortitude to do the deed.

 

[solona]

Feeding to a pig is a fabulous idea. There may actually be WWOOF hosts who have pigs and would welcome the food.

 

[Cammalu]

Having food scraps is wasting food? I’m not eating no onion skins, banana peels, cucumber peelings, apple cores, etc. That just ain’t right!

 

[bullfrog]

As a member of YARC I'm proud to announce I occasionally eat orange and lemon peels and they ain't scraps if you use them rather than put them in the trash. Banana peels are essential tools in comic relief!!! LOL!

 

[Cammalu]

I actually saw, with my own two eyes, someone walking down a sidewalk and slip and fall on a banana peel!!! I almost wrecked

 

[solona]

Having food scraps is wasting food? I’m not eating no onion skins, banana peels, cucumber peelings, apple cores, etc. That just ain’t right!

I had the same thought. I don't eat avocado skins, avocado seeds, the stiff tip of broccoli stems, etc. But I do eat apple cores and cucumber peelings. I eat organic so the skins are healthy to eat and, in fact, the skin of a fruit often contains the most nutrients.

 

[solona]

What is YARC?

 

[highdesertranger]

YARC = You Ain't Right Club.

there's a big long thread were everyone told a story or 2 or more of why they qualify to become a member. just reading the whole thread gets you in. if some one doesn't post a link I will later. oh yeah, I am a member.

highdesertranger

 

[highdesertranger]

here you go, link to the YARC thread, all 1,912 posts.

https://vanlivingforum.com/showthread.php?tid=23592

seems like a lot of us Ain't right. LOL have fun, want to join?

highdesertranger

 

[jacqueg]

I would like to compost food scraps. Has anyone used Bokashi on the road?

Solona, I've been interested in bokashi myself, but the fact that you have to regularly buy starter has stopped me from doing it. Seems like a contradiction to the idea of using natural environmental services. I use a worm bin, but I don't see that as compatible with van life! (I've also used soldier fly systems, which are even less compatible with van life.)

So maybe as a long-term journey draws closer to reality, I will get serious about bokashi.

 

[Gardenias]

"... There may actually be WWOOF hosts ..."

I had to look up WWOOF.
Are you referring to WorldWide Opportunities on Organic Farms, (WWOOF)?