570: Matt Arthur on Bokashi Composting.
Composting food anaerobically.
In This Podcast:
Composting provides many benefits to the garden, yet, people hesitate to compost for various reasons, mainly the aggressive odors that come with the process. However, Matt Arthur is utilizing a composting system on his farm not common to the U.S. that builds healthy soil with less effort and less smell. Listen in to learn about the bokashi composting system, how Matt is reducing food waste, and the types of inputs that will transform the health of the garden.
Our Guest:
Matt is a second-generation regenerative farmer growing specialty cut flowers, expanding an apiary, and collecting residential food waste in Missouri with a focus on soil health, native plants, and integrated pest management. He applies lessons learned from working in a major agribusiness to small-scale intensive farming. His family-owned row-crop farm since 1974 grows corn, soy, and wheat using no-till and cover crops for dryland agriculture. Matt also sells bokashi kits & organic MO-kashi bran for indoor anaerobic composting as well as composting worms & worm towers.
Listen in and learn about:
- What is a bokashi system
- Anaerobic versus aerobic
- Why does the bokashi system work well for small spaces
- The challenges of managing hot compost piles
- How bokashi makes a difference in farming operations
- Which input is essential to any plants health
- Where in the world is the bokashi system used
- How to start a bokashi composting system at home
- How perennials produce beneficial insect populations
As well as:
His failure – Mismanaging 1,000 lbs. of organic milled bran that became infested with green mold
His success – Feeling like a real farmer after successfully overwintering snap dragons
His drive – Loves seeing how his work manifests healthy, thriving ecosystems
His advice – “Keep your food waste in your garden, try different techniques, and transform your garden.”
Matt’s Book recommendations:
How to reach Matt:
Website: www.blhfarm.com
Facebook: @blhfarm
Instagram: @blhfarm
UrbanFarm.org/blhfarm
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