Blendtec makes the environment better!

I was so happy to see that our experiment with the Bokashi bin and the blendtec food processor went so well. We basically made a slurry out of our food scraps with a second blendtec jar (one marked compost and the other main jar for use with edible foods). The food scraps are placed into the second “compost” jar as they are generated.

When it comes time to empty, I added a cup of water, placed it in the machine and pushed a button. Presto, a few seconds later I am pouring the slurry into the bokashi bin. I place a light coating of bran over the slurry and close the lid. I take the jar and place it under the spigot to drain the nutrient tea and then fill it with water. I then water my plants and place the jar back on the counter top, already sufficiently rinsed and ready for more food scraps. It was incredible to open and close the lid about 100 times this weekend for a national meeting of nutritionists. They had to come right up to the bin to smell the food scraps which were about 2-3 weeks old.

What is working so well? The slurry leaves no air bubbles, so much less risk of anaerobic (smelly!) smells. More nutrients leach out the bottom as a tea which is great for the plants. That liquid nutrient tea can cycle upto 17 times per year and compares favorably to conventional composting which cycles just 1x per year (maybe) when we start gardening in March. The slurry also dissolves quickly in the soil, leaving little for critters to carry away. Plus the fermentation with the bokashi bran helps dissolve the food faster than the rotting process, making the soil that much productive, faster and with less work.

Finally, the real criterion that we will be focusing on. It uses less water to make the soil better. The slurry can be spread out in a larger trench than the minimum required, thus helping a broader area of the soil to improve it’s water holding capacity faster. Remember that the biggest determinant of a soil’s water holding capacity is the percentage of organic matter.

Call us if you wish to know more. And don’t forget to get the second blender jar if you order a new blender.  You can see more at our Bokashi Indoor compost system page.