Book Review – Bokashi Composting: Scraps to Soil in Weeks by Adam Footer

Bokashi Composting: Scraps to Soil in Weeks

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Bokashi Composting: Scraps to Soil in Weeks by Adam Footer is a very comprehensive book on the topic of Bokashi composting. If you want to recycle all your food scraps that can’t go into your compost bin or worm farm, then bokashi fermentation is the answer. The advantage of this system is that the sealed bokashi containers can reside in the kitchen without any smell, that’s where I keep mine.

Bokashi is a system of processing food scraps that is based on fermentation where Layers of food scraps are placed in a sealed airtight container and covered with bran or a similar material which has been inoculated with anaerobic fermentation microbes. These microbes are anaerobic which means they live in environments with no oxygen, and they ferment or pickle the food scraps. The fermented food is then dug into the soil or placed in the compost heap where it becomes rich, dark soil. It can even be added to your worm farm (in small amounts at first so the worms get used to it).

This book is well balanced in terms of content, it is very thorough and detailed, exhaustive even, it covers every conceivable aspect of bokashi composting, yet is clearly written and easy to understand. It’s not padded out like some books and is fairly straight to the point, and very accessible. It covers the basics all the way through to the science of bokashi, yet is perfectly suitable for all levels from beginners through to those who already are familiar with the basics and want a more comprehensive understanding of the subject.

Here is a list of the contents to show what areas this book covers.

Contents

Introduction
1: Why Bokashi?
2: The History of Bokashi
3: The Science
4: How to Make Bokashi Bran
5: The Fermentation Vessel and How to Make Your Own
6: How to Compost Your Kitchen Waste with Bokashi
7: Using the Fermented Food Waste
8: Bokashi Leachate
Conclusion
Appendix A: Bokashi FAQs
Appendix B: Case Studies
Appendix C: Further Reading
Appendix D: Works Cited and Notes
Index
About the Author

As you can see, it’s very thorough!

I was rather impressed with the very detailed and helpful FAQ section which provides sound solutions to any problems that may be encountered. There are also lots of DIY instructions for those seeking guidance to make their own bokashi containers and associated materials. It has the right balance of theory and practical instruction. The book is not too long, under 200 pages, making it a great go-to reference or a book that you can sit down and read from cover to cover. The book is well referenced and has a list of further reading for those who want to access source material or study the subject more deeply.

This is a well written book that I’d definitely recommend. Sure you can source a lot of information on bokashi composting online from various sources, including some from this site (Bokashi Composting and Bokashi Soil Generator ), but the beauty of this book is that it has way more content than any online resource, and all of this information is all gathered in one place, and presented in a very structured and logical way. If you’re into composting, this is a great reference to add to your collection.

Deep Green rating for “Bokashi Composting: Scraps to Soil in Weeks” by Adam Footer is 5 stars!

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