Korean natural farming utilizes micro-organisms to build diverse and hearty soil leading to healthy produce.  When soil is healthy there is no need for chemical fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides.  It is beneficial for raising animals as the micro-organisms break down fecal matter quickly, when utilized as a waste management system.  I personally have found lactic acid bacteria beneficial in speeding up my compost piles and reducing waste and smell in the chicken coop.  This is good for preppers and gardeners to know!

Korean natural farming utilizes micro-organisms to build diverse and hearty soil leading to healthy produce.  When soil is healthy there is no need for chemical fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides.  It is beneficial for raising animals as the micro-organisms break down fecal matter quickly, when utilized as a waste management system.  I personally have found lactic acid bacteria beneficial in speeding up my compost piles and reducing waste and smell in the chicken coop.  This is good for preppers and gardeners to know!

will making the lactic acid bacteria work in store bought milk (2%)?
can i use whole milk or whipping cream or something like that instead?

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you can use any type of milk based product. What the LAB is after is the lactose in the milk, so it really doesn't matter what kind of milk it is, as long as its milk.

Do not apply this more than once every 2 weeks unless it rains, in which case you can apply it once a week. Too much LAB can and will effect the pH of the soil, and if  you are putting it on fruits and vegetables too much will effect the cation exchange capacity and make the fruits/vegetables taste acidic.

Also, do not use more than a 1:500 mix with water.


p.s. LAB is a different form of composting. If you are using a tumbler and/or rotating your compost, you are using a aerobic dominant bacteria to decompose the material. LAB is an anaerobic bacteria, so rotating your pile can have a negative effect against the LAB, and therefore make it essentially worthless to use in the long term. Correction: After reviewing my notes, LAB is the only bacteria that can survive in both aerobic and anaerobic environments, so you can use it in normal composting as long as you follow the ratio requirements and application rates mentioned above.

If you are going to use LAB for composting, look up bokashi technique.

Also, if you plan on using it for bokashi, you will need to also create either an IMO (indigenous microorganisms) or EM (effective microorganisms) mix. LAB alone might work for bokashi, but having a mix of microorganisms will make them more effective at decomposing the material, and also add certain traits to the end result product that might not be available with only LAB.

If you want to go this route, I suggest IMO over EM, because 1) most people buy the mixture, which is about 40 bucks for an 8-16oz bottle, and 2) you can't make the correct mix of EM at home unless you have the proper laboratory to create large amounts of Purple NonSulfur Bacteria (PNSB), which can only be done at home without a laboratory with a winogradsky column, but this will take you months just to create a sufficient amount of PNSB.

My advice: stick with IMO; way easier to make.

thanks Q

what Q said is right on point, Thanks Q    
i used skim milk and it worked fine, any type of milk would work = skim to whole, organic is best but not necessary.  I would not suggest using heavy cream or buttermilk half and half just because that stuff was never mentioned when i was learning about this process.  Q, do you know if heavy cream can be used? 

In addition to the above, the cheese that forms during the last LAB step is actually edible, however eat at your own risk, i fed my hens with it and they loved it.  I tasted it and it tasted a bit sour like unsalted cottage cheese.  Of course the flavor will vary but making LAB is basically a process similar to cheese making.  The LAB is drinkable in small quantities (a teaspoon size) to treat upset stomach and diarrhea.  However, drink at your own risk.  My personal experience is that i had an upset stomach and was gassy, took a sip of that stuff and was totally fine the next day. 

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P.S. forgot which form it was, but lactic acid bacteria is what causes cavities in teeth. It's LAB in the mouth that is sustained by sugars that eat away at teeth. Goes to show how powerful these little guys are.

Of course, you will have to confirm this with Macsak.

dental school was a LONG time ago, Q
i use da google

http://sciweb.hfcc.net/biology/jacobs/micro/caries/caries.htm

How dental caries occurs and the cariogenic bacteria involved

Organisms predominant in plaque are of the genus Streptococcus, with Streptococcus mutans being the species most important in the formation of dental caries. According to the Bergey's Manual of Systematic Bacteriology (3), S. mutans are non-motile Gram positive cocci. They are 0.5-0.75 micrometers in diameter, occurring in pairs, short medium length chains, without capsules. S. mutans have several properties that are important in the carious process. First, they colonize on tooth surfaces. Second, they synthesize insoluble polysaccharides from sucrose. This allows adhesion to smooth surfaces and appears to be important in the formation of smooth surface caries. Third, they ferment sucrose to form lactic acid.

Another organism that is important in the development of caries is the Lactobacillus. Lactobacillus are gram positive, non-spore forming rods. They normally constitute only a small fraction of plaque flora when compared to S. mutans. Lactobacillus species are not important in the initiation of caries but in the continuation.

I feed the cheese to my dogs; good for their digestion. Nothing is wasted in KNF, so whatever bi-products are left either go to the animals (be it my dogs or wild), or in the compost pile.

I personally wouldn't eat the cheese or drink the fluid, but given the quality of the ingredients and proper storage, it should be a problem in small quantities. If you somehow get food poisoning or something else, stop taking it.

LAB is actually one of the few bacterias that can survive in stomach acid, and one of the few that actually plays a natural role in our immune system, of which 80% is in our intestinal tract. Incorporating the stuff into your diet via LAB cultures, sauerkraut or kim chee will help keep you healthy.

One of the best things these guys can be used for is odor control. Whenever we have to throw out meat a little early, and the trashcan gets funky, I spray LAB into the trashcan and it neutralizes the smell for at least a day or two; good for dog shit smell as well.

P.S. forgot which form it was, but lactic acid bacteria is what causes cavities in teeth. It's LAB in the mouth that is sustained by sugars that eat away at teeth. Goes to show how powerful these little guys are.

Of course, you will have to confirm this with Macsak.

verrry interesting....  thanks Q and macsak.
 i too use it to control odor for trash, dogs and chickens
i did not know about the dental hygiene issue but it makes sense and ill keep that in mind
my dog and chickens devour the cheese!