Re: Indigenous Microorganisms + Korean Natural Farming Association

[Allan Balliett]

Thanks for this information filled post, Steve.

To share with the group, I was introduced to Korean Natural Farming a couple of years back. One of my interns came from a family that was commercially involved with Korean Natural Farming. The intern herself had worked for a season at a cucumber greenhouse in Japan that utilized Korean Natural Farming methods to produce cucumbers that she described as 'free of disease, 40% larger than non-innoculated cucumbers, bringing 50percent more at market, and lines of housewives waiting for the cukes each market day as the large, healthy cucumbers were believed to also have profound health benefits.' She was very clear: Korean Natural Farming was founded in Korea but thrived in Japan. She also described he culture of cucumbers: plants sprayed with a fermentation of GROWING TIPS of cucumbers growing on black plastic in greenhouses. If you peeled back the black plastic, the ground under it and around the cucumber stems was covered about 1/2 inch thick with a mat of white mycellium. Again: no greenhouse diseases and no pest problems around, including cucumber beetles.

It was this information and a visit to Bob Cannards indigenous microbe operation that spurred my interest in compost tea (CT).

I do not, however, for a minute, think that the bd preps are 'about' microbes.
Forget the effects of using the preps, for now. Is anyone satisfied that the transubstantiation of cow manure to purest humus that occurs in a horn is accomplished by microbial action alone? If so, let me know.

-Allan