Thank you for sharing your knowledge with the world. This has to be one of the single most valuable videos on all of youtube. These lessons could help change the world, if enough people understand this!
Amazingly articulated, well thought out and excellent memory. Havnt seen any other videos that explain it even close to this. the world needs this knowledge like fire needs oxygen,Thank you Chris!
Hi Chris I'm Mostafa from Egypt, and I would like to thank you for your videos and really you are one of the best people I had ever seen in my life and I saw a lot of people keep going man, wish you all the best.
Thank you for your videos. Very useful information. I found I could keep my IMO4 from getting too hot by putting 16oz coke bottles filled with water in the bin I was keeping it in. I would place the bottles 3-4 inches apart and switch them out daily when I turned the pile. I had 2 sets of ~15 bottles. So I would have cool ones to replace the warm ones. I noticed that there would be more visible hyphae around the bottles, maybe because of cooler temps and some condensation (guessing). Anyway the max temp I measured was 124. I found it harder to keep IMO4 cooler than IMO3. I was able to keep it smelling good, kinda like beer or bread. I previously used water bottles to regulate the temperature in my vermicomposting bins (Texas heat) and I thought it worked pretty good (still have live worms x 4 summers).
Another really good video thank you! I'm glad to see I'm not as insane as my dad thinks, 10 year's ago when started gardening I also started harvesting a few handfulls of soil from forests and meadows to inoculate my soil he thought it would introduce nasty stuff that would kill my plants. When some really nice edible woodland mushrooms came up in my garden I knew it was worth doing! I will have to whatch this a few times!
good to see pine trees in the world of knf. I am a farmer in Kauai ATM, but moving to North Washington to start a farm there. love the information that you are bring to the farming world, this method really works people, and your right Chris, it's a lifetime of learning. keep it up bradduh
+Jeff Hendrickson awesome man :) Look me up when you get to Washington. Thank you for the encouragement, please share the videos and the info, let's see this spread.
Thanks so much for this video, Chris!... It answered some questions I had had about my first IMO3/4 pile... I used rice bran but also mixed it with maple wood shavings almost 1:1 from someone making a bar table down the street. It seemed to be going well at first- though it heated up really fast- I think I turned it first at 12-14 hours and turned it the next day- when it got to day 3 it didn't heat up. I was worried something went wrong and added a little water (it seemed dry) and it heated up again.. and I kept turning it... but it started to smell like ammonia... my friend looked at it under the microscope early on and said there was a lot of fungi and spores and signs of aerobic conditions like flagellates... but by the time it got to IMO4 there was a TON of actinobacteria... and no fungi really... your video really explained what happened... thank you. to be really conscious of moisture content (though I didn't see moisture come through my fist when I squeezed it so it didn't seem overly moist- but probably best not to add more water if it's already heating up so fast! duh :), I'll keep the wood chips/shavings mixed in.. what about spent hops? there's some breweries around, and I'll keep collecting IMO1 to capture more diversity!... Thanks again!
So glad I found you! 6 years ago I was using synthetic nutes and dangerous pesticides in hydro systems, my journey began working at an organic gardening supply store where I got on the organic farming path. First organic bottled nutrients that led me to no till farming with dry inputs and now I'm starting on KNF which seems to me to be the final form of true organic permaculture. You are sharing valuable knowledge thank you from the bottom of my heart ❤🤙
Another fellow farmer grateful for what your teaching , really appreciative for all of what your teaching ! Hope you get paid well in some way or another !
Thank you for this amazing lecture Chris. Really helped me get the basics down. I wonder if I could add some worm castings or tea to add the humic and vulvic acid to IMO3?
😅 And you brought me to this topic first through the others of course of whom you learned it. But Gods ways are higher than ours and he inspires us inwardly. Jesus gets all the credit. Just think about it that he even formed all life forms like bacteria etc. .. To see it under a microscope...very great - But He...even invented it all! :)
Only anecdotal, but I've heard of (no-till, no chem) growers whose soil microbial makeup is actually more diverse than natural, uncultivated samples from their own property. So for your Bangladeshi friend, perhaps they could find a really talented grower for a decent sample. Anyway, great video. I'm just breaking into IMO and this is super helpful. Thanks
Really informative, Chris. I have watched other "how to" videos on IMO, including yours, and they were clear about the steps, but this really helps me understand the science behind it all. Thank you so much.
10/10 How exciting is it that science is coming aboard! bringing KNF to light! it's especially advantageous that you are showing this in the North American context and not just showing the Hawaiin paradigm, absolutely fantastic. Fuck yeah Chris, so happy for you.
God Bless You for helping everyone understand the knowledge that there is to be learned from the original KNF practices. You, Drake, and Logan have been some of the best instructors for realistically finding effective practice and application for fully sustainable organic farming and other needs. Together, the Natural Farmers of the world will push forward and find a way even when everyone else thinks we cant.
Your videos are so helpful. Thank you! I have a question about some potential IMO production that would be done not according to protocol. I recently visited a wilderness area in my state, and came across an area where the forest floor plants were astonishingly huge and healthy. Trilliums were a foot high. Bluebells were lush, thick, vibrant. Soil was dark and loamy (unusual for Indiana). I was amazed! Naturally, I took some soil! I plan to make a JADAM microbial solution with half of the soil, but I would also like to culture the aerobic microbiology from that soil. The wilderness is too far for me to go back on a routine basis to use the KNF IMO 1 process for gathering microorganisms, so what I'm HOPING is that I can sprinkle the soil that I brought back with me onto the bottom of a container, add the rice on top of it and set it out in my yard in hopes that it will be at least partially successful. I'm hoping that this attempt at aerobic microorganism proliferation combined with the JMS anaerobic liquid will yield the most diverse results possible from the small sample that I have. Do you have any tips or suggestions about creating IMO 1 (or something LIKE IMO 1) in this way? Have you ever tried it? I know it's against the book and therefore can't really be called KNF, but I'm trying to work with what I have. Any input will be helpful.
I know it's been a while but you can try getting those white fungus under the decomposing leaves and soil in the forest and placing above your collection box. The box have to be covered by breathable material though. Hope this helps.
I know it's been a while but you can try getting those white fungus under the decomposing leaves and soil in the forest and placing above your collection box. The box have to be covered by breathable material though. Hope this helps.
First attempt imo 1-2 nice bloom. After watching this one I hope I didn’t add too much brown sugar it just seemed to take about twice the amount of sugar to “firm” it up. Way soupy. Thank You!
Awesome. I would love to hear how you are able to adapt the KNF techniques to where you are in Idaho. This video is a great start to pull everyone back to the basic principles, no matter where you live.
Very informative! Touching all kinds of important related topics briefly but pretty deep. Now I know much more and I understand much more why this and that method is so important and so great.
Hi Chris, tried accessing your website from link above and it's not responding. I'm a Texas Certified Master Gardener with an interest in soil biology. I heard your presentation today via Heart and Soil summit and watched this video. I'll look at the IMO 1 video next, and also have some questions on converting my current constant mulch program in my garden. We're not farmers, but this needs to be communicated to gardeners, too. I also believe in lazy gardening, so no-turn static compost is best. I have a large leaf corral for fall leaves collected around the neighborhood, plus a pile of tree service wood chips on hand (6+ cubic yards). Since our soil is naturally alkaline, I've focused on high-carbon inputs to encourage more fungal activity to lower pH.
Camping out higher altitudes you experience different blooming events under tent inside tent there's one that goes after the rocks and you skate off the mountains in the Rockies
I am thrilled beyond belief with this info, it is everything and much more for my approach to gardening, thank you SO much Chris. Quick question If I may ask of you. Wheat bran is too costly for me for IMO 3. I have plenty of sawdust I'll add some leaf mold to for humic acid but what can I introduce for carbs? Some wheat flour, brown sugar? Any ideas I'd be grateful for teacher.👍
I live in a small city within Houston. My lot, around an acre used to be vegetable field years ago. We had 13 species of animals and all the manure and compost went in the rabbit run. We have not touched the area since 2012, and today my son was preparing the area to put our chickens there and noticed the white mycelial web you talk about as well as lots of earthworms in the shallow areas in the yard. We are the renegades here because we don’t maintain the ‘city perfect lawn’ rules, so our backyard is a pasture. Can I use that mycelia into IMO1?
I am an agronomic soil scientist. A word of caution about aqueous vegetative extracts "compost tea". First: the finish extract contains very little, if any, nutrient value in lab analysis. When compared to groups receiving an equal amount of water on the same schedule the two groups are indistinguishable. Secondly: these malto-lactic fermented solutions can be dangerous. E. coli, salmonella and even cholera have been incubated this way with deadly consequences in Korea and Taiwan. Compost does not have these issues and is generally recognized as safe and effective.
"Not too much Lasunga your worms won't like that..." Love that lil nugget of info... Thanks for all the free information for the sustainable farming community!
I'm creating a coppice managed woodland from scratch. I just have 2 acres to work with on this project. There's a state forest nearby. Should I go there for an IMO1? I currently have a hedgerow of oak, 20 fruit trees, 5 wolf trees (aka field trees), 18 hazel trees, and I'm planting 30 willows in 2 months. I want this forest I'm planting to produce biomass quickly and will put shredded bark, biochar, and compost back into the copse to keep the trees going. I'm working on making my farm bio-integrated with systems that feed off of each other's wastes. I plan to use KNF chickens and pigs to produce the compost for the trees' benefit. The trees will produce fruits, nuts, wood for furniture, wood scraps for biochar, and bark scraps for animal bedding. The chickens and pigs will produce meat, eggs, and compost. The vegetable gardens will also use some biochar and compost and will produce grains and vegetables. The scraps from the garden and the buggy nuts and fruit will go to the animals. I'm also siting the animal barn on high ground so that if there is any runoff, it goes through the orchard and the western copse to a pond where I raise duckweed.
I watched your videos in reverse man, i wish i had of seen this first, i missed the entire concept.. outrageously useful, insightful and informative vid, keep her lit horse.
Hey Chris, great stuff. Thanks so much for the great info. I had a pile of IMO 3 that smelled of ammonia but now it has white growth inside the chunks. Is that ok? If it failed can I use this same material (wheat mill run), meaning the same pile, or do I need fresh wheat mill run? I think a great video would be your thoughts on KNF vs JADAM since many of us are doing a little of both. There are some conflicting ideas as you know but your thoughts on this could be a helpful video. Thanks again for sharing your knowledge and passion for this work. I believe it will change the world.
+Brad Turner good question man. It smelled ammonia because it went anaerobic. The white stuff you now see is most likely actinomycetes/actinobacteria, this is not what you want to use on your farm really... NO you absolutely do not want to try and use this same material... Get some fresh mill run and try again. I may make a video on my thoughts about the two family methods, but not for a bit, I have a lot more to share before that. Aloha, Chris
For IMO one, if you have an area that is more untouched but it's 45 minutes or more away, is it better to do multiple IMO 1's? Say go to that place and get it, but since it's further away from your actual site maybe also do something that looks like it's mostly left alone for at least 30 years? Then let them decide what takes hold the most when applied? I just wonder is it better to get IMO from 5-10 minutes away that's had some time, or to go far to something that hasn't been touched as far as anyone knows. For instance, we have a botanical garden in Fort Worth that is probably a hundred years old and is a wonderful forest. It looks like it's extremely healthy, but that at some point was indeed interfered with ... but I would think advanced ecological systems in cities would be a good source if they're large and with lots of wildlife?
Oh man, I'm binging and geeking out. Some of this due to the time of year in Missouri isn't ideal. If I can start FAA but don't have the inoculants made yet, would that be a total waste of time? Just thinking I could have some made by spring...the osmolarity should keep it from going "off" (if I do it right), yes?
Loved this vid. I sat down, took some dabs and lots of notes too. Makes me so excited learning how to farm truly locally. Thank you for your time and knowledge!
somebody from UA-cam told me from an aquaponics video that lab (lactic acid bacteria) changes ammonia to plant healthy form. Maybe it will help with piles of imo5 with ammonia smell.
Thank you for all this knowledge you put out on here 💪🏼 is there anyone in South Florida that knows any locations that have been undisturbed for decades to get material for this? I’m in Broward. I was thinking maybe the Everglades.
Thanks Chris I love listening to you, its fascinating I've bought a lot of the jars and ingredients that you use, it's not that easy with some living in Ireland, I'm wondering about the sugar, I can get all sorts of demerara some market on brand and others, I've heard lots of stories about bleaching sugar and how certain processes can make it toxic, any recommendations or advice?
ive be gettin free wood chips compost from my county .and its seems full of white fungus when you dig into it.all my vegies seem to love it.this is the same thing as imo right?let me know thanks S.D.
Getting a lot out of your videos. I keep coming back to the channel to learn. Let me know when you are in NC if you want to do a YT video project together.
Hey Chris, 4 days in with imo3. Did a small batch indoors using plastic tub as I live on top floor apartment. It seems to be working really well with equal parts oat and wheat bran. What is the best way to store this? Dark place/breathable fabric bag? Sealed container? My allotment has many different beds with different soils/manures so I'd have to make many imo4s for each bed. Do you think this would be best approach or would a liquid imo3 be optimal, considering it stores better than 4. Appreciate all the time and wisdom you are sharing with the world 🙏
can you take the IMO 1 (or 2) and put it in a worm bed to get better fungal diversity in worm castings? can fungi or their spores survive the ride thru the worm's digestive tract, or propagate thru the bed regardless of the worm predation?
There’s some logic in annuals being best in bacteria dominated soil, while perennials are best in fungal dominated soils... maybe that’s just more a problem from using wood chips - I don’t really know how that idea and knf myco diversity pair up
Hi Chris is it possible to use acorn from an oak tree for IMO 3 and another question you use banana flowers for your FPJ can I use roses and it’s buds instead. Been watching many of your video, have done some LAB but have to find out what to do with it, it is in the fridge, thanks for your many helpful video.
CHRIS, Great videos. I am quickly learning and diving deep into KNF. I have a garden/food forest with a thick mulch layer of woodchips. Can I add IMO directly to my forest floor (woodchips)? If so what stage of IMO would be best. Can I brew IMO direct from my area in a bucket with water and a food source to increase microbes and water into the ground. What would be my best application. I would guess you would suggest IMO2 add to water then add to garden? Once I add IMO into my forest/garden do I need to reapply every year? When is the best time to add IMO to the soil? Any advice and help is appreciated. Thank you for all your time and helpful videos. Ps. I just subscribed today. Cheers!
mahalo for your information, Chris! AMAZingly stellar. I am living in a big city right now and want to collect IMOs for the sake of making IMO4 so that I can make FAA (Ive had success with my LAB) ...Im looking for a shortcut since collecting IMOs here in Los Angeles might prove difficult. Would a store bought Bokashi work as a substitute IMO3? My one acre orchard will be so stoked!!
Aloha James, there is no shortcut to IMO. You can go grab a bucket out in the wild hills and bring it back to your orchard and grow it out on rice. But if you grow bokashi you will just have bokashi... I hope that helps! Let me know if that answers your question :)
My husband bought me 2 apple and 2 pear trees this past May for my b-day but their leaf had black spots on them Which of your product should I use to get rid of this issue for next spring as the leaves are falling because the weather is getting cool
Hey Chris, I was wondering if KNF can sustain high density planting? I'm thinking of foliar spraying my cacao trees with liquid IMO and FPJ, but i'm not sure if this is feasible. Perhaps organic farming is not suited for high density planting? How are your nut trees spaced, BTW? I really don't know where else to ask this. All cacao farmers here in my place practice a mix of organic and inorganic farming.
+Marvi Rafael Montecillo high density planting is great :). Use my liquid IMO recipe, there is a video. Take care and make each part well. It seems like a lot of work in the beginning, but once you get set up, it is incredibly easy and inexpensive! Let me know how you do :)
Thanks Chris! Organic matter is building up well in my soil from the accumulation of grass cuttings, cacao prunings, coconut husks and other tree leaves. Maybe spraying liquid IMO will change the biology of my soil into one suited for forest trees like cacao. BTW, is it really true that grass will no longer grow if the soil biology has change into more fungal dominated instead of bacterial dominated? this is really fascinating and if this is true, it's a game changer!
Great information Chris; how you memorize all this stuff ??? does drinking or eating the stuff improves memory ???? leaving in Arizona I am concern about height temperatures ,do you have any suggestions, is there anybody that has done this successfully in hot desert climate ??? can I use rice hulls ???
Chris would you share a good KNF Tea recipe for using IMO2 and other inputs together? Also - can I stretch Mycorrhiza Fungi (from a small amount of a powdered form that I have) by adding that in with an good KNF Tea? Thanks! :)
@@biomei.solutions I've seen it - I'm missing some key inputs based on that. I asked it also over in Facebook (and listed the inputs I do have). Either way - I'm excited to get started! :)
Hey brother, what other material can be used to make the IMO3. I am in Vancouver island, Canada. Was thinking of buying some straw, but wondering what other options you may suggest that you don't need to buy
I heard you say you like to hear about failure I've been learning all about K and F primarily through your videos and drakes so my rice water sat too long but I still inoculated the milk after 2 days it separated real nicely I don't know if it's a failure not it's my 1st time how long does it take after you put the rice water with milk till you can harvest separate the curds from the liquid?
Hola Chris. Imagino que no hablas español pero aun así te escribo. Estoy iniciando en la KNF para aplicarlo a mi cultivo de café. En café tenemos dos grandes problemas. El ataque de un hongo a sus hojas llamado "Roya" y el de un insecto llamado "Broca". mi pregunta es: En tú comunidad de KNF hay productores de café que hay podido superarla la Roya o Broca?.
Beautiful location to talk about IMO! Very informative and tons of great insight for new and seasoned natural farmers alike! I cant wait for the next ones. I always learn something new from your videos.
Great explanation with the 4 types of nematodes....makes a lot of sense in that soil biology dictates soil chemistry....hopefully (and I do mean that sincerely) today’s generation changes their mindset on farming practices...and get out of the “just open this bag of chemical pellets” mindset that will someday soon...lead to worldwide famine...A little off subject....I have an acre in Puna and want to use biologically charged charcoal to permanently enhance what little soil I have...is their a reliable source of county mulch (that is not contaminated by pesticides or herbicides such as milestone)...
Hi Chris. I have this method whereby i bury raw rice, in a stocking, next to an old tree. Leave it for about 2 weeks and when i pull it out, it smells sweet-ish, filled with fungus which have basically decomposed the rice. How does this differ from your IMO 1 method? Is it the same?
Well what’s wrong using soil from under a tree on my property that’s been there for decades if not more that’s never been planted or touched? And it says in Jadam book not to use brown sugar or Molasses?
Do you do your IMO gathering once a year and keep it in stasis, or is this a seasonal effort? Curious if it's once and done, annual, seasonal, or what. Wondered how much you can extrapolate from one culture
great video & content but as a former filmmaker: please don't forget the wind bonnet on the mike... it makes it so much more enjoyable to watch without all the parasite noise that is really distracting.
Chis help please, in the making of IMO you are keeping the temperature below 120 - 130 but Elaine Ingham during composting says to be between 131 - 165 to keep from going anaerobic so what am I missing, could you please elaborate on the differences between the two ranges of Temps? Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated thanks Chris 🙂
Not trying to answer for Chris, but the two processes are different. KNF is based on a fermentation process, which requires lower temperatures compared to the thermophilic composting that Elaine Ingham uses/describes. Also, the composting process is designed to break down the starter material (carbon "browns" and nitrogen "greens") and kill any pathogens and seeds in that starter material. KNF is more about growing/cultivating the beneficial microbes. Two different goals, so different methods, including different ideal temperatures. Elaine Ingham's method for brewing compost tea is more akin to what KNF is doing in creating IMO3 and IMO4. She takes her compost, adds humic acid, fish hydrolysate, and oxygen and brews this for 24 hours. The goal is to grow/cultivate massive amounts of beneficial microbes, just as with IMO3 and IMO4.
Dr.~ Thank you for the honest testimony of your experience and findings. This is a very approachable Introduction to imo. I noticed you had a really cool cedar box for your ino3 do you have a link , by chance?
+havfaith S. It can last for many many years. The key is not letting it totally dry out. I spritz a tiny bit of water once every few months if it seems to be drying out. There is a delicate balance :)
Thank you for sharing your knowledge with the world. This has to be one of the single most valuable videos on all of youtube. These lessons could help change the world, if enough people understand this!
Amazingly articulated, well thought out and excellent memory. Havnt seen any other videos that explain it even close to this. the world needs this knowledge like fire needs oxygen,Thank you Chris!
+gh fjj thank you for your words :) I am encouraged to continue :)
Hi Chris I'm Mostafa from Egypt, and I would like to thank you for your videos and really you are one of the best people I had ever seen in my life and I saw a lot of people keep going man, wish you all the best.
Wow, that is an amazing compliment. Thank you for your encouragement :) I am glad that you enjoy the videos
Thank you for your videos. Very useful information. I found I could keep my IMO4 from getting too hot by putting 16oz coke bottles filled with water in the bin I was keeping it in. I would place the bottles 3-4 inches apart and switch them out daily when I turned the pile. I had 2 sets of ~15 bottles. So I would have cool ones to replace the warm ones. I noticed that there would be more visible hyphae around the bottles, maybe because of cooler temps and some condensation (guessing). Anyway the max temp I measured was 124. I found it harder to keep IMO4 cooler than IMO3. I was able to keep it smelling good, kinda like beer or bread. I previously used water bottles to regulate the temperature in my vermicomposting bins (Texas heat) and I thought it worked pretty good (still have live worms x 4 summers).
Was thinking to myself, I need to fix some compacted soil, then you talked about microbes minining the soil, I need more microbes, thanks Chris!
Another really good video thank you!
I'm glad to see I'm not as insane as my dad thinks, 10 year's ago when started gardening I also started harvesting a few handfulls of soil from forests and meadows to inoculate my soil he thought it would introduce nasty stuff that would kill my plants.
When some really nice edible woodland mushrooms came up in my garden I knew it was worth doing!
I will have to whatch this a few times!
good to see pine trees in the world of knf. I am a farmer in Kauai ATM, but moving to North Washington to start a farm there. love the information that you are bring to the farming world, this method really works people, and your right Chris, it's a lifetime of learning. keep it up bradduh
+Jeff Hendrickson awesome man :) Look me up when you get to Washington. Thank you for the encouragement, please share the videos and the info, let's see this spread.
Thanks so much for this video, Chris!... It answered some questions I had had about my first IMO3/4 pile... I used rice bran but also mixed it with maple wood shavings almost 1:1 from someone making a bar table down the street. It seemed to be going well at first- though it heated up really fast- I think I turned it first at 12-14 hours and turned it the next day- when it got to day 3 it didn't heat up. I was worried something went wrong and added a little water (it seemed dry) and it heated up again.. and I kept turning it... but it started to smell like ammonia... my friend looked at it under the microscope early on and said there was a lot of fungi and spores and signs of aerobic conditions like flagellates... but by the time it got to IMO4 there was a TON of actinobacteria... and no fungi really... your video really explained what happened... thank you. to be really conscious of moisture content (though I didn't see moisture come through my fist when I squeezed it so it didn't seem overly moist- but probably best not to add more water if it's already heating up so fast! duh :), I'll keep the wood chips/shavings mixed in.. what about spent hops? there's some breweries around, and I'll keep collecting IMO1 to capture more diversity!... Thanks again!
i think you went wrong adding the second round of water. from what i learned it will dry out. when its dry, its stable.
So glad I found you! 6 years ago I was using synthetic nutes and dangerous pesticides in hydro systems, my journey began working at an organic gardening supply store where I got on the organic farming path. First organic bottled nutrients that led me to no till farming with dry inputs and now I'm starting on KNF which seems to me to be the final form of true organic permaculture. You are sharing valuable knowledge thank you from the bottom of my heart ❤🤙
What is KNF?
@@aleksandraola5250 Korean natural farming
Aloha bruddah Chris. Building a box on this fine morning in California! My KNF journey starts today. Mahalo.
Another fellow farmer grateful for what your teaching , really appreciative for all of what your teaching ! Hope you get paid well in some way or another !
Thank you for this amazing lecture Chris. Really helped me get the basics down. I wonder if I could add some worm castings or tea to add the humic and vulvic acid to IMO3?
😅 And you brought me to this topic first through the others of course of whom you learned it. But Gods ways are higher than ours and he inspires us inwardly. Jesus gets all the credit. Just think about it that he even formed all life forms like bacteria etc. .. To see it under a microscope...very great - But He...even invented it all!
:)
Only anecdotal, but I've heard of (no-till, no chem) growers whose soil microbial makeup is actually more diverse than natural, uncultivated samples from their own property. So for your Bangladeshi friend, perhaps they could find a really talented grower for a decent sample. Anyway, great video. I'm just breaking into IMO and this is super helpful. Thanks
Really informative, Chris. I have watched other "how to" videos on IMO, including yours, and they were clear about the steps, but this really helps me understand the science behind it all. Thank you so much.
10/10
How exciting is it that science is coming aboard! bringing KNF to light!
it's especially advantageous that you are showing this in the North American context and not just showing the Hawaiin paradigm, absolutely fantastic.
Fuck yeah Chris, so happy for you.
+Tumba we will see, I think it will be a slow and steady lifetime work :)
God Bless You for helping everyone understand the knowledge that there is to be learned from the original KNF practices. You, Drake, and Logan have been some of the best instructors for realistically finding effective practice and application for fully sustainable organic farming and other needs. Together, the Natural Farmers of the world will push forward and find a way even when everyone else thinks we cant.
Your videos are so helpful. Thank you!
I have a question about some potential IMO production that would be done not according to protocol. I recently visited a wilderness area in my state, and came across an area where the forest floor plants were astonishingly huge and healthy. Trilliums were a foot high. Bluebells were lush, thick, vibrant. Soil was dark and loamy (unusual for Indiana). I was amazed! Naturally, I took some soil! I plan to make a JADAM microbial solution with half of the soil, but I would also like to culture the aerobic microbiology from that soil. The wilderness is too far for me to go back on a routine basis to use the KNF IMO 1 process for gathering microorganisms, so what I'm HOPING is that I can sprinkle the soil that I brought back with me onto the bottom of a container, add the rice on top of it and set it out in my yard in hopes that it will be at least partially successful. I'm hoping that this attempt at aerobic microorganism proliferation combined with the JMS anaerobic liquid will yield the most diverse results possible from the small sample that I have.
Do you have any tips or suggestions about creating IMO 1 (or something LIKE IMO 1) in this way? Have you ever tried it? I know it's against the book and therefore can't really be called KNF, but I'm trying to work with what I have. Any input will be helpful.
Too bad nobody responded... a year later now and I’d like to know if that would work
I know it's been a while but you can try getting those white fungus under the decomposing leaves and soil in the forest and placing above your collection box. The box have to be covered by breathable material though. Hope this helps.
I know it's been a while but you can try getting those white fungus under the decomposing leaves and soil in the forest and placing above your collection box. The box have to be covered by breathable material though. Hope this helps.
First attempt imo 1-2 nice bloom. After watching this one I hope I didn’t add too much brown sugar it just seemed to take about twice the amount of sugar to “firm” it up. Way soupy. Thank You!
Awesome. I would love to hear how you are able to adapt the KNF techniques to where you are in Idaho. This video is a great start to pull everyone back to the basic principles, no matter where you live.
I will keep sharing :) Thank you for the encouragement!
+David N. Hale I'll share some of what I've learned in Idaho. Look for it a little later this summer.
Very informative! Touching all kinds of important related topics briefly but pretty deep.
Now I know much more and I understand much more why this and that method is so important and so great.
Always stoked when you post new videos! Keep killin it Chris!
+Crom thank you for the encouragement! I will ;)
Good to see you back Chris. Thanks for sharing knowledge brother.
I enjoy listening to your video. Thanks for sharing I'm in zone 6B Pa. So my weather is colder than where you are.
Phenomenal. Thank you Chris. I'm a pecan farmer in South Africa. Your knowledge is a tremendous benefactor to the my farming methods.
getting ready to harvest my 2nd fpj! nettles, horsetail, dandelions and knotweed!
+Josh Erickson nice man!
oregonbd.org/accumulators
Hi Chris, tried accessing your website from link above and it's not responding. I'm a Texas Certified Master Gardener with an interest in soil biology. I heard your presentation today via Heart and Soil summit and watched this video. I'll look at the IMO 1 video next, and also have some questions on converting my current constant mulch program in my garden. We're not farmers, but this needs to be communicated to gardeners, too. I also believe in lazy gardening, so no-turn static compost is best. I have a large leaf corral for fall leaves collected around the neighborhood, plus a pile of tree service wood chips on hand (6+ cubic yards). Since our soil is naturally alkaline, I've focused on high-carbon inputs to encourage more fungal activity to lower pH.
Camping out higher altitudes you experience different blooming events under tent inside tent there's one that goes after the rocks and you skate off the mountains in the Rockies
I am thrilled beyond belief with this info, it is everything and much more for my approach to gardening, thank you SO much Chris. Quick question If I may ask of you. Wheat bran is too costly for me for IMO 3. I have plenty of sawdust I'll add some leaf mold to for humic acid but what can I introduce for carbs? Some wheat flour, brown sugar? Any ideas I'd be grateful for teacher.👍
Aloha @Paul Kelleher Milled oats are are great for this. So is rice bran. I am happy that this is helping you 🤙🏽
Great video Chris - thank you for this, and all your other KNF videos. Learning heaps!
You are most welcome Krista :)
I live in a small city within Houston. My lot, around an acre used to be vegetable field years ago. We had 13 species of animals and all the manure and compost went in the rabbit run. We have not touched the area since 2012, and today my son was preparing the area to put our chickens there and noticed the white mycelial web you talk about as well as lots of earthworms in the shallow areas in the yard. We are the renegades here because we don’t maintain the ‘city perfect lawn’ rules, so our backyard is a pasture. Can I use that mycelia into IMO1?
yes, the microbes in your specific area are best. only you can have the microbes adopted to your area. thats what its all about.
Dude this information is amazing. It makes so much sense. Now I completely understand why my raised bed is totally sucking.
I am an agronomic soil scientist. A word of caution about aqueous vegetative extracts "compost tea". First: the finish extract contains very little, if any, nutrient value in lab analysis. When compared to groups receiving an equal amount of water on the same schedule the two groups are indistinguishable. Secondly: these malto-lactic fermented solutions can be dangerous. E. coli, salmonella and even cholera have been incubated this way with deadly consequences in Korea and Taiwan. Compost does not have these issues and is generally recognized as safe and effective.
"Not too much Lasunga your worms won't like that..." Love that lil nugget of info... Thanks for all the free information for the sustainable farming community!
I'm creating a coppice managed woodland from scratch. I just have 2 acres to work with on this project. There's a state forest nearby. Should I go there for an IMO1? I currently have a hedgerow of oak, 20 fruit trees, 5 wolf trees (aka field trees), 18 hazel trees, and I'm planting 30 willows in 2 months. I want this forest I'm planting to produce biomass quickly and will put shredded bark, biochar, and compost back into the copse to keep the trees going. I'm working on making my farm bio-integrated with systems that feed off of each other's wastes. I plan to use KNF chickens and pigs to produce the compost for the trees' benefit. The trees will produce fruits, nuts, wood for furniture, wood scraps for biochar, and bark scraps for animal bedding. The chickens and pigs will produce meat, eggs, and compost. The vegetable gardens will also use some biochar and compost and will produce grains and vegetables. The scraps from the garden and the buggy nuts and fruit will go to the animals. I'm also siting the animal barn on high ground so that if there is any runoff, it goes through the orchard and the western copse to a pond where I raise duckweed.
I watched your videos in reverse man, i wish i had of seen this first, i missed the entire concept.. outrageously useful, insightful and informative vid, keep her lit horse.
Hey Chris, great stuff. Thanks so much for the great info. I had a pile of IMO 3 that smelled of ammonia but now it has white growth inside the chunks. Is that ok? If it failed can I use this same material (wheat mill run), meaning the same pile, or do I need fresh wheat mill run? I think a great video would be your thoughts on KNF vs JADAM since many of us are doing a little of both. There are some conflicting ideas as you know but your thoughts on this could be a helpful video. Thanks again for sharing your knowledge and passion for this work. I believe it will change the world.
+Brad Turner good question man. It smelled ammonia because it went anaerobic. The white stuff you now see is most likely actinomycetes/actinobacteria, this is not what you want to use on your farm really... NO you absolutely do not want to try and use this same material...
Get some fresh mill run and try again.
I may make a video on my thoughts about the two family methods, but not for a bit, I have a lot more to share before that.
Aloha, Chris
Excellent teacher love watching ur great helpful video thank u
For IMO one, if you have an area that is more untouched but it's 45 minutes or more away, is it better to do multiple IMO 1's? Say go to that place and get it, but since it's further away from your actual site maybe also do something that looks like it's mostly left alone for at least 30 years? Then let them decide what takes hold the most when applied? I just wonder is it better to get IMO from 5-10 minutes away that's had some time, or to go far to something that hasn't been touched as far as anyone knows. For instance, we have a botanical garden in Fort Worth that is probably a hundred years old and is a wonderful forest. It looks like it's extremely healthy, but that at some point was indeed interfered with ... but I would think advanced ecological systems in cities would be a good source if they're large and with lots of wildlife?
Incredible information Chris!
Oh man, I'm binging and geeking out. Some of this due to the time of year in Missouri isn't ideal. If I can start FAA but don't have the inoculants made yet, would that be a total waste of time? Just thinking I could have some made by spring...the osmolarity should keep it from going "off" (if I do it right), yes?
Can I use acorns as my carb and if so do I have to wash the acid out
Loved this vid. I sat down, took some dabs and lots of notes too. Makes me so excited learning how to farm truly locally. Thank you for your time and knowledge!
Never thought of it that way microbes from animal hooves or shit maybe a meteor. Thanks again Chris for the insperation
+Austin Martin my pleasure :)
Just had a thought since I can't stop thinking about knf, I was wondering have you tried incorperating sprouted seed teas anywho just a thought
You're doing god's work here. Please keep them coming.
For our health as well, the microbiome in our gut is key to doing our best in life!
Thanks for sharing, I’m learning a lot watching ur vlogs
somebody from UA-cam told me from an aquaponics video that lab (lactic acid bacteria) changes ammonia to plant healthy form. Maybe it will help with piles of imo5 with ammonia smell.
microbial diversity in a rice culture box. i have made potato dextrose agar (PDA) and culture own mushroom.
Thank you Chris for the guidance and knowledge...another amazing video!
you are most welcome!
+George T with pleasure, you are most welcome!
Thank you for all this knowledge you put out on here 💪🏼 is there anyone in South Florida that knows any locations that have been undisturbed for decades to get material for this? I’m in Broward. I was thinking maybe the Everglades.
Thanks for another great video, going to give imo1 another shot now!
So cool to hear, you are welcome!
great information.
A lot of this is alien to me, but will give it a try in my desert situation. Keep these videos coming.
Thanks Chris I love listening to you, its fascinating I've bought a lot of the jars and ingredients that you use, it's not that easy with some living in Ireland, I'm wondering about the sugar, I can get all sorts of demerara some market on brand and others, I've heard lots of stories about bleaching sugar and how certain processes can make it toxic, any recommendations or advice?
ive be gettin free wood chips compost from my county .and its seems full of white fungus when you dig into it.all my vegies seem to love it.this is the same thing as imo right?let me know thanks S.D.
+Steve's Outdoor World not the same thing, but not bad at all! That will help your veggies grow :) try the imo process sometime. Thanks for watching!
thanks Chris
+Steve's Outdoor World with pleasure
Can you tell me about cover crops and what they are used? Would I use a cover crop with KNF for cannabis?
Excellent video despite the devilish wind.
Thank you!🌞
* I don't think you could have a better background. Beautiful!
so interested to learn more Chris. thank you so much for your love and passion for this Earth. Peace and Love
I love this stuff !!!
Thank you !
Getting a lot out of your videos. I keep coming back to the channel to learn. Let me know when you are in NC if you want to do a YT video project together.
Very informative, great content 🤙
Hey. Chris, idk if you'll ever see this, but I can't find the all about: fpj video you've talked about in other videos.
Hey Chris, 4 days in with imo3. Did a small batch indoors using plastic tub as I live on top floor apartment. It seems to be working really well with equal parts oat and wheat bran. What is the best way to store this? Dark place/breathable fabric bag? Sealed container? My allotment has many different beds with different soils/manures so I'd have to make many imo4s for each bed. Do you think this would be best approach or would a liquid imo3 be optimal, considering it stores better than 4. Appreciate all the time and wisdom you are sharing with the world 🙏
can you take the IMO 1 (or 2) and put it in a worm bed to get better fungal diversity in worm castings? can fungi or their spores survive the ride thru the worm's digestive tract, or propagate thru the bed regardless of the worm predation?
Do someone know if Chris shared somewhere some results obtained from the shotgun metagenomics lab analysis, I thank you very much for your help!
How long should you let your first collection of IMO/IMO 1 bloom for until you make it IMO 2
There’s some logic in annuals being best in bacteria dominated soil, while perennials are best in fungal dominated soils... maybe that’s just more a problem from using wood chips - I don’t really know how that idea and knf myco diversity pair up
Hi Chris is it possible to use acorn from an oak tree for IMO 3 and another question you use banana flowers for your FPJ can I use roses and it’s buds instead. Been watching many of your video, have done some LAB but have to find out what to do with it, it is in the fridge, thanks for your many helpful video.
CHRIS, Great videos. I am quickly learning and diving deep into KNF.
I have a garden/food forest with a thick mulch layer of woodchips.
Can I add IMO directly to my forest floor (woodchips)? If so what stage of IMO would be best.
Can I brew IMO direct from my area in a bucket with water and a food source to increase microbes and water into the ground.
What would be my best application.
I would guess you would suggest IMO2 add to water then add to garden?
Once I add IMO into my forest/garden do I need to reapply every year?
When is the best time to add IMO to the soil?
Any advice and help is appreciated.
Thank you for all your time and helpful videos.
Ps. I just subscribed today. Cheers!
mahalo for your information, Chris! AMAZingly stellar. I am living in a big city right now and want to collect IMOs for the sake of making IMO4 so that I can make FAA (Ive had success with my LAB) ...Im looking for a shortcut since collecting IMOs here in Los Angeles might prove difficult. Would a store bought Bokashi work as a substitute IMO3? My one acre orchard will be so stoked!!
Aloha James, there is no shortcut to IMO. You can go grab a bucket out in the wild hills and bring it back to your orchard and grow it out on rice. But if you grow bokashi you will just have bokashi...
I hope that helps! Let me know if that answers your question :)
Thanks for all you do
My husband bought me 2 apple and 2 pear trees this past May for my b-day but their leaf had black spots on them Which of your product should I use to get rid of this issue for next spring as the leaves are falling because the weather is getting cool
Hey Chris, I was wondering if KNF can sustain high density planting? I'm thinking of foliar spraying my cacao trees with liquid IMO and FPJ, but i'm not sure if this is feasible. Perhaps organic farming is not suited for high density planting? How are your nut trees spaced, BTW?
I really don't know where else to ask this. All cacao farmers here in my place practice a mix of organic and inorganic farming.
+Marvi Rafael Montecillo high density planting is great :). Use my liquid IMO recipe, there is a video. Take care and make each part well. It seems like a lot of work in the beginning, but once you get set up, it is incredibly easy and inexpensive! Let me know how you do :)
Thanks Chris! Organic matter is building up well in my soil from the accumulation of grass cuttings, cacao prunings, coconut husks and other tree leaves. Maybe spraying liquid IMO will change the biology of my soil into one suited for forest trees like cacao.
BTW, is it really true that grass will no longer grow if the soil biology has change into more fungal dominated instead of bacterial dominated? this is really fascinating and if this is true, it's a game changer!
+Marvi Rafael Montecillo shade and fungal dominated soil make grass struggle:)
Great information Chris;
how you memorize all this stuff ???
does drinking or eating the stuff improves memory ????
leaving in Arizona I am concern about height temperatures ,do you have any suggestions, is there anybody that has done this successfully in hot desert climate ???
can I use rice hulls ???
Chris would you share a good KNF Tea recipe for using IMO2 and other inputs together? Also - can I stretch Mycorrhiza Fungi (from a small amount of a powdered form that I have) by adding that in with an good KNF Tea? Thanks! :)
Yes, check out my liquid IMO video :)
@@biomei.solutions I've seen it - I'm missing some key inputs based on that. I asked it also over in Facebook (and listed the inputs I do have). Either way - I'm excited to get started! :)
Any updates on the MIT study? I'd love to hear the initial findings and next step(s) in the study process.
Hey brother, what other material can be used to make the IMO3. I am in Vancouver island, Canada.
Was thinking of buying some straw, but wondering what other options you may suggest that you don't need to buy
The question I'm sure a lot of other off gridders have but I've not seen is, can IMO be used beneficially with humanure? How?
I heard you say you like to hear about failure I've been learning all about K and F primarily through your videos and drakes so my rice water sat too long but I still inoculated the milk after 2 days it separated real nicely I don't know if it's a failure not it's my 1st time how long does it take after you put the rice water with milk till you can harvest separate the curds from the liquid?
if you not ready for beyond IMO 1, can you freeze it until you are ready?
Hola Chris. Imagino que no hablas español pero aun así te escribo. Estoy iniciando en la KNF para aplicarlo a mi cultivo de café. En café tenemos dos grandes problemas. El ataque de un hongo a sus hojas llamado "Roya" y el de un insecto llamado "Broca". mi pregunta es: En tú comunidad de KNF hay productores de café que hay podido superarla la Roya o Broca?.
Iam in NYC and the IMO is awesome! just gotta be creative! ;)
+cantstopsg cool man, have fun!
Yessss, I cant believe its finally here!! Mahalo Chris!
+Anthony Grandinetti :) let me know what you think. There is A LOT more to talk about...
Beautiful location to talk about IMO! Very informative and tons of great insight for new and seasoned natural farmers alike! I cant wait for the next ones. I always learn something new from your videos.
Thanks for all your info ...
Should I start imo first or make the liquid like ohn first
can we use mushroom mold or even tempeh mold to feed to rice to get IMO1?
Mushroom mold is one specie, your earth have multispecie
Good video brother
Great explanation with the 4 types of nematodes....makes a lot of sense in that soil biology dictates soil chemistry....hopefully (and I do mean that sincerely) today’s generation changes their mindset on farming practices...and get out of the “just open this bag of chemical pellets” mindset that will someday soon...lead to worldwide famine...A little off subject....I have an acre in Puna and want to use biologically charged charcoal to permanently enhance what little soil I have...is their a reliable source of county mulch (that is not contaminated by pesticides or herbicides such as milestone)...
Hi Chris. I have this method whereby i bury raw rice, in a stocking, next to an old tree. Leave it for about 2 weeks and when i pull it out, it smells sweet-ish, filled with fungus which have basically decomposed the rice. How does this differ from your IMO 1 method? Is it the same?
Well what’s wrong using soil from under a tree on my property that’s been there for decades if not more that’s never been planted or touched? And it says in Jadam book not to use brown sugar or Molasses?
I love you Chris!
Do you do your IMO gathering once a year and keep it in stasis, or is this a seasonal effort? Curious if it's once and done, annual, seasonal, or what. Wondered how much you can extrapolate from one culture
You are Master Cho's young Jedi. Thanks for helping the American farms.
+PDaddy Warbux haha, my pleasure! Thank you for the encouragement!
great video & content but as a former filmmaker: please don't forget the wind bonnet on the mike... it makes it so much more enjoyable to watch without all the parasite noise that is really distracting.
Hello Chris
I love your work and knowledge!!! I would just like to ask where can i find your video "All about FPJ" ?
hi chris how are you? need help ,what is type 2 and type 3, please explain ,that will be great help ..... thanks in advance
Such wisdom... Thank you!
Chis help please, in the making of IMO you are keeping the temperature below 120 - 130 but Elaine Ingham during composting says to be between 131 - 165 to keep from going anaerobic so what am I missing, could you please elaborate on the differences between the two ranges of Temps? Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated thanks Chris 🙂
Not trying to answer for Chris, but the two processes are different. KNF is based on a fermentation process, which requires lower temperatures compared to the thermophilic composting that Elaine Ingham uses/describes. Also, the composting process is designed to break down the starter material (carbon "browns" and nitrogen "greens") and kill any pathogens and seeds in that starter material. KNF is more about growing/cultivating the beneficial microbes. Two different goals, so different methods, including different ideal temperatures. Elaine Ingham's method for brewing compost tea is more akin to what KNF is doing in creating IMO3 and IMO4. She takes her compost, adds humic acid, fish hydrolysate, and oxygen and brews this for 24 hours. The goal is to grow/cultivate massive amounts of beneficial microbes, just as with IMO3 and IMO4.
Dr.~
Thank you for the honest testimony of your experience and findings.
This is a very approachable Introduction to imo.
I noticed you had a really cool cedar box for your ino3 do you have a link , by chance?
I’d say it was probably hand made. They’re super easy to make! Find a cedar mill and ask for cut offs :)
How long does the dormant IMO2 last without feeding?
+havfaith S. It can last for many many years. The key is not letting it totally dry out. I spritz a tiny bit of water once every few months if it seems to be drying out. There is a delicate balance :)
Great info! Question: do you mean brown sugar or raw sugar? In one video it looked like you were using raw sugar, not brown sugar.