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  • From: Allan Balliett <igg@igg.com>
  • To: permaculture <permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [permaculture] "EM" De-Mystified - April 2, Shepherdstown, West Virginia
  • Date: Thu, 17 Mar 2005 19:43:58 -0500

For over 20 years, EM has been a 'puzzle palace' to me. Taking Ghandi's suggestion, I decided to do something about the poor way that practical information about EM has been conveyed in the US. I've imposed on the generosity of 3 men who are, as far as I know, the top teachers on how to use EM on the farm, in the garden and in waste and water remediation. To top that, Mr Pinto is an international consultant on the formulation of EM "elixirs" for human nutrition. If you've been as intrigued and repulsed by EM as I have, you'll want to kick out the jams and make it to this workshop in a couple of weeks. Don't hestitate to contact me directly with your questions or special needs. -Allan Balliett

WHAT:"EM in Agriculture" Workshop
WHEN: 8AM to 5PM, April 2, 2005
WHERE: Shepherdstown, WV (Outside of Frederick MD, 100 miles from DC)
COST: $35.00 (Does NOT include lunch.)
SEMINAR WEB SITE: www.gardeningforthefuture.com
MORE INFORMATION: Contact Allan Balliett at 304.876.3382 or EMworkshop@gardeningforthefuture.com

A full day workshop featuring Matthew Wood, Steve Diver and Vinny Pinto on how to use inexpensive farm-made microbial ferments to boost soil fertility and control disease in farm and garden crops, how to increase the available nutrition in livestock feeds, and how to control common livestock odors (There will be post-seminar presentation by Mr. Pinto on the use of beneficial microbes for human nutrition). This is a workshop for farmers, ranchers, gardeners, ag professionals, resource specialists, conservationists, soil scientists, nutrient management specialists, students, educators, livestock managers and anyone interested in the health and nutritional benefits of microbial diversity. This workshop focuses on the living component of soil and how it contributes to agricultural productivity and environmental health.


This workshop provides practical information on incorporating effective microorganisms (EM) into farm, garden and household management practices. EM is easier to use than compost teas and gives cheaper and more predictable results.

Although there is strong acceptance by both farmers and univeristies for the use of microbial brews in sustainable agriculture, the work of Dr Higa (developer of EM) of Ryukus University, has largely been overlooked. Ironically, Higa's approach to microbial inoculation has many more years of field research behind it and much more published research than its US counterparts. More over, EM is much more versatile than aerorated compost tea, not only improving plant and soil health, but also has been proven to be a valuable addition to livestock feed, to odor management and to human nutrition.

This is a full day seminar, featuring three highly qualified teachers: Matthew Wood, who earned his degree in "EM Technologies" in Japan while working with Dr. Huga; Steve Diver, a NCAT agriculture specialist who has done extensive field work on farms around the world that use microbial technology; and Vinny Pinto, a beneficial bacteria application scientist and consultant who specializes in EM enhancement of animal feeds and in incorporating the many benefits of EM into human nutrition. The seminar will focus on how to use inexpensive farm-made microbial ferments to boost soil fertility and control disease in farm and garden crops and to increase the available nutrition in livestock feeds and to control common livestock odors (with a postscript on the use of beneficial microbes for human nutrition). This is a workshop for farmers, ranchers, horticulturists, gardeners, ag professionals, resource specialists, conservationists, soil scientists, nutrient management specialists, students, educators, livestock managers and anyone interested in the health and nutritional benefits of microbial diversity. This workshop focuses on the living component of soil and how it contributes to agricultural productivity.

WHAT IS EM?
EM (effective microorgnaisms), is a special culture of beneficial microorganisms which are used as an inoculant to promote healthy soils, treat livestock odors, and compost food wastes. When used properly, EM applications create beneficial soil effects such as improved soil aggregation, nitrogen fixation, mineralization, humus formation, disease suppression, and decomposition. EM is also used to enhance the nutrition and digestibility of livestock feeds and to control odors and insects problems in livestock enterprises. The best site on the web for information on what EM is and how to use it is Vinny Pinto's "EM INFO" site. (www.eminfo.info/)

WHY USE EM?
21st century organic farmers have become aware of the necessity for a successful organic farm to have a diverse and healthy soil food-web. In the U.S., one is likely to hear that the only approach to bolstering the soil food-web is through applications of aerobically brewed compost tea. Many farmers have found that producing a viable batch of aerobic compost tea can be both expensive (lab tests, equipment outlay) and time consuming. For decades the Japanese have been using anaerobic microbial brews to gain the same results claimed for aerobic teas. EM is the most reliable and effective of the Asian microbial brews. Using EM requires virtually no specialized equipment and requires no lab tests. Ironically, EM is an anaerobic inoculant which brews itself in a closed container and yet provides such a significant boost to soil biology that it not only brings "rare' beneficial microbes to farm soils, it also creates a soil environment that allows indigenous bacteria, fungus and beneficial nematodes to flourish.

In the world of microbial agriculture, EM is far from a new idea. EM has been used in Japan for more than 20 years. As a point of fact, ATTRA's Steve Diver says that there are more research papers and reports on EM than on any other microbial inoculation system in organic agriculture.


THE PROGRAM ON APRIL 2
Steve Diver, who has recently presented at both the ECOFARM and Upper Midwest Organic Conferences on building soil and plant health through beneficial microbial inoculation, will give two presentations:

"Humus Farming and Soil Biology" is an introductory lecture that will examine the underlying principles and practices of organic matter management and soil biology, the importance of a complex soil food web, microbial mechanisms, humified compost, mycorrhizae, and plant-microbial systems that enhance fertility and disease control in the rhizosphere and phyllosphere.


"Nature Farming & EM" will introduce nature farming systems that use local biomass sources for culturing on-farm beneficial microbe preparations to enhance fertility and pest control. It will introduce EM (effective microorganisms), fermentative anaerobics, microbial pathways for organic matter decomposition, properties of EM, basic EM preparation, and practical uses of EM in agriculture. An EM resource list will be provided as a workshop handout. It provides quick access to key educational and research literature on EM, databases, information leaflets, web resources, and EM recipes.

Matthew Wood, CEO of Sustainable Community Development, a leader in the introduction of EM to North America, will give an in-depth presentation on the use of EM to control livestock odors on the farm. He will also discuss using EM to remediate contaminated water, as well as other applications for EM on the farm and in human health.


Vinny Pinto, an expert on agricultural applications for EM, will speak on the following topics:

How to use EM for composting
Using EM for ag soil improvements
How to make high quality AEM
How to use EM when working with cattle, poultry and swine
Value of EM products in human and livestock nutrition


A hands-on bokashi-making workshop may also be offered. EM microbial culture and related products will be offered for sale by a representative from SCD.

The goal of this conference is to give the new user a background on the theory and science of microbial inoculation in general and a working knowledge of how to economically use EM effectively in a farming enterprise. Furthermore, once in the field, attendees of this workshop can rely on support from Mr. Pinto through his "EM-AG" internet discussion group. The organizer wants to stress that this most definitely is NOT a vendor workshop and that every effort will be made to make the presentations non-sectarian and based in science.

REGISTRATION
Seating for the seminar is limited, so please register early. Register by sending a check made out to "GFTF" to Gardening for the Future, POB 3047, Shepherstown, WV 25443. Registration by charge card is available through PayPal. Use "igg@igg.com" as the id to "send cash." Include email and phone contact information with all registration payments. Directions to the event are are at www.gardeningforthefuture.com. For up-to-date information about this seminar, watch www.gardeningforthefuture.com or contact Allan Balliett at 304.876-3382 or EMworkshop@gardeningforthefuture.com

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Bio for Vinny Pinto go back to top of page

Vinny Pinto is a consulting scientist who performs research on use of beneficial syntropic (anti-entropic) fermentative microbes, including EM and related microbial consortia, in a variety of fields ranging from soils for crop agriculture to livestock to odor management and pathogen reduction in industrial and waste treatment settings. He also operates a small zero-odor egg-producing operation using EM microbial technology. Vinny is a degreed scientist with a Master's degree in the health-related sciences and in research methods in the health sciences. He has a strong background in devising and guiding scientific research studies. He has been working with and researching uses of EM for over two years, particularly in the realms of livestock and human uses, and health-related applications using EM fermented antioxidant beverages as a nutritional supplement for humans and animals; he performs consulting for clients in a number of foreign countries as well as in the USA. One of his recent large agricultural livestock consulting projects involved implementation of EM for odor control and animal health in a large "factory" poultry farm containing about 50,000 chickens in a 6,000 sq. ft. barn, where the poultry density was roughly 10 lbs per square foot. He has presented lectures and seminars on the usage of such beneficial syntropic microbes in many venues, including the international EM Sustainable Community Festival held in Kansas City, MO in November 2004 which attracted attendees from around the world. Vinny operates two popular informational websites on EM and its uses ( www.eminfo.info and www.antioxbrew.com ) and he operates five e-mail list groups on various applications of EM and similar beneficial antioxidative microbes. Vinny is the author of an encyclopedic 200+ page book entitled "Fermentation with Syntropic Antioxidative Microbes: An Advanced Guide to Brewing EM Fermented Secondary Products", and is currently working on an introductory book offering an overview on the use EM across many fields and a second book which will offering basic guidelines for using EM and related beneficial microbial cultures in agriculture. Vinny is also the publisher of the fee-based "Advanced EM Newsletter", a newsletter devoted to advanced uses for EM across various sectors.




Bio for Steve Diver

Steve Diver is an agriculture specialist with the National Center for
Appropriate Technology (NCAT). Steve provides technical support
on agronomic and horticultural topics through NCAT's flagship
sustainable agriculture program known as ATTRA -- National
Sustainable Agriculture Information Service. He earned BS and an
MS degrees in horticulture from Oklahoma State University, and
worked as Extension Horticulturist in Eastern Oklahoma for
four years. He managed an organic blueberry farm in the Missouri
Ozarks prior to joining NCAT. He has surveyed EM technology and
provided technical support for agricultural applications of EM since 1995. Steve has delivered workshops and keynote lectures on humus farming,
soil biology, compost, compost teas, EM (Effective Microorganisms),
IMO (Indigenous Microorganisms), fermented plant extracts, biodynamic
preparations, and related on-farm microbial preparations at organic farming
conferences, scientific symposiums, and Extension Service training. He lives on a 12 acre farm outside of Fayetteville, AR, and raises a quarter
acre garden of mixed vegetables, flowers, and herbs.

Bio for Matthew Wood

Matthew Wood, BS, MS, is a founder and managing co-partner of Sustainable Community Development (SCD), a company founded over five years ago to bring EM to the Americas. He has been involved full-time for over 8 years in the EM world. Matthew studied at the graduate level in Japan with Dr. Higa in a Japanese-language program, and earned his Master's degree with Dr. Higa at University of Ryukus in Okinawa in the field of EM-related technologies. At this time, he remains the only American to have completed the graduate program in EM. Matthew has been involved in working with EM and bringing it to various fields of application, primarily in the Americas, and particularly for agriculture and waste and odor management, for over eight years. Matthew has authored numerous articles and technical papers on studies, research projects and applications related to uses of EM. Matthew continues to serve as a managing partner for Technical and Development on behalf of SCD.

================================================================================

Special thanks is given to Vinny Pinto and Steve Diver and to Matthew WOOD AND Sustainable Community Development (www.scdworld.org ) for the sacrifices they have made to make this event possible.

This seminar was organized by Allan Balliett and Gardening for the Future's educational project, the Fresh and Local CSA of Shepherdstown WV (serving the DC metro-area) www.freshandlocalcsa.com

This seminar is co-sponsored by Jeff Otto and East Coast Organics, where "Our mission is to offer garden centers, nurseries and professional growers premium quality, field-tested organic supplies that promote responsible land management. By blending the modern theories of sustainable agriculture with ancient agricultural traditions, East Coast Organics has created an essential line of organic garden supplies that will improve the lives of your plants and the life of our planet." www.eastcoastorganics.com


This seminar is co-sponsored by the Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture, a non-profit organization which promotes profitable farming which produces healthy food for all people while respecting the natural environment." www.PASAfarming.org

This seminar is co-sponsored by the Maryland Organic Food and Farming Association (MOFFA). MOFFA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit educational organization whose mission is to bring together growers, consumers, and retailers in Maryland to advance education about and growth of ecological organic farming. www.marylandorganic.org

This seminar is co-sponsored and supported by Horticultural Extension of Loudoun, Co, Virginia

This seminar is co-sponsored and supported by the Agriculture Development Office, JDCA (Jefferson County, West Virginia)










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