permaculture

[Allan Balliett <igg@igg.com>]

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

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


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)