Intro to Bokashi (New Paltz)

 New Paltz Climate Smart Task Force & UCRRA Present:

“Intro to Bokashi Composting”

Celebrating Compost Awareness Week!

Tuesday, May 2nd 2023
7:00 – 8:30 PM
New Paltz Community Center
3 Veterans Dr, New Paltz, NY 12561

Unlike “conventional” composting, Bokashi is an anaerobic process where food scraps are placed in a sealed, air-tight container and are fermented with the aid of a specialized additive (a microbial compost accelerator). After a few weeks of fermenting, the “unfinished” byproduct of bokashi should be added to a backyard compost pile to complete the decomposition process.

For many advanced composters, bokashi methods have a lot to offer as a way to manage meat, bones, and dairy products. Using Bokashi can also introduce beneficial microbes to the compost pile, which speeds up the process so you can use your finished compost faster. Join us to learn about the wacky world of microbes and this interesting method of composting!

This workshop is designed for intermediate composters who want to take their composting to the next level. In this workshop, participants will learn the pros/cons of this method of composting, be introduced to the science behind how bokashi works, and learn how to get started (materials needed, recipes, tips and more).

This workshop is held in partnership with New Paltz Climate Smart Task Force and will be hosted by Tanesia White, Recycling Educator of the Ulster County Resource Recovery Agency. Class size is limited and participants must pre-register below:

Accessibility:

We strive to offer equal program opportunities. Educational resources in Spanish are available by request. If you require any special accommodations or have questions about this program, please contact Tanesia White, Recycling Educator, at TWHI@UCRRA.ORG  or 845-336-3336.

We’re Celebrating Compost Awareness Week!

About ICAW: International Compost Awareness Week  is the largest and most comprehensive education initiative of the compost industry. It’s celebrated nationwide, internationally, and officially across New York Stare each year during the first full week of May. The goal of ICAW is for communities everywhere to raise public awareness about the many benefits of composting and how to make and use compost to regenerate soils. Visit the New York Compost Awareness Week page for more information about local programs, events, and initiatives.

2023 Theme: For Healthier Soil, Healthier Food…Compost! Each year, a new theme for ICAW is chosen. The 2023 theme was chosen based on a serious world-wide issue that every nation, unfortunately, experiences: hunger. As part of the ICAW committee’s global discussion with our international partners around the world, we spoke the same language, and all wanted to promote a unified theme – aligning a topic important to each country while emphasizing our work with compost. The chosen 2023 theme best reflects the goal of focusing on how compost can have a role in helping feed the world, by making our soil healthier which produces healthier food. How does compost help? By recycling organics into compost and using it on our farmlands we create healthy soils that produce healthier food and higher yields. It also reduces the need for fertilizer and pesticides, improves water quality and conserves water, as well as stores carbon in soil – helping to reduce climate change. Compost not only helps the environment but also helps to decrease food shortages experienced around the world. For Healthier Soil, Healthier Food…Compost!

This year’s winner of the ICAW 2023 Poster Contest is Jun Qi Tan, an illustrator and storyteller from Singapore.