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Seed IMO Collection, Dry-Area Microbes, IMO Turning Machine

Drake opens with a rant on climate: microbial die-off and tillage, not CO2, dry out soil so rain floods instead of soaking in, then drought follows. He suggests spraying IMO4 and soil foundation solution from the same planes that drop fire retardant.

A caller asks about IMO cheese. Drake explains it is really seed IMO curds, mixed with sugar, then walks through how to make seed IMO: dig into good soil, bury hard-cooked rice one-third full in a container, cover with soil and leaf litter, and look for good bacillus subtilis growth, not the bad kind. He gives a maintenance-formula ratio of about 1 seed IMO to 500, roughly 8 milliliters per gallon.

The poultry training review picks up with Master Lee and Master Cho in Muju, Korea. Cho explains that microbes collected from dry, harsh, higher ground grow stronger than those from moist mountain spots, the same as fruit grown in dry soil tasting better than fruit from wet soil. Lee shows his indoor setup: rice bran substrate, rice-root additions for bacillus, breathable paper covers, and a BCS hiller attachment that turns the pile so it never overheats past 120°F (50°C).

Drake also plugs the day's 2pm HST monthly Pure KNF Foundation Zoom membership meeting.

Questions answered

  • 12:40 What's really driving the wildfire-and-flood climate cycle? — Not CO2 — microbial die-off and tillage kill the soil's ability to soak up rain, so it floods, then dries into drought.
  • 16:14 Could firefighting planes help the soil, not just fight fire? — Drake wants those planes dumping IMO4 on burned land in their off time, to reseed biology and bring moisture back.
  • 27:35 What is IMO cheese? — Curds made from seed IMO — spray it out, let it set, eat it plain or fried like a paneer, good fats and oils.
  • 28:19 You said make IMO cheese and spray it — what did you mean? — He misspoke — he meant making seed IMO, the collected microbe starter, not cheese.
  • 29:50 How do you actually make seed IMO? — Collect wild microbes off rice or any starch from your local ground, bring it back, mix with water and nutrients.
  • 31:52 What ratio of seed IMO goes into a maintenance formula? — About 1 to 500 — roughly 8 milliliters of seed IMO per gallon.
  • 41:21 Where's the best place to collect strong wild microbes? — Higher, drier, harsher ground beats moist mountain spots — like dry-grown fruit, the microbes come out stronger.
  • 49:13 What kind of paper do you cover an IMO collection box with? — Paper towels, t-shirt fabric, butcher paper, or printer paper all breathe fine — skip wax paper, it seals microbes out.
  • 50:49 How moist should the leaf litter be before burying an IMO box? — Dampen it about a day ahead to roughly 40 to 50 percent moisture — moist, not dripping, or nothing will grow.
  • 57:08 Why is rice bran the substrate instead of rice hulls? — Substrate changes how the microbes grow, and Korean IMO practice always leans on rice bran for that reason.
  • 59:01 How do you keep an IMO pile from overheating without breaking your back? — Run a BCS tractor with a hiller blade through it to turn it fast — past 50°C (120°F) you grow the wrong microbes.

Topics: imo, seed imo, imo4, bacillus subtilis, rice bran, tillage, climate change, wildfire, poultry training, i ching

KNF Office Hours is a free live Q&A every Sunday at 9 AM HST. Bring your question to pureknf.org/learn/questions or join live.

In this episode

  1. 0:00 Live Stream Opens, Tech Issues
  2. 7:08 I Ching: The Gentle Wind
  3. 11:07 2025 Predictions, Palisades Fire
  4. 12:40 Climate Change: Microbes, Not CO2
  5. 16:14 Reseeding Fire Zones With IMO4
  6. 18:21 KNF As Part Of The Solution
  7. 27:35 What Is IMO Cheese
  8. 28:19 Seed IMO Vs IMO Cheese
  9. 29:50 How To Make Seed IMO
  10. 31:52 Maintenance Formula Ratio
  11. 34:16 Monthly Membership Meeting
  12. 37:40 Poultry Training Video Resumes
  13. 39:11 Master Cho's EM Cult Tangent
  14. 41:21 Dry Vs Moist Microbe Collection
  15. 45:52 Natural Farming Scales To Your Heart
  16. 49:13 Covering The IMO Box
  17. 50:49 Moisture Before Burying
  18. 57:08 Rice Bran Substrate
  19. 58:15 Hiller Machine Keeps Pile From Overheating
  20. 1:02:45 Wrap-Up, See You Next Week

Transcript

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