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knfFuel Mold, Jadam Pasture Recovery, OHN & Alcohol

George's knfFuel batch used 3 kilograms of fish and 3.5 kilograms of brown sugar. Drake explains the sugar cap always dissolves within the first day as lactobacillus kicks in, and white mold on top is normal and harmless, usually lactobacillus or bacillus simplex. No IMO or OHN is needed to make fish amino acid; both can even eat the fats and oils you want to keep.

For reviving 24 acres of pasture before sowing wheat, peas, and cannabis, Drake recommends diluting Jadam microbe solution ("the disgustingly cheap microbes") 1:100 to 1:500 with fresh water and applying it twice, a week apart, letting the water carry microbes deep into the soil. He also covers the soil foundation recipe, using nearly-decomposed manure as microbe food, and confirms KNF and Jadam work together to rebuild the soil food web.

OHN cannot be made without alcohol; it is what extracts the medicine from the herbs, and letting the alcohol evaporate ruins the batch. Herbicide residue like Garzon in fermentation material is not a major worry: with enough IMOs and biochar, microbes break the poison down into nutrients. Drake shows before-and-after photos of a Roundup-poisoned lot in downtown Hilo brought back to life with biochar, dried fish, dolomite, and IMOs.

Other topics: transplanting nursery starts by withholding water and rotating the pot 90 degrees to stress the plant before a 15-minute seed soak solution bath; using sugar instead of salt for ferments because yeast is salt-sensitive (cap any added salt at 10 percent); a thin white crust on IMO2 is normal, especially in a jar less than two-thirds full; coco coir, banana stalk, coffee grounds, and potato starch all work as IMO3/Jadam substrates; and adding OHN and lactic acid bacteria to wild bird water during bird flu season, since the disease spreads from confinement and poor airflow, not healthy birds outdoors.

Questions answered

  • 14:37 George's knfFuel batch (3kg fish, 3.5kg sugar) grew white mold on top — is that OK? — Yes — the sugar cap always dissolves once lactobacillus kicks in, and surface mold (often bacillus simplex) is harmless; no IMO or OHN needed to make fish amino acid.
  • 22:18 How to recover 24 acres of pasture before sowing wheat, peas, cannabis, using cheap Jadam microbes? — Dilute Jadam microbe solution 1:100 to 1:500 and apply twice, a week apart, before sowing, using water as a carrier to drive microbes deep; add nearly-decomposed manure as food.
  • 29:20 Are KNF and Jadam compatible for rebuilding the soil food web? — Yes — Jadam drenches anaerobic microbes deep in the soil while KNF supports the aerobic topsoil and foliar layer, together rebuilding the food web.
  • 34:50 Is moldy fish amino acid safe to eat or use? — Drake eats it himself when it smells sweet — the mold is mostly lactobacillus, and a good nose is the real test.
  • 36:29 Can blended potatoes plus IMO2 and woodchips make a good IMO3, even with herbicide-contaminated feed? — Yes, potatoes add carbs, fats and oils that excite fungal growth; more potato slurry is better than less.
  • 38:04 Can OHN be made without tincturing it in alcohol? — No — alcohol is what draws the medicine out of the herbs; without it, the batch is just compost.
  • 42:41 Does herbicide residue (Garzon/Roundup) in fermentation material ruin the batch? — No — with enough microbes and biochar present, microbes break the herbicide down into nutrients rather than being harmed by it.
  • 49:00 Can I use my OHN right after the first extraction? — Yes, Rule Zero — never let it stop you from growing; just keep pours separate and blend later batches in as they age.
  • 51:12 Do I need OHN to make IMO4? — No, it's optional — KNF protectors and other inputs can stand in, and Drake's own early natural farming worked without it.
  • 52:37 Any nursery or transplant tips beyond seed soak solution and IMO4? — Keep the plant's orientation consistent; before transplanting, withhold water and rotate the pot 90 degrees to stress it, then bare-root it in seed soak solution 15 minutes.
  • 57:00 Why use sugar instead of salt for fermentation? — Sugar suits the yeasts and lactobacillus KNF relies on since yeast is salt-sensitive; up to about 10 percent salt can be added, but no more.
  • 58:35 Our IMO2 has a thin white crust on top — is that OK? — Yes, it's normal, especially in a jar that's not filled at least two-thirds full.
  • 1:04:12 Is potato starch the best carb for Jadam microbe solution, and should OHN go in bird water during bird flu? — Potatoes work best but any starch works; add OHN and lactic acid bacteria to bird water — bird flu spreads from confinement and poor airflow, not healthy birds.
  • 1:07:22 What's a great base plant for fermented plant juice (FPJ)? — Dandelion — fast-growing and vigorous, it makes a powerful FPJ.

Topics: fish amino acid, knffuel, jadam, imo2, imo3, imo4, ohn, herbicide, seed soak, bird flu, dandelion fpj, pasture recovery

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 Intro and Welcome
  2. 1:25 I Ching Reading - Inner Truth
  3. 5:50 Making knfFuel: sugar ratio, mold, sugar cap
  4. 10:49 Mitigating mold on knfFuel; bacillus simplex
  5. 12:58 Recovering pastures with Jadam microbe solution
  6. 19:43 Are KNF and Jadam compatible for soil food web
  7. 22:30 my-pigs.com; feeding Bibi the pig; Chomp Cam
  8. 25:30 Is moldy fish amino acid safe to use
  9. 26:57 Growing microbes with potatoes and woodchips
  10. 29:00 Can OHN be made without alcohol
  11. 32:56 Herbicides in fermentation material and IMOs
  12. 36:18 Poisoned Hilo lot rehabilitated with IMOs, biochar
  13. 39:51 How soon can OHN be used; Rule Zero
  14. 41:41 Do you need OHN to make IMO4
  15. 43:11 KNF nursery philosophy; transplant stress; seed soak
  16. 47:26 Why sugar instead of salt for fermentation
  17. 49:24 White crust on IMO2
  18. 51:40 Coco coir, banana, coffee grounds for IMO3/Jadam
  19. 56:20 OHN in bird water during bird flu
  20. 58:25 Dandelion fermented plant juice

Transcript

Auto-transcribed with Whisper. Click any timestamp to play from there.

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