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Angelica Substitutes for OHN, Jadam Pesticide Costs, Sulfur & Soap

September 22, 2024 · by Drake Weinert

Mark from Santa Cruz asks if other Angelica species can stand in for Angelica gigas in OHN. Drake says yes — gigas is used mainly because it is the Korean species, also called dong quai, but the genus has dozens of varieties worldwide and most work the same way. OHN carries double Angelica because the recipe targets digestion and reproduction; dong quai nourishes blood, acts as a vasodilator for heart vessels, and affects hormones including estrogen. Drake also covers Jerusalem artichoke, which Master Cho's book uses as a pesticide base from leaves and roots collected spring through autumn.

The rest of the hour continues the year-long walk through Cho Han Kyu's Madag (Jadam) natural pesticide chapter. Jadam soap is just lye and oil, and it is nearly gone in five days — 90 percent broken down by day two and a half, versus roughly 30 days and only 80 percent breakdown for synthetic surfactants. Both sodium hydroxide and potassium hydroxide are OMRI-listed for organic use as of 2018; sodium hydroxide makes solid soap, potassium hydroxide makes liquid soap, and Cho uses each for different steps.

Drake walks through a real cost sheet from a 330-acre Madag farm in Bongha village, near Busan, growing rice, pepper, cabbage, and persimmon. The farm sprayed about 10,000 liters of Jadam pesticide a year for roughly $2,300, or about $7 per acre. Fertilizer inputs ran about $4,700 and labor came to about $5,000 — the single biggest line item. All in, the operation cost about $12,000 a year, or $37 per acre, with labor eating more than half of it.

Earlier, Drake recaps meeting Ray Yun, who teaches a poverty-focused farming method in Nigeria built around digging pits, packing them with grass and manure, and planting crops beside the pit rather than in it. Bethel asks where to find Master Cho talking about rice on the channel — Drake points to two long, under-labeled playlists that cover it partway through.

Questions answered

  • 6:31 Jerusalem artichokes are blooming — what can I do with them? — Master Cho's book uses the leaves and roots, collected spring through autumn and boiled down into a pesticide.
  • 8:49 Who is Rayyun and what is he doing in Nigeria? — He teaches a poverty-focused farming method built around digging pits, filling them with grass and manure, and planting next to the pit, not in it.
  • 11:57 Can I use other Angelica species instead of Angelica gigas for OHN? — Yes — different Angelica species work fine; gigas is used mainly because it is the Korean species, also called dong quai.
  • 16:14 A groundhog is eating my sweet potatoes and melons — what do I do? — Use a have-a-heart trap and release him, or just plant enough to share.
  • 17:00 Why does OHN use twice as much Angelica as other herbs? — OHN targets digestion and reproduction, and dong quai nourishes blood, dilates heart vessels, and affects hormones including estrogen.
  • 28:30 Is there a detailed video on KNF rice farming by Master Cho on your channel? — Two long playlists cover it in parts — the Han Kyu Cho natural farming series and the Pure KNF basic nutrient cycle series — though neither is labeled specifically for rice.
  • 31:35 Does regenerative agriculture reduce overall energy consumption? — Sadly no — Jevons paradox and rebound effects tend to cancel out the gains.
  • 39:20 How fast does Jadam soap actually break down? — About 90 percent is gone in two and a half days and it is fully broken down by five days, versus roughly 30 days for synthetic surfactants.
  • 40:57 Are sodium hydroxide and potassium hydroxide allowed under USDA organic rules? — Yes, both have been OMRI-listed since 2018, though potassium hydroxide is restricted for lye-peeling fruit except peaches.
  • 43:29 Why use sodium hydroxide versus potassium hydroxide? — Potassium hydroxide makes liquid soap and sodium hydroxide makes solid soap; Cho uses both for different steps of the pesticide.
  • 48:09 What does a real Madag pesticide program cost on a working farm? — A 330-acre farm in Bongha village sprayed about 10,000 liters a year for around $2,300, roughly $7 per acre.
  • 55:11 What's the total cost per acre to run the whole Madag system? — About $37 per acre all in, with labor making up more than half the cost.

Topics: ohn, angelica, dong quai, jadam, madag natural pesticide, sulfur, soap, jerusalem artichoke, groundhog, rice

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 Welcome and I Ching: Modesty
  2. 6:31 Jerusalem artichoke as a pesticide
  3. 8:49 Rayyun's poverty-farming pits in Nigeria
  4. 11:57 Angelica species for OHN
  5. 16:14 Groundhog eating the garden
  6. 17:00 Why OHN uses double Angelica
  7. 19:20 Ray Yun's Poopuri workbook and pit method
  8. 28:30 Finding Master Cho's rice videos
  9. 30:46 Dong quai for blood and hormones
  10. 31:35 Jevons paradox and energy limits
  11. 33:50 Meeting Ray Yun in Korea, into Madag
  12. 36:12 Why plants need pesticides
  13. 39:20 Jadam soap breaks down in five days
  14. 40:57 OMRI-listed lye for organic pesticide
  15. 43:29 Sodium vs potassium hydroxide
  16. 48:09 Bongha village 330-acre cost breakdown
  17. 55:11 Total pesticide cost per acre
  18. 57:24 One pesticide covers every pest
  19. 1:00:40 Wrap-up and next week

Transcript

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