Wheat mill run replacement on Big Island
I just learned that HFM in Hilo is no longer stocking wheat mill run. Can you tell me if there is alternative source on the Big Island for the wheat mill run, or if there is an alternative substance that's available on the Big Island that can be used in lieu of WMR?
Thanks,
Ed
Top answer
When I saw you had the same question I asked drake and he sent me a couple pictures.
The pictures say to use half dog food+half woodchips+KNF solutions.
Im a bit surprised dog food would work, and am curious about the quality that should/could be used.
I also read a recent post on knfsupport stating they used oats.
Im in North Kohala and am starting my imo1 , we have a shelf stable imo2 and I'd like to trial mediums other than the mill run. Good luck!
Anyone else tried any other medium or have any tips for dog food and or oats?
Mahalo
Enjoy inoculating and building soil!
From the KNF library
From the KNF library
Drafted by Claude from Office Hours and the books
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Sep 2026
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5 sources
Drake says to use whatever microbes will eat, and to check the result under a microscope. He names ground wheat berries, corn, and coffee grounds. (Office Hours Ep. 23, 16:03)
The Hawaii KNF study lists these in place of wheat mill run: ground macadamia nut shells, brewery spent grains, wood chips, rice bran, ulu, and kalo skins. Pick by what you can get locally. The study notes nobody has compared how well they work. (Unravelling the Mysteries of KNF, p. 60)
Two other options come from Drake:
- Horse feed, since it is mostly mill run. (Office Hours Ep. 4, 31:48)
- Dog food, which he calls a workable substitute. (Office Hours Ep. 31, 31:49)
The study bought its 22.68 kg bag of wheat mill run at Paakea Feed and Farm. (Unravelling the Mysteries of KNF, p. 61) The library does not say whether Paakea stocks it now, and it does not name other Big Island sellers.
Sources
- 16:03 Office Hours Ep. 23 (Mar 2022) — IMO4 Pig Feed, LAB Without Milk, Disgustingly Cheap Microbes · “Use whatever microbes will eat, such as ground wheat berries, corn, or coffee grounds, and check it under a microscope.”
- 31:49 Office Hours Ep. 31 (May 2022) — Cucumber Beetle Armor, No-Smell Chicken Coop, Biochar for Dry Soil · “Mill run, the bran left from milling white rice, gives the right balance of fats, oils, and carbs; dog food works as a substitute.”
- 31:48 Office Hours Ep. 4 (Oct 2021) — IMO1-4 Explained, Pig Pen Roof Design, Mold on IMO2 · “Drake recommends horse feed since it's mostly mill run and horses need a clean, consistent diet.”
- p. 60 Unravelling the Mysteries of KNF · “As an alternative, macadamia nut shells (preferably ground), spent grains from brewery’s, wood chips, rice bran, ulu (greadfruit), or kalo (taro) skins may be used in place of wheat mill run”
- p. 61 Unravelling the Mysteries of KNF · “a 22.68 kg of Wheat mill run ($41.76, Paakea Feed and Farm)”
3 more answers
You can use plain oats for like oatmeal or oat brand in place of mill run. It Cooks hotter, faster, and needs to be turned more often, but the fungal goods take to it like flies do to shit. :)
Thank you all,
Coincidentally, I just purchased 2 50 lb bags of rice bran from Del's in Hilo for $22 & change. FWIW, they're currently out of rolled oats and whole oats.
I"ve not yet had a chance to use the rice bran, but will post results after processing it.
Ed
The rice bran was in pellet form. It heated up ok, but it wasn't as good for IMO because the pellet form made it harder to mix with the dirt. It worked fine for bokashi. Supposedly Farm Supply Coop. in Hilo now stocks WMR it, but they were out a little while ago, but planned to get some in. I didn't check with the price.
I just picked up a 50 lb. bag of rice bran pellets from Tractor Supply in Hilo. The pellets are a much smaller size than what I previously tried, but I've not yet had a chance to process them.
