Made my first batch of AEM - I put it by the woodstove to stay warm enough and it is ready today - I think about three or four days fermenting time - It is still working a bit but came out 4.0 PH on the test strip.  I have used it on about anything that moves - and doesn't move.  

First job for it was taking damp smells away from the gophers re-routing my drainage... got the cows and dog too.  1 part to 20 part mix for the heavy duty stuff.

All are in agreement - It is Effective.  Wherever the EM has been used it has taken away damp or bad smells.

Example:  My hat, an Aussie leather hat... they say after you wear it long enough, "It's not yer 'at, it's yer mate.... "

Well, I have news for you.... My mate was smelling like the North end of a South bound horse......

I washed it, sprayed it with a 1:20 solution of EM, like you would for brain damage.... I mean flood damage.. and when it dried it smelled just fine...

On another note, Dr. Myo emailed me the other day, and said he has informed his counterpart in Thailand of our interest in EM.  His friend in Thailand, Mr. Sano, said I could email him direct if I was interested in more information.  I have accepted that invitation and will let you know what comes of it.

Yujiro Sano of APNAN, (Asia Pacific Natural Agriculture Network) technical staff who I was referred to by Myo, got back to me and said he thought we had a good amount of information on EM already but, he sent me a link of more useful informative videos on various EM preparations.

http://apnan.blogspot.com/search/label/EM%20related%20material

From his comments

"There you can find methods of making EM RW, EM FPE, EM5 and EMAS, which are standard liquid.

By the way we have an International Workshop on EM & Nature Farming in Saraburi Thailand coming July.
Please contact us again, If you or your friend have an interest to learn practical standard about EM in Thailand.
The workshop will bring together about 40 participants from around 10 countries."

OK - maybe not a new use but...... I have been experimenting with AEM - from the sprayer at about a 1:20 ratio....  observation

1.  Not a deodorant or antiperspirant --- you need to sweat---just an anti smell bad.... a couple squirts of the ol' garden sprayer and I'm fresh as a daisy all day..... .... since this stuff claims to keep the bad guys from winning I thought this might work... seems to after running the Bobcat most of the day.

2.  My hat....  even though it is old and a huge leather sweat rag.... it seems to have gone back to smelling like leather rather than the North end of a South bound horse....

I got to try the EM on skunk sprayed dog.... Spike bit the big one - skunk that is.... they usually kill them and he was sprayed good.

I used the EM direct from my garden sprayer so it was about 1:20 - sprayed him pretty good with it and smells immediately (in a couple minutes) changed to smell like something cooking - can't think of what though..... Considering that I just sprayed him with it - not washed him with it I think it cans be said that it worked as claimed.  Near no smell left once it dried.  Tonight I had to get right up next to him to see if he had a smell.  Barely anything - Princess - the control dog in the experiment still smelled from across the yard.

I have been drinking a bit in a glass of water - like a light cold tea.... it seems I have no more heartburn - or acid reflux since I started that.... no matter what I eat at night.  That is a first ever for me.  We will see - tonight I ate a greasy tamale... that normally kills me in a few hours.  [ouch]

Sounds like you've been having a lot of fun with your new buggie friends, Glenn! I still need to get my Mom to check out all the resources you've shared. I think there's a lot more about them that we have yet to learn..

More fun than an barrel of monkeys.

Yes - I need to study more too.  I have more info also.  There are lots of papers on the EMRO Japan site - you cna search for a topic of your choice to see what they have to say about it.

I have a new batch of the EM Sparkling lemonade brewing - first one the preservatives killed the EM - this one was fresh lemons.  I was a bit skeptical at first but it seems they do what they are supposed to do and more. 

I sprayed all of the fruit trees today with it and the winter  vegetables in the garden.... and the cows and the cow feed.... and nearly anything that got in my way - the flowers... the cactus...

Glenn,

Today I saw this post about EM and followed the link provided.  Thanks!  In looking at the Teraganix website, I have some questions!  First of all, do you feed your EM and stretch it to last longer?  What kind of preservatives killed the EM  on the first batch of lemonade?  We are going to spray the fruit trees with insecticidal oil and what is it, copper spray or some other as-natural-as-possible "spray"...would you add the EM straight directly to the mix -depending upon what it is, or would you definitely do it separately?  I'm excited to use it on the chickens and chicken house.  How large a bottle do you get?  We are two people, a .3-acre (total) garden, orchard, house & chicken yard.  We would use it every which way possible.  I wonder whether a 12-ounce bottle would be enough.  ($14.99 sounds better than $60.00!)

thanks for your two cents (and anyone else!) 

Julie Rossberg (Oregon)

Hi Julie... I'm an old Oregonian too - Rose Lodge....

I have wondered about feeding the EM but as they don't recommend going past one generation, I have avoided it and have not found data on it.  They recommend trying to make AEM in small enough batches to use within 7 days.  After that it is usually still good - just not as active.

I have had the first gallon I made for about 2 weeks now and it smells good ...and tastes good too. (Not a great tasting drink - just not repulsive in water- not anywhere near as strong tasting as apple cider vinegar.)  I am nearly convinced that it has cured my heartburn.  Haven't had it again since I started taking a couple teaspoons in water a time or two a day.

Sprayed my chickens and chicken house today.  I have sprayed the corrals and there is no odor.  I saw a video of a cattle farmer who uses it and he says there are no more flies at his barn and it was a major problem.

Just checked the preservatives in the lemonade... Sodium benzoate and sodium bisulfite - in the bottled store bought lemon juice.  I started a new batch about 5 days ago and put it in the fridge this morning.  I just tried it for you.  Tastes great, but was only lightly sparkling.  Maybe I over fermented it by the stove as it says ferment at room temperature but it is good for sure - not like the first batch.

I bought the gallon just because the price break per ounce is much better, but I did consider the smaller bottle too.  Activated it makes about 20 times as much and is used at the same ratios as the original EM.  They say if you make more off of the activated - say a third generation, that is should not be called EM or AEM - I take that to mean it might work OK but the ratios may get out of whack.

I have so many places I can use it that I felt the bigger bottle would be the best value.  It enhances composting - enhances fertilizer uptake though it is not a fertilizer itself.  Pictures of side by side grain crops with everything the same except one had EM showed the crop to be about 1/3 larger in the pix - data says yields increase also.   I sprayed all fo our fruit trees yesterday.  Recommended once a month in the winter - once a week rest of the time.

I hope to make the bokashi and a under sink composter (fermenter) soon also.  http://www.emrojapan.com/application/household/food-waste.html  I want to make a homemade version of this using a 5 gallon bucket or kitty litter bucket.  The dried  bokashi can be used as kitty litter too.

Julie - missed the part about the trees.  I am going to do a quick research on that  - I just did mine EM only but Myo mentioned using natural insecticides - peppers -etc with his  - as they are organic farming in  Myanmar (Burma).

Found this info on the extending - I think it would apply as I mentioned above -

QuoteCan I go through the activation process again, starting with Activated EM•1®?
NO. You cannot activate Activated EM•1® and consider this the same product.  There balance of the microbes in the culture can change dramatically thereby producing unpredictable results. Always start with the original EM•1® when activating.

I didn't find an answer on the mixing of the oil, so my take from what I have studied would be to do them separately, and at different times - maybe a week or two apart.  EM eats oil so I would say that you would likely want the oil to do its job on the borers etc. then use the EM.  It appears that you are doing regular applications of EM the first year especially to establish the colonies.  Em a couple weeks earlier IMO would be OK too.

http://www.teraganix.com/Effective-Microorganisms-Orchard-Solutions-s/88.htm

In Asia apparently they are trying to go completely organic in many areas and eliminate unnatural pesticides.

Latest findings -

EM is apparently not effective in taking away to oil that causes poison oak... ask Sassy.  I thought it might but it did not work.

Sassy started putting it in the cats drinking water.  Surprisingly they like the taste, drink more of it, and the health of our roughly 13-15 year old cat is improving it seems.  She is eating more, gaining weight and playful as well as mean.....  She has always had digestive problems.

Speaking of digestive problems... I continue to drink a bit in a glass of water - usually about a tablespoon in a quart.  Last night I ate some of the greasiest chicken I have eaten in a long time.... enough grease left over to lube the front axle of my truck...then ice cream for dessert..late - around 8PM....a recipe for disaster normally........ anyway no heartburn or reflux or any other unpleasantness....

From another thread posted for reference here...

Sassy mentioned that I should let you know about the cats.

A couple tom cats apparently got into the house while we were outside for the day with the doors opened a couple days ago.

Apparently one of them sprayed because the smell was strong.  Sassy put EM on the affected area and the smell was gone within a short time.  The only other thing we found that would clean that smell in our rental was an expensive enzyme from the pet store.  EM does it, no problem.

What was Sassy doing out in the poison oak thicket  Or did the poison oak makes its way unknowingly into the laundry basket

UMmmm .... uhhhhh .... I think poison oak boy may have brought it to her.... 

Poison oak is spread by an oil that does not wash off easily with soap, in fact generally most soap just spreads it ...with the possible exception of Technu.  I have it on my clothes, my hands, my chainsaw, my saw dust, my shirt, my pants, just about everything.

On a re-evaluation of the effectiveness of the EM, I noticed that for the two days Sassy did not use it, she was itching much more than she had before.  Hosed her down with it last night and she put it on again this morning and it does seem to lower the itch quite a bit she has decided.

I think that may be because the oil gets into the skin (from Technu info - must use Technu before any other type of soap or it will spread into the skin over a wider area).  So it seems that the EM does work on what is available at the surface of the skin.  As I mentioned earlier, EM is know to eat oil.

Update from Teraganix EM news letter -posting here because it shows other uses of EM.  GK

QuoteEM® At Work
Making Compost By the Ton
Farmers in the southwest are always looking for organic matter.  There may not be lots of plant material available, but there is plenty of manure.  People stopped using it because it was high in salts, however, with the addition of EM®, there is no worry of the salts becoming a problem.

This fall, several farmers in New Mexico have gotten together and are making composted manure with Effective Microorganisms® by the ton.  In fact, they have made well over 8,000 tons of compost and will be using much much more.  A recent analysis from New Mexico State University  safely recommended up to 30 tons per acre annually.

Tucson Village Farm Educating The Youth On Farming.
Tucson Village Farm is a collaborative partnership between Pima County Cooperative Extension, UA, 4H, and Sky Islands high school. Together we have created a youth-focused working urban farm in Tucson, Arizona. It is a seed to table program designed to reconnect young people to a healthy food system, teach them how to grow and prepare fresh food, and empower them to make healthy life choices...and...they use EM®.
St. Clair Wines Win Gold Medal

Last year's harvest produced a some awesome wines, including the Best White for the St. Clair Gewurztraminer in the 2011 San Francisco Chronicle Competition.   They also won the Gold Medal for the DH Cabernet Sauvignon and Silver Medals for the St. Clair Riesling, Triple Berri Bliss and Pomegranate.  Their wines are available in 5 states.

TeraGanix Green Certified Business

TeraGanix is proud to announce we have recently earned Green America's Business Seal of Approval and we are also now a USDA BioPreferred vendor.

Don't recall posting this and I was looking for it.. EM organic pest control

You are here:Home > Downloads > Recipes > EM5
EM5 is used to deter pests. This is an all-natural concoction that can be made by anyone and is in no way harmful to humans or animals. It combines water, EM•1®, a distilled spirit, molasses, and vinegar. The most successful programs with EM5 involve alternating its applications with Activated EM•1® and EMFPE.  EM5 is effective for reducing pest populations because EM5 contains esters formed by mixing acetic acid and alcohol, which provokes intestinal intoxication.

The formula for one gallon of EM5 is as follows (1:1:1:1:20):

   1. 3/4C EM•1®
   2. 3/4C Molasses
   3. 3/4C Vinegar (white or apple cider)
   4. 3/4C distilled alcohol (vodka, whiskey, tequila)
   5. Add some other plant material*
   6. Fill the gallon container with warm water (110-120ºF)
   7. Seal and ferment until pH goes below 4.0

*People often mix in hot peppers and/or garlic for added benefits.

Spray EM5 alternately with EM•1® or EM•1® Fermented Plant Extract through a hose-end sprayer.  The thought here is to prevent the pests from getting used to or building a tolerance to the same product.

Often people will set up an informal program as follows:
Week One: Apply AEM•1®, 1 gallon for 1/2 acre property
Week Two: Apply EM5 .  1 gallon for 1/2 acre property
Week Three: Apply EM FPE.  1 gallon for 1/2 acre property
Week Four: Apply AEM•1®.  1 gallon for 1/2 acre property


This pattern is repeated throughout the growing season.

And - this one -

You are here:Home > Downloads > Recipes > EM FPE
"Fermented plant extracts -- most commonly done as a plain liquid manure or plant extract is a dynamic practice gaining increased usage in India, Africa, Asia, and Central America where poor farmers need to obtain fertility and pest control from local plants and simple on-farm extraction methods." Steve Diver, ATTRA* 

For centuries extracts have been used as elixirs for all sorts of ailments.  Individuals would seek out certain plant materials that were known for their beneficial properties and ferment them to extract the desired benefits.  This same technology can be used to extract properties from plants such as geranium to make a citronella extra for keeping away mosquitoes.  Hot peppers and garlic are also known for their pest-deterring properties.  If you incorporate companion planting (basil with tomato), you may find a winning combination to give the effect you want.

Weeds and other green material can be recycled into an organic foliar spray and insect repellent.  During fermentation EM•1® is able to ferment weeds and extract organic acids, bio-active substances, minerals, and other useful organic compounds from these materials which are able to promote plant growth and repel diseases or insects.

MATERIALS:  5 gallon buckets with a airtight lids, EM•1®, molasses, water, leafy plant material, and a tablespoon.

PROCEDURE:

   1. Collect plant material such as weeds, vegetable trimmings, and leaves. If possible chop the plant material into small pieces (i.e. 2" x 2"). Fill the bucket with as much material as possible.
   2. In a separate container prepare EM•1® solution at 1:1:100. (2.5 Tbsp of molasses and  2.5 Tbsp of EM•1®  per 1 gallon of water)
   3. Pour the EM•1® solution over the plant material, filling the bucket all the way to the top.
   4. Seal bucket with an airtight lid.
   5. Place solution out of direct sunlight and allow material to ferment for a period of 2 weeks. After 2 weeks test the pH.  The solution pH should be between 3.2 and 3.7.
   6. Strain off the liquid into another container.  The strained liquid is the Fermented Plant Extract.
   7. The EM•1® F.P.E. is used as a foliar spray to prevent pest damage to plants.  Dilute this solution 1:500 (1.5 tsp. per gallon) and spray on plant leaves as needed.
   8. The fermented plant material (not the liquid) can be used as a nutrient-rich fertilizer or compost starter.  If used as a fertilizer spread it out very thin due to its strength.
   9. Store unused EM•1® F.P.E. in a dark place with relatively uniform temperatures.  Solution may be stored up to 90 days.

*Quoted from Steve Diver, Appropriate Technology Transfer for Rural Areas (ATTRA).

Glenn, thanks for your posts!  They have been one of the most useful resources I've found since starting to investigate EM. 

I have two questions:

1. Is it really not possible to propagate EM?  Kefir, kombucha and like are self-sustaining through hot and cold seasons.  Is EM really not?

2. Is the ceramic additive really necessary?  Some people claim it 'structures' the water, that is, restores H2O molecules to a hexagonal format by erasing their memory of pollution, which arranges H2O in a non-crystalline format.  I really can't get behind that explanation.

thanks,
-Todd

Hi bluescrubby.... sounds kind of medical... Sassy is an RN.

Note that I also am learning yet from the info that Myo gave me, Todd, and he said he is learning more things from other info I have researched from his links.  

It is possible to propagate EM one time or if more than one step away from the original it may or may not be fine and they ask that you refer to it not as EM or AEM but more as a low ph or acidic microbial solution.. I don't remember the exact terms they used.  The point is that once you propagate it the ratios change - one part may grow more than the other part and things may work well or may get way out of balance.

For all practical purposes the first generation propagation is used exactly the same as the manufacturers product.  They maintain tight laboratory controls on the ratios and quality of the product.

From our experience, in about a month to a month and a half or a bit more, the propagated EM may start growing a white yeast on top and may begin to smell like baby puke... or not.  That does not mean it is bad ...just that you cannot use it for odor control as it may make things smell a bit puky for a while.  They say that skimming the yeast off of the top may help extend the time before it smells bad (slows putrefaction).  Best to try to get a way to eliminate air and keep it anaerobic to prevent yeast growth.  In this event, then it is still fine for use in drains to help septic systems - I would use it for barn yard or garden spraying too.

Fresher stuff for use in house for odor control, mold control and elimination of moldy smells, dog or animal odor control, cleaning and propagation of good bacteria colonies in the kitchen, hospital, doctors offices etc.

So, the EM is alive and will continue to grow, parts of it will begin to die off as it gets older and change more as it gets older.  Millions of colonies of bacteria are active in it.  

The goal in spraying it on fields, lagoons, barn yards, houses, molded areas etc. is for it to establish good colonies of bacteria and the living good bacteria convinces the majority of other bacteria that can go either way to come over to the good side.  The bad side can come back as new bad bacteria is introduced but the good side can overcome it as regular applications of AEM are made as needed or according to suggested schedules from EMRO research.

I talked to our guests from China and asked one if he was familiar with EM.  He said, "Of course, I am an engineer."  The qualities, effectiveness and usefulness of EM are not a secret or little known in Asia.

QuoteSTORAGE

Activated EM•1® should be kept in an air-tight container to keep it anaerobic and used within 45-60 days after the pH drops below 4.0.

Store Activated EM•1® at room temperature, 68ºF to 86ºF (20ºC-30ºC). Refrigeration is not necessary.


In containers that are not completely airtight, a white layer of yeast will form on the surface. Since this may lead to putrefaction (spoilage), remove the layer as needed and transfer to a container that can be closed tightly.  Be sure to leave as little airspace in the bottle as possible.

If Activated EM•1® has a foul smell, or the pH rises above 4.0, the solution could be contaminated with undesirable microbes and should be discarded. This material is fine to pour into a long-term compost pile or down a household drain.

http://www.teraganix.com/Activated-EM-1-s/261.htm

Thinking about this a bit more I think it may be better to transfer it from the strong bottle for the original fermentation into a squeezable plastic bottle such as a thinner water bottle if it seals tightly then squeeze the air out of it for longer life.

We have not noticed any deterioration of quality in our original gallon from the manufacturer, Teraganix and we just use it to propagate more.

In Asia they use it in hospitals and medical facilities for cleaning rather than the antibacterial solutions to prevent the formation of antibiotic resistant bacteria.  I just mention that as a general remark from memory and suggest more research if you are interested in uses in that field.  The http://www.emrojapan.com/ site is searchable for papers and studies on many more types of uses.

I have not experimented with changes by the ceramics or increases in usefulness or effectiveness.  I can say it is not necessary to realize benefits but I have not evaluated it myself.  I also wonder about magnets and water quality improvement and I am a well driller.  Some swear by them and others question them.  I would suggest first hand experimentation and more study on the ceramics for myself and others.

I have been using some of the older AEM and some new in the Chicken's Weed Salad with EM Dressing.

I pick a bunch of weeds and old and damaged vegetable leaves and cut them up into smaller pieces.  I am now layering them in a bucket with feed pellets and bran pellets (using rice bran is best) mixed in every few inches. 



I next pour a couple ounces of EM and a couple ounces of Blackstrap Molasses into a jar, fill it with warm water and shake it up to dissolve the molasses.  Next I pour that over the salad to allow it to mix and dissolve the pellets.  I also squished it tight into the bucket to make more contact between the liquid and pellets.

Spike likes it too.



The chickens have gained weight and look better than ever.

Feeding the same pellets as last year - Layena- we have noticed the egg shells are at least twice as thick as they were last year.  EM is known to make nutrients more available for use by plants and animals from what I have read.  This seems to back that up.  I try to do this every couple of weeks.

Update on EM and Poison Oak.... we cured Sassy of Poison Oak rash in one night with EM... Just had to touch up the missed spots this morning.

For the key to the cure, check this out....

http://countryplans.com/smf/index.php?topic=151.msg133930#msg133930

Good info, thanks! Im also curious if you can make bokashi or fermented animal feed with AEM rather than EM-1. There are many onlone sources of recipes and they sometimes have very different ratios of ingredients--sometimes by a factor of 10 for EM-1! Im inclined to always use the  economical one.

Bluescrubby, sorry I missed this - it was marked as read but I didn't read it.

Yes .... AEM is considered the same as EM-1 for all purposes except growing more AEM as it gets too far away from the original and things get out of balance.

The only difference I have noticed is in shelf time, and the AEM will grow more yeast or drop in quality sooner due to impurities from the air, etc.  Recently I read on Blackstrap Molasses, that it can be used in soil to feed the good micro-organisms also, though I would only use it with AEM to make sure plenty of good microbes populate the area.

Blackstrap Molasses is Molasses with more of the sugar removed - boiled a third time so that minerals and Iron are more concentrated I learned ... I think from reading the Azure Standard info - a good place to get it cheap if you have the co-op available there - other prices there are bargains - or maybe not always.   Check their requirements for purchase and drop points etc.  West coast maybe only?  There is a PDF with route and delivery date info.  Info only ...I am not affiliated with them though plan to purchase from them.   http://www.azurestandard.com/getting-started

http://www.azurestandard.com/

I drink a bit .... a bit of AEM that is (usually a teaspoon to a tablespoon in a glass of water)... had to clarify that- usually daily and read that due to preservatives in our food many times we do not have the good bacteria we need so replacement is necessary.  Note that there is a higher grade EM made by EMRO/Teraganix but many I know take the plain AEM and there are the food recipes for it.

Regarding the Weed Salad and egg shell thickness...

My latest observations.... http://countryplans.com/smf/index.php?topic=151.msg134616#msg134616

We have other friends using EM now - they are amazed at the ability to remove smells from their dogs including the skunk spray.

I sprayed it on the cows Sunday for cutting down on flies and on their hay, to help with digestion as some of it had a bit of mold.