Learning more about how Anita’s Organic grain isn’t just for baking bread with Andrew Couzens and his company Terra Flora Soilworks
What is Terra Flora Soilworks and what role do Anita’s Organic grains play in the process?
We offer artisanal worm castings, compost worms, fermented plant extracts, microbial inoculants, a variety of composts and “living soil”, a potting mix that uses microbes to produce fertility instead of chemicals. Bringing life back to your soil is the core of what we do. We also offer organic no-till regenerative gardening education on-line through YouTube, social media and in person courses. We use a variety of grains in one of our key products known as bokashi; a microbial inoculant used for composting and as a fertilizer during bloom. The common substrate used for this product is bran and in the pursuit of producing the highest quality products we selected Anita’s to source our bran and for grains we use in other processes.
Bringing life back to your soil is the core of what we do.
What is Bokashi?
Bokashi (ぼかし) is Japanese for "shading off" or "gradation" and is an organic waste fermentation-process like silage. Our Bokashi product features wheat bran sourced from certified organic Anita's wheat bran and is fermented using EM or effective microorganisms, a collection of microbes mainly consisting of photosynthesizing bacteria, lactic acid bacteria, yeasts, actinomycetes and fermenting fungi. We collected our EM from the local Fraser Valley mountains and fields in order to feature indigenous microbes.
With bokashi composting, you can add any organic matter (including meat and dairy) and do so without turning, and without any nutrient loss such as gasses or leaching. It is an EXCELLENT soil builder. Bokashi can also be used as a soil amendment to be top dressed or integrated into your soil blends for enhanced fertility, plant health and vigor, and increased yield and is growing in popularity for its ability to increase yields and combat pest pressure by activity at the microscopic level.
One thing that many people find off putting about composting is the smell, to which I would explain, my wife and I have a our compost bucket right in our kitchen and sprinkle a bit of our Bokashi each time we add food scraps to the bucket, and it honestly when done properly it has no offensive smell! It almost smells like sourdough, which I’m sure many of the Anita’s lovers would resonate with.
why do you use Anita’s bran rather than other grains to create your Bokashi compost?
Conventional agricultural practice is to spray glyphosate on wheat before harvest, acting as a desiccant to dry out the wheat and ensure maximum harvest. Unfortunately, this means that most wheat bran, and wheat has been tainted with glyphosate which kills microbial life and is devastating to our bodies and to the soil. We chose to use Anita’s wheat bran and other grains because of this. We need high-quality clean inputs so we can make high-quality clean products. What happens in the soil affects our health so it's vital that our fertilizer’s are as clean as possible.
How did you get into all of this?
When we visited my wife Jane’s family's organic farm in the prairies several years ago. After getting the tour and hearing about the hardships, the rewards, and why their family is so dedicated to organic farming, our perspective about life was forever changed. It instilled in us a passion for the health of our soil and earth and being part of a positive organic movement rather than destruction of the environment.
It [learning about organic farming] instilled in us a passion for the health of our soil and earth and being part of a positive organic movement rather than destruction of the environment.
Do you have any recommendations for anyone curious about the organic way?
The documentary, Kiss the Ground is a fascinating distillation of how critical the negative impact of conventional farming practices is and how crucial it is we restore the health of our soil. This is a great place to start if you are curious about what the big deal is with organic versus conventional farming, or have any interest in understanding more about where food comes from and the implications of different farming practices.
The documentary, The Seeds of Vanda Shiva presents the remarkable life story of the eco-activist, and agro-ecologist Vandana Shiva. Her love for the planet and the way she speaks about it will raise the hairs on your arms, and light a fire in your heart.
The book Teaming with Microbes by Jeff Lowenfels is the perfect read for anyone interested in working with nature to produce fertility. Jeff is a legend in the regenerative agricultural movement.
Visit Covert Farms Family Estate, a 650-acre regenerative farm and winery in Oliver BC. A shocking departure from the other wineries in the area where nets over vines and the frequent noise from bird cannons are the norm. At Covert you can immerse yourself in a regenerative paradise which exemplifies that you can get more out of nature when you work with it than when against.
Do you have any favourite plants you like to grow?
My favourite plant to grow has got to be garlic, followed by tomatoes, basil and cannabis. Jane has favourite food plants as well, but as a florist she particularly loves anemones, ranunculus and dahlias. Food is medicine, and it’s impossible to ignore the therapeutic benefits of a crop like garlic! It’s a great crop for beginner gardeners because it requires so little from the gardener and stores exceptionally well when the soil is healthy. Flowers are equally important for their role as pollinator attractors but also for making medicine and for the beauty they add to the garden and into the home as cut flowers.
If there was one concise message you could share with the world about the organic way, what would it be?
Do as nature does, there is no other way. When we commit ourselves to working with nature instead of against it we can heal our bodies, extend our lives, and heal the planet.
Do as nature does, there is no other way.
Last question, if you could have a dinner party without any limitations, where is the party, who are you inviting, and what are you eating?
That’s an easy one to answer! There is this beautiful corn maze in Chilliwack called Greendale Acres where in the past they put on a summer harvest dinner called Cultivate. There was always amazing food and guest speakers. We would resurrect this event and it would include as guests farmers and growers from the community and additional guests like Dr. Zach Bush and Vandana Shiva. The food meal would have to be Chilliwack corn, and salmon paired with a wild fermented pinot gris!
TO CONNECT WITH ANDREW FOR MORE INFORMATION, OR FOR AN ONLINE GARDENING COURSE VISIT:
terrafloraorganics.com | @terraflorasoilworks on Instagram | Facebook | Youtube