Last month, Countryfile came to the farm to film how we make our LIVE Bokashi Bran – and what a day it was. Muck, microbes, cameras, compost, and a bag of wheat bran that did not want to behave.

We’re hoping it’ll be on BBC One this Sunday, 8th June, so if you’ve ever wondered how we make the magical mix that ferments your kitchen waste at home, this is your chance to peek behind the scenes (spoiler: it’s not high tech. It’s a Herefordshire farm, a big mixer, and a lot of loader work).

Bokashi: It’s More Than a Kitchen Thing

The Countryfile crew – along with the lovely Margherita Taylor – came to see how we use Bokashi not just in the kitchen bin, but in the cow sheds.

We spread Bokashi bran on the bedding and manure while the cows are in, and let their hooves do the hard work – compressing the layers and excluding oxygen. This creates anaerobic conditions, which means fermentation starts there and then, right in the bedding pack.

Fermentation preserves nutrients and reduces pathogens, meaning that by the time we muck it out, it’s not raw waste – it’s pre-composted, microbially active organic matter. That’s a win for the soil, and a big step towards replacing synthetic fertilisers on the farm.

In gardens and allotments, Bokashi does the same thing: ferments food waste into a stable, nutrient-rich input that feeds your compost heap, soil, or wormery without the usual smell or fuss. It’s fast, it’s neat, and the end result is living soil – packed with beneficial bacteria and fungi.

Enter: The Bran Bash

Before we can even start the Bokashi mixing, we’ve got to get the raw wheat bran out of the sack and into the mixer – and let’s just say that’s easier said than done.

Margherita and I gave it a go, but our efforts to shake it loose from the bag ended up looking more like a children’s party than a composting demo. It was full-on piñata vibes – lots of enthusiastic flailing, very little bran in the mixer.

Luckily, Monty and Dennis have a much more agricultural method – so eventually the bran was flying into the mixer like it was meant to.

Once it’s in, we add:
• EM1 liquid (Effective Microorganisms) from our friends at Agriton UK
• Molasses (for food and energy)
• Just the right amount of water

…then mix it all until every flake is coated. Then we bag it up again to let it ferment and activate. That’s what makes it live Bokashi Bran – full of beneficial microbes that get straight to work when you add them to your Bokashi bin at home.

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We had a brilliant day with the Countryfile team – plenty of laughs, proper questions, and the chance to show that good compost isn’t just for gardens – it starts in cowsheds, kitchens, and community.

So if you want to see how we make Bokashi Bran (and who’s best at bashing a bag of wheat bran), tune in to BBC One this Sunday, 8th June. Hopefully you’ll spot us there!

And if you’ve already got a Bokashi Kit on the go at home – now you’ll know exactly where that bran came from: a sunny cow filled day, a Herefordshire farm, and a bag that really didn’t want to cooperate.