What are effective microorganisms?

A Japanese college professor, named Dr. Teruo Higa collected a sample of anaerobic bacteria and discovered that the bacteria improved the growth of grass in a particular area when it was applied to the soil.  He called the bacterial culture Effective Microorganisms (EM) and began researching why and how it works to improve the soil in some situations.  Since then, he has produced large quantities of this bacteria culture and used it around the world to improve the quality of soil and to reduce biological poisons in various situations.

In livestock production, lactic acid bacteria and bacteria that work in harmony with lactic acid bacteria, are able to reduce odors associated with livestock production by breaking down starches and other forms of free chemical energy into lactic acid instead of ammonia related compounds and other odoriferous compounds such as those that contain sulfur.

If you've ever been near a modern feed lot, you probably got a nice strong whiff of cow poop and urine, unless there is some method for dealing with the odor.  With Effective Microorganisms (EM), all that is required is regular application of the bacterial inoculant and the odor is converted to a mellow fermentation kind of an odor instead of the sharp odor of cow pee and poop that is fermenting without any kind of biological control.  To me, the odor of properly fermenting manure is really pleasant and it reminds me of my childhood living on a healthy working farm.

Once you have a sample of the bacterial culture, it is fairly easy to cultivate the bacteria and produce as much inoculate as you require for your specific project.  It is also fairly easy to cultivate other strains of lactic acid bacteria that have similar properties, either by gathering wild cultures, or by purchasing commercially produced lactic acid bacteria used in products like kefir, yogurt or other probiotic drinks.

Recipe for cultivating lactic acid bacteria

• 3/4 Cup - unsulfured molasses
• 1 Gallon - water
• 10-30 mL - bacterial culture

Mix it all together in a jug and wait for a day or so.  Keep the lid loose, because a properly growing cultivation will most likely produce some extra CO2, which will build up pressure inside the bottle or jar.  Release any gasses that form and give it a good sniff.  It should smell a little like fermenting apple cider and the color of the culture should change from dark black to a medium brown with a little sediment forming on the bottom of the bottle.  

Gathering and producing a culture of a wild strain is a little more complicated, but it can be accomplished.  Simply do a search on youtube or google and you should be able to find sufficient information to accomplish a safe cultivation of lactic acid bacteria.