To hear him tell it, the Throw to Grow project is something simple that filmmaker Nathan Peracciny and his collegues are doing on their own. “People can do this” says Peracciny, adding; “It’s a simple concept, you have the ability to empower yourself through action to do things. The fundamental matter is that people have to do and carve out your own niche. If you want to change something, change it with yourself and your environment. The concept of bokashi is a very simple process that in the end is very big. To divert 100 percent of your food waste and convert it into soil is very big. Wants to have true ownership over his life, not to have to wait for someone else to make a decision.”

About Harvest recently spoke with Nathan Peracciny of the Throw to Grow project:

AH: Please tell me about how you came to be involved with a food waste recycling pilot project in Hawaii?

NATHAN:

Throw To Grow has allowed my life to come full circle in many ways. I am firm believer in the power of media. I believe small independent media can have big impact. Carefully crafted media can inform, inspire, and ignite people. Carefully crafted, meaning media that looks good, sounds clear, and is edited in a way the keeps the viewer’s attention. If you don’t do those three things you fail. Sorry. There are no more awards for second place. The folks responsible for our current environmental crisis, health crisis, economic crisis, culture crisis, etc. are not going for second place. They want to keep people divided, subdued, and paying.

In 1999 I began college at Green Mountain College in Poultney, VT. GMC is a small environmental liberal arts school in a rural part of Vermont. I learned a lot there. The class structure was great. Environmental Ethics class was a battle of ideas. After class you wanted to rush back to your room to read the next assignment. It was awesome. For me there was one thing missing. I saw a disconnect between academia and the source of most environmental, social, economic problems. The individual consuming, and wasting was not interested in reading a collection of essays or a book on sustainability. Print would not be an effective tool in creating change. Then I asked myself; what is influencing people to shop till they drop, gas it up, waste and consume? It was television, film, and radio media.

In 2002 I dropped out of GMC and decided that some day, some how I was going to make meaningful media. Five years (and a lot of traveling) later I graduated from the University at Buffalo with a degree in Media Arts. At first I was pissed, UB gave me no exit strategy, no real plan. I did what anyone of would of done, I worked as a waiter in a fancy steakhouse. (hahaha) I did freelance as a PA and Assistant Editor, here and there. My main gig was waiting tables for a few years. I made a lot of money, wasted all of it, and wasted a lot of time. It was only after losing my job and being on unemployment, that I started to volunteer with an online food and culture show about Buffalo, NY called True Blue Buffalo (www.TrueBlueBuffalo.com). There was no budget for that project my professional responsibilities sky rocketed. I went from PA to Associate Producer in no time. (hahaha) On that project I learned the power of well-crafted food and community videos.

TBB connected me with local entrepreneurs, chefs, foodies, farmers, etc. From there I was given the opportunity to produce video for a Locally focused food and cooking competition called Nickel City Chef (www.NickleCityChef.com) Directing, filming, and editing Nickel City Chef really opened my eyes to so much and gave me the chance to tell the stories of hard working amazing men and women of Western New York that work their butts off in the kitchens, vineyards, and fields. I have since produced two seasons of Nickel City Chef, a full length documentary called Food For Change, and we’re going on our four season of the series this Winter 2012.

After I finished the Nickel City Chef: Food For Change documentary I showed it to my good friend Jim DiCarlo of Each One Teach One Farms (www.eachoneteachonefarms.com) in Oahu, HI. We went back and forth on some ideas for filming a sustainability project in Oahu. That project later became Throw To Grow.

AH:How has your involvement in this project positively affected you personally?

NATHAN:

This project has had a huge impact on me personally. I believe in the Bokashi Bucket compost system because food recycling is a simple lifestyle change that has huge benefits both individuals and communities. Throw To Grow is an awareness movement designed at spreading the word of self-activation and individual responsibility.

When I was asked last August, if I would be willing to fly out to Oahu for a month to film various leaders in Hawaii’s sustainability movement. My first thought was Hell Yeah! Before traveling to Oahu I had limited knowledge of Hawaii, its history, its people, etc. Being from the East Coast you assume it’s all beach, sunsets, and sand. It is a lot different than that. lol! I learned a lot in that month.

For starters, it’s not America. It has America “Things” but Hawaii has its own culture, its own language, and its own way of life. It is very important to appreciate Oahu as visitor. In removing myself of any sense of entitlement or attachment, I was able to really learn and listen. As a Director and Produce a big part of my job is listening. “Talk story” is a great phrase on island.

We simple rolled camera and talked story with educators, artisans, yogis, surfers, farmers, small business owners, chefs, etc. An amazing thing about filming with the group that we did, everyone was so busy (hahaha). It was really hard to set them down and have them talk what they do and why they do it. It was really inspiring.

Telling the stories of others that have made the commitment to living their own lives, as best they can, on their own terms is amazing. I have worked many local service based jobs. Spending your money and eating local matters and it means something. Never before did I think about the power and freedom of recycling your food waste.

I know that not everyone has land, a garden, or access to traditional composting sites. With the Bokashi Bucket you can recycle 100% of your food waste in your home. If you don’t compost, no problem. Once the bucket is filled you can donate it to a green house, a farm, a school, a church, etc. I know making friends with like-minded people in your neighborhood or community might sound crazy. But it is not crazy. A collective body of individuals wasting and consuming creates the problem. A collective body of individuals recycling, independently buying and growing their own food is a solution to the problem.

I have a Bokashi Bucket system at home, eat as much local and fresh produce as I can. When my bucket is fill I give it to the neighborhood healthy choice restaurant Merge (www.MergeBuffalo.com). They add it in to there compost waste.

I have plans to move to Oahu this May, after Nickel City Chef season 4 wraps. The idea is Bokashi systems are scalable. They work for individuals in the home; they can be scaled to service larger food waste generators, and then scaled even further to service communities. And the bi-product is nutrient rich soil.

AH:Why is it named the “Throw to Grow” project?

NATHAN:

Throw To Grow is brainchild of Jim DiCarlo (http://vimeo.com/25295090). Jim is a marketing genius with creative business sense. The title or phrase Throw To Grow is simple but activating statement. In my opinion, when strategically thinking about growing a brand centered around “new lifestyles” you have make it as simple and as acceptable as possible. We want using the Bokashi system to speak to everybody, not just individuals already committed to sustainable living. The idea is simple, you Throw your food waste in the Bokashi Bucket, it later becomes fuel for the soil to Grow more food.

Another aspect of TTG is the growing of ideas. You have to commit to being almost crazy creating such changes but if you believe in your idea, you respect it and put a lot of work in, you will see it gain momentum and grow. Again, small ideas used to create big impact.

AH: Please share a little history about the Bokashi Fermentation and how it works.

NATHAN:

Bokashi is a Japanese term that means fermented organic matter.As a waste management method, Bokashi fermentation is an efficient and earth-friendly way to recycle concentrated volumes of food waste (incl meat & dairy) into nutrient rich soil. Although Bokashi is often referred to as a type of composting, it is actually the exact opposite of what most people think of traditional composting. Bokashi is an anaerobic (no oxygen) fermentation process, while composting requires oxygen to take place. That’s why we see people turning those big steamy heaps of yard and food waste in their back yard. Most of the Bokashi process takes place in an air tight 5 gallon bucket right inside your kitchen and no turning is required.

The magic that makes Bokashi happen is the specialized blend of beneficial microorganisms that are layered with the food waste inside of the Bokashi Bucket. This special blend of microbes, which include lactobacilli, yeasts and phototropic microbes, was developed and popularized by a Japanese professor named Teruo Higa. Although fermentation is nothing new, Dr. Higa recognized the right proportion of microbes needed to make the blend work just right.

Bokashi fermentation is a simple process that anyone can easily adopt as a daily habit. Food waste is scraped into the Bokashi Bucket. The idea is that you can scrape your entire plate of scraps, no matter what’s on it, right into the Bokashi Bucket. For every 3 inches of food waste, 2-3 tablespoons of the Bokashi is sprinkled on top of the waste. This process is repeated until the bucket is full. Inside the bucket the beneficial microbes are hard at work releasing enzymes to break down or fermenting the food waste. To finish off the process, the fermented food waste is placed into the soil, where the naturally occurring soil microbes turn it into a rich black nutrient-rich soil.

There is no foul smell associated with the Bokashi fermentation process. Because it is an anaerobic process, oxygen is the enemy. It is oxygen that causes rotting of organic materials, and hence the stink. In the Bokashi Bucket, the lack of oxygen and the relatively low acidity prevent the organisms that produce gas and smells from forming. Even if they’re already there, these bad microbes will be consumed by the anaerobic organisms that thrive when oxygen is absent.

Bokashi is 100% natural and completely safe for the environment. It reduces the emission of toxic greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and methane.

AH: What have you learned about the importance and value of a community working on this project?

NATHAN:

Individuals working together and supporting one in another is how Throw To Grow will succeed. I think there are two types of community that are important to consider.

1. The online community. Technology has given us the opportunity to live and solve problems as a global community. We can share ideas and stories instant via vimeo and email. Creative ideas can find resources on sites like Kickstarter. Throw To Grow members are able to send files and work collectively on projects through sites like Basecamp.

2. Regardless of all the technologically tools you have at your disposal. People are the most valuable element to this project. Oahu has great community of DIY minded entrepreneurs, artists, and leaders. To highlight these our friends and community members we created the Throw To Grow Profile Series. Throughout the month of October, we interviewed and documented 14 extraordinary individuals that are leading the sustainability and food movements in Hawaii. These people are being the change they want to see and activating others to make not only Hawaii, but also the world a better place.

Without their support and the support of people passionate about deceasing their impact on the environment. TTG wouldn’t gain the momentum it is right now.

AH: What are your short-term immediate goals for this project and why would people want to become involved?

NATHAN:

The short-term goals are to raise funds for our pilot project in March of 2012. The pilot project will involve Each One Teach One Farms collecting food waste from larger scale waste generators like schools, restaurants, offices, etc. That waste composted using the Bokashi method. During the month of March we will be gathering data on ways to increase the scale of our food recycling services.

Getting involve means you support the idea of responsibly recycling your food waste to create nutrient rich soil, to then use that soil to organically fertilize and grow food.

AH: What are you long term goals for this project and why should people support you all in this Kickstarter campaign?

NATHAN:

In the long term, we want society to rethink the terms “trash” or “waste”. With the Bokashi System waste become fuel for growing your own food. To me there isn’t anything more independent, spiritual, punk rock, patriotic, etc. than growing your own food or supporting those that do. Bokashi eliminates the disconnect between bi-product and the product. Our goal is to build proof of concept on island in Oahu, HI, then bring it the mainland, and then the world.

By supporting our Kickstarter you’ll be giving us the resources necessary to build a larger scale Bokashi site and grow our idea.

To contribute and learn more, visit: ThrowToGrow.com

Video by: Kristen Baumlier

From the filmmaker:

Vegetare (which is Latin for “to grow”) is a stop motion animation short which is a visual journey of the growth and production of food. The piece features images of crops of cabbages, cauliflower, corn, tomatoes, and eggplant plants growing from seedlings to harvest.

To learn more about this project visit: KristenBaumlier.com

Video by: GloboTreks Travels

See how modern day Mayas still use their ancestors techniques to prepare their corn tortillas

Click here to learn How To Make Corn Tortillas Like a Maya

Video by: Farm+Cellar

A montage video from the 2010 Merano Wine and Gourmet Festival in Northern Italy. A beautiful collection of fine wines, fancy foods and amazing people.

Video by: SAVEUR.com

SAVEUR magazine’s Executive Food Editor, Todd Coleman, shows you how to peel a whole head of garlic in less than ten seconds. (It’s kind of amazing.)

Video by: NPR

From NPR:

The pawpaw is a tropical-type fruit native to North America with a long and almost forgotten history. Thomas Jefferson once prized it, and now scientists are looking at whether the pawpaw can claim some health benefits, along with cachet. NPR’s Tiny Desk Kitchen goes on the hunt for this tasty treat.

Video by: Daniel Medina

From the filmmaker:

The Spicy & Tasty restaurant on Flushing’s Prince Street is a neighborhood staple. It’s Szechuan cuisine draws locals and Manhattanites alike but there is one particular dish that draws the most notoriety: dumplings.

The popular Northern Chinese dish is served at nearly every restaurant in Flushing; however, at this highly-acclaimed and Michelin-star nominated establishment, lines of people gather every weekend for some of the best dumplings in New York City.

On a recent Saturday afternoon, I was given a behind-the-scenes look at the meticulous process of making a dumpling beginning with a trip to the market and concluding as a dish at the table.

This is a photo essay assembled with photographs I shot that day.

One solution to the immense waste problem: Gleaning, whereby local community organizations rescue crops that would otherwise be buried under the plow blade.

Video by: Shannon Pence

Digital story about tortillas and family memory. Created as part of the research project, “Tobacco Control and Digital Storytelling: Collaborative Videography with Latino Adults to Promote Health Equity in Colorado”.

fairtradetobacco.org

Video by: Marty Otañez

‘Meet Aftabudin Rayman and Peter Wojick, the fish smokers behind the hot-smoked fish division at ACME smoked fish in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. ACME Smoked Fish is the largest smoked fish house in the country, processing 6-8 million pounds of assorted fish for stores and seafood counters every year.

According to Rayman, the head fish smoker, to be successful at this job, you can’t look at it as just a job, an ordinary job. To him, a successful fish smoker’s priority should be the fish, that internal drive to achieve moist, smoky meat with a perfect golden hue everytime – not doing the job to get an increase in pay. And running a hot-smoked fish operation isn’t an easy task either: working 10-12 hour days on your feet, constantly breathing in smoke, wheeling heavy racks of hanging fish over slippery floors. It’s physically demanding, which is why devotion like Rayman’s is hard to come by.

So come watch their story and discover the delicate process of hot-smoking fish. It truly is a craft, a craft that takes passion and tens of years to master.

Thanks for watching food. curated. Happy Eating!
For the full post, visit us at: foodcurated.com
Or come say hi on Twitter, I’m @SkeeterNYC.’