Fermented Plant Juice (FPJ)

Often asked about probiotics.  If you read through the blog, you may use your search button, you will know why we use probiotics over antibiotics.  You can make you own.  We had been advocating natural farming and it entails making your own farm inputs.

We had been using FPJ for our chickens.  What is fermented plant juice?

Fermented plant juice (FPJ) is derived from mixing the young shoots of the plants with molasses and/or crude sugar and fermented in one (1) week.  FPJ is rich in micro and macro-nutrients.  The juice also contains rich microorganisms which give strength to plants and animals.  The shoots of plants are difficult to dissolve in water or any kind of oil but it can be done with a little amount of alcohol.  The process of fermenting the soft part of the plants with molasses/crude sugar and with the presence of microorganisms will result to a small percent of alcohol which is responsible in extracting the juice from the young parts of the plants.  The primary elements that FPJ can provide are nitrogen and some micro-nutrients like calcium, molybdenum, manganese, iron and carbon.

The part of the plants used for this fermentation is the shoot because it is this part that stores a high percentage of nutrients coming from the soil and from the atmosphere.  Moreover, plants used for FPJ are those that are fast growing such that, if you cut the shoot now, regeneration of a new part will take effect in a few hours.  We ourselves use:  Kamote, Squash, Kangkong, Alugbati, Banana, Bamboo.  You may use others with same characteristics and the ones readily available in your area.

The FPJ enhances growth and provides food for the indigenous microorganisms (IMO).  We add it to the drinking water of our chickens and spray it all around the farm on the seedlings, vegetable plots and fruit trees. 

How to make FPJ :)

1) Finely chop 2kgs of your available ingredients.  The 2kgs will be a combination of your gathered shoots of choice.

2) Mix with 1kg molasses or crude sugar.  We use molasses.

3) Place in a clay jar or plastic pail.  We use a plastic pail.  Put a rock on top of the chopped ingredients to weigh them down to make sure that they get soaked in sugar.

4) Next day, remove the rock (by now all ingredients are coated by molasses).  Cover your container with manila paper and tie a string around or have an elastic band around.

5) Set the container in a cool and dark or shaded place.  

6) On the 7th day, fermentation will be completed.  Harvest the liquid part and store in plastic bottles.  Set them in cool places.

7) Use 2T (tablespoons) per liter of water.  We use this for the Sunshine Chicken's drinking water.  This same concoction is used for spraying our vegetables and fruit trees.  No chemicals, no antibiotics :)

The leaves at the bottom of the pail, we feed to the chickens....they just love it!  Eating pickles!

BTW, great for humans too.  Gives me stamina for the day, while giving me a restful sleep at night.