EM Festa in Bavaria     Download PDF Version

From Chiemsee Lake in Bavaria, which many refer to as “The Heart of Europe”, came the First International EM Festa and Conference. The event took place on the tiny 12-acre Frauen Insel, which means “women’s island”. Located in the southeastern tip of Germany, this historic island situated at the foot of the Alps marked the original site of the Benedictine Sisters Convent, who hosted the conference. The EM Festa represented a potpourri of events and activities‚ all focused around the theme of “Effective Microorganisms”, which is popularly referred to as EM. Over 5,000 people from around the world came to learn more about this all-natural blend of beneficial microorganisms that safely removes harmful toxins and naturally restores health and balance to the environment.

Beautiful island site of the EM Festa at Lake Chiemsee.

Diverse Array of Speakers The event opened in the conference tent with an introduction from Dr. Teruo Higa, the Japanese discoverer of EM. The festivalhosted a variety of speakers from around the world discussing a broad diversity of EM topics: from EM sustainable agriculture being taught as the cornerstone at Earth University in Costa Rica; to significant reductions in wastewater contaminants and sludge in Australia; to golf courses throughout the San Francisco Bay Area going allorganic using these new sustainable technologies; to several years of case studies in cancer research showing significant patient health improvements with the supplemental use of EM antioxidants; to a Bavarian brewmeister discussing the qualitative advantages gained from preparing organic beers and natural beverages with EM.

Sustainable Enterprises EM had its beginnings in Europe in 1998. Since then, this new sustainable technology has rapidly diversified into a broad variety of business ventures, especially in the German-speaking parts of Europe. There were dozens of booths at the Festa in the pavilion area displaying a varied array of goods and services. Vendors offered tasty samples of their “ultra organic” food items such as: cheeses, fruits, berries, nuts, jams, garden vegetables, beers, wines, olive oils, pastas, coffees, chocolates, butters, creams, and, of course, Bavarian pastries! Other vendors proudly displayed their innovative wares such as: water filtration systems producing ultra-pure hexagonal waters; fuel-saving devices using EM ceramics; probiotic and antioxidant health supplements which heighten the immune system; cleaning products which disinfect naturally without toxic ingredients; all-natural lotions and health care products; animal health and pet care products; and even a toothpaste that not only addresses plaque and gum ailments, but also relieves athlete’s foot, toe nail fungus, and hemorrhoids!

Farm Tour What was most impressive to this observer was the opportunity to tour four nearby farms using these new eco-friendly technologies. Our international entourage, which included Dr. Higa, was led by the EM consultant for Bavaria, Christoph Fischer. One couldn’t help but be moved by the exuberant and contagious smiles of the farmerswishing to share their gratitude for breaking away from agrochemicals and having a viable organic and cost-effective alternative that was actually cleaning up their farming environment.

Chicken farmer thanks Dr. Higa for his important discoveries

EM Dairy The first farm that we toured was a dairy. The owner boasted that he was fully trained in animal husbandry from the nearby university and knew all the tricks of the trade. Then his wife suggested that he try this new toxin-consuming blend of microorganisms called EM. He replied that if this was such a great product, why hadn’t he ever heard of it? But the wife persisted and challenged him to add EM to the bio-waste lagoon ‚ which was extremely smelly. “What could it hurt?” she asked. To his amazement, the odors almost fully subsided. So the husband set out to prove to his wife that this was simply a fluke. But to his surprise, the health of his dairy cattle went up, while the cost of his operations went down. Before long, he was using EM for everything ‚ even for his construction materials when he remodeled his home.

Dairy cattle enjoying freshly cut EM-grown blend of grasses.

Berry Farm We next visited a berry and fruit farm. The farmer explained that he originally followed the advice of the government and used a broad variety of agrochemicals for his crops. But then he began having difficulty explaining to his children why they couldn’t play in the orchards for days after spraying. The children began asking why would he sell fruit to his friends and neighbors sprayed with these poisons? In all good conscience, he could not give them an honest answer. So he was determined to become an organic farmer. The government started telling him what would work and wouldn’t work ‚ and that these EM products were very questionable. To their surprise, he kept proving them wrong! The farmer says that his government advisors have since started sharing his success stories with other farmers.

Chicken Farm The last place we stopped on the tour was a chicken farm. For those of you who have never visited a chicken-filled room before, the noxious gasses are horrendous! One can only last about fifteen seconds before having to rush outside for fresh air. So with great reluctance, we agreed to go into the chicken house where over 18,000 layers resided. To our amazement, we could not detect any chicken odors whatsoever! And the chickens were calm and unusually friendly. The eggs from the farm are rated the highest quality grade and sell for a premium. We talked to the owners and look forward to selling their certified organic egg noodles in our Emerald Earth Shop located in Santa Fe.

Layer chickens with no detectable odors.

A Spirit of Cooperation  The core philosophy of Dr. Higa is to advance the spirit of cooperation by applying the principles of “coexistence and coprosperity”. Just as the regenerative microorganisms act to enliven and empower their environment, we are called upon to work together in a similar fashion. Teamwork essentially stands for “together everyone accomplishesmore”. What impressed us the most in our journey to the European Festa was the spirit of helpfulness and cooperation that was contagious among the participants. Everyone had their unique contributions to make to the whole (coexistence), and everyone was helping each other in an inclusive manner so that everyone would benefit together (co-prosperity). We were impressed by the paradigm shift that was taking place not only in the microcosm, but in the macrocosm as well. The EM Festa truly represented “An Earth-Saving Revolution”.

Sabine anticipates selling these EM-grown egg noodles in our shop...