According to the Humanure book it is best to compost liquids and solids together......kenneal wrote: I've got to install a couple of urinals to divert the male pee, and that of any females who can pee standing up, into the grey water system that waters the polytunnel.
I'll probably bury the compost in bean trenches and put it around fruit bushes first, then mulch the forest garden.
Humanure - Should we? Could we? Would we? MERGED
Moderator: Peak Moderation
Yup - quite understand... once projects get started they do rather line up.... and all take longer than anticipated!greg wrote: Next year, busy with raised beds, 22 acres woods to coppice (not all at once), greenhouse, installing woodburner stove with range built in plus hot water, plus shedloads more inc stable, clearing the kill zone etc.
I've had that book for a few years and its a good read !
When i've talked about it with others, if they've been disgusted I've simply reminded them that currently we shit into our own drinking water.
Pooping for compost is positively civilised.
Its the way things are done now that is arse about face.
My favourite Q&A from the book....
Q. How do you know when your compost toilet is full
A. Its at the point where you have to stand up to take a shit.
When i've talked about it with others, if they've been disgusted I've simply reminded them that currently we shit into our own drinking water.
Pooping for compost is positively civilised.
Its the way things are done now that is arse about face.
My favourite Q&A from the book....
Q. How do you know when your compost toilet is full
A. Its at the point where you have to stand up to take a shit.
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Kentucky Fried Panda
- Posts: 1743
- Joined: 06 Apr 2007, 13:50
- Location: NW Engerland
We used to recycle our turds when I was younger.
Firstly one of us would squat and crap in a paper bag.
We would place this paper bag on the doorstep of someone who had displeased us.
The paper bag would be set on fire and just as it was blazing nicely, we'd ring the doorbell.
Occupant of the house would open the door and process the humanure with their foot, repeatedly...
They would spread our humanure around their garden and house thus fertilizing their property.
We would retire to our homes with an enormous sense of wellbeing.
I miss my twenties...
Firstly one of us would squat and crap in a paper bag.
We would place this paper bag on the doorstep of someone who had displeased us.
The paper bag would be set on fire and just as it was blazing nicely, we'd ring the doorbell.
Occupant of the house would open the door and process the humanure with their foot, repeatedly...
They would spread our humanure around their garden and house thus fertilizing their property.
We would retire to our homes with an enormous sense of wellbeing.
I miss my twenties...
Redfield Community in Buckinghamshire have got unisex urinals, made out of a washbasin with a loo seat on it, in the same room as their very impressive compost loos. You can see part of it on the metal frame just inside the door.kenneal wrote: I've got to install a couple of urinals to divert the male pee, and that of any females who can pee standing up
The LILI book (they're based at Redfield) on compost loos is very good, and gives a convincing explanation of how safe the end product is.
well, I just found you guys, as sally pointed me here from another forum where I mentioned humanure.
I am starting negotiations on a wee bit of land behind our place, that will give me the required space to initiate the bins. We currently compost 3 dogs worth of feaces in the humanure manner, substituting their urine for ours (dog piss is rather hard to collect), and securley disposing of confidential documents in the process as carbon.
Everybody is happy.
Cheers Brandon.
Hi there ken, long time no see, how was ecobuild?
I am starting negotiations on a wee bit of land behind our place, that will give me the required space to initiate the bins. We currently compost 3 dogs worth of feaces in the humanure manner, substituting their urine for ours (dog piss is rather hard to collect), and securley disposing of confidential documents in the process as carbon.
Everybody is happy.
Cheers Brandon.
Hi there ken, long time no see, how was ecobuild?
For anyone who's a bit sensitive about poo, have you tried caravanning or motorhoming? Every few days you have to empty a tank of lovely brown liquid. Lots of people seem to do it quite happily. You get a lovely variety of places to empty it on campsites, very nice custom built facilities, down a manhole, and some pretty revolting holes in the ground. With care you can even empty it down a normal loo, like I was doing last week. I won't relate the story of what happened when I overfilled mine in a lay-by on the A303 
. So dealing with a nice compost loo shouldn't be a problem.
. So dealing with a nice compost loo shouldn't be a problem.I've noticed on the towpath that other people's portaloos are very unpleasant, while mine smells like summer rose petals. Strange that.JohnB wrote:For anyone who's a bit sensitive about poo, have you tried caravanning or motorhoming? Every few days you have to empty a tank of lovely brown liquid. Lots of people seem to do it quite happily. You get a lovely variety of places to empty it on campsites, very nice custom built facilities, down a manhole, and some pretty revolting holes in the ground. With care you can even empty it down a normal loo, like I was doing last week. I won't relate the story of what happened when I overfilled mine in a lay-by on the A303
My nose isn't as sensitive as yours, but I don't usually notice any real smell from mine. It's not like rose petals though. I always open the flap before I use it. So the chemicals must work. You can get a SOG unit that does without chemicals and has an extractor fan and carbon filters. Apparently they aren't always a nice experience for the people on the next pitchTess wrote:I've noticed on the towpath that other people's portaloos are very unpleasant, while mine smells like summer rose petals. Strange that.
. It's all about how you use and look after it.Well, that brings a whole new meaning to the third verse from Battle of the Beanfield by The Levellers:JohnB wrote:I won't relate the story of what happened when I overfilled mine in a lay-by on the A303
"Down the 303 at the end of the road
flashing lights - exclusion zones
and it made me think it's not just the stones
that they're guarding"
Found a pretty picture of a humanure compost pile.... it's from here: Green Techniques
Lots of other pretty pictures of green techie ideas for DIY enthusiasts there too.....
(Mods I'm beginning to wonder if this thread should be in Preparations - or Living in the Future rather than general discussion?)
You can download the Humanure Handbook from here. It's easily a good enough book to buy thought.
http://weblife.org/humanure/
I'm hoping to get it done this year. Retrofit the downstairs/semi outside thunderbox. Take the crapper out and put a frame in to take a 5 gallon homebrew fermentation vessel. Crap and piss in those and add sufficient shredded paper, sawdust etc. Store up a few of these, then transport to compost hacienda and compost for 2 years. Add liberally to out of rotation veg beds and fruit trees/bushes.
http://weblife.org/humanure/
I'm hoping to get it done this year. Retrofit the downstairs/semi outside thunderbox. Take the crapper out and put a frame in to take a 5 gallon homebrew fermentation vessel. Crap and piss in those and add sufficient shredded paper, sawdust etc. Store up a few of these, then transport to compost hacienda and compost for 2 years. Add liberally to out of rotation veg beds and fruit trees/bushes.
Jim
For every complex problem, there is a simple answer, and it's wrong.
"Heaven and earth are ruthless, and treat the myriad creatures as straw dogs" (Lao Tzu V.i).
For every complex problem, there is a simple answer, and it's wrong.
"Heaven and earth are ruthless, and treat the myriad creatures as straw dogs" (Lao Tzu V.i).
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biffvernon
- Posts: 18538
- Joined: 24 Nov 2005, 11:09
- Location: Lincolnshire
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