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Make It Easy:  Composting human waste  |
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lisamarie508
True Blue Farmgirl
2648 Posts
Lisa
Idaho City
ID
USA
2648 Posts |
 Posted - Apr 09 2008 : 08:17:16 AM
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I know of a place down in Boise that composts human waste and uses it as fertilizer on crops that we eat.  As disgusting as this sounds, I have seen other sources that claim to do this and claim it is safe for humans and better for the earth.
Does anyone know the specifics of how to do this? That is the thing I have not been able to find. What I've been thinking is that if it can be done with human waste, why not with dog waste? I so hate to bag it up and send it to the land fill and if it's possible to do this, I would much rather. I mean, really, what else can you do with the stuff? I have never been able to train my dogs to go on the toilet!
Farmgirl Sister #35
"If you can not do great things, do small things in a great way." Napoleon Hill (1883-1970)
my blog: http://lisamariesbasketry.blogspot.com/
My Website:
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KYgurlsrbest
True Blue Farmgirl
4853 Posts
Jonni
Elsmere
Kentucky
USA
4853 Posts |
Posted - Apr 09 2008 : 08:33:36 AM
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If I'm not mistaken, Lisa, that last issue of Mother Earth news had something about dog waste in it...I bet if you search on their archives on the webpage, you could find something for sure..
Yeah, I'm not so sure I'd want to know which crops were being treated by human compost....especially the way I've seen some folks eat, all the garbage that goes in must come out, you know!!!!
Farmgirl Sister #80, thanks to a very special farmgirl from the Bluegrass..."She was built like a watch, a study in balance ... with a neck and head so refined, like a drawing by DaVinci"...
NY Newsday sportswriter Bill Nack describing filly, Ruffian.
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Mumof3
True Blue Farmgirl
3890 Posts
Karin
Ellenwood
GA
USA
3890 Posts |
Posted - Apr 09 2008 : 09:05:18 AM
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I think it's called humanure. Bleah. Isn't that why you should not eat vegetables in Mexico?
Quite a few years ago a nearby water authority sold compost made from what was left after processing. You could buy it by the bag or the truckload. Mixed with wood chips, it was meant for spreading on your lawn or around plants, etc. But not food that you would eat. Ew. That would be just gross. The only problem was the smell was very strong. Not an unpleasant smell, just strong and earthy. And it lasted a very long time.
They stopped selling it a few years ago. We never did find out why, but we made a few guesses.
I never thought of using dog waste. I would have to chase my dogs down through the woods to get it though!! lol Somehow I don't think its worth it. :)
Karin
Farmgirl Sister
# 18 :)
Wherever you go, there you are.
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Brew Crew
True Blue Farmgirl
676 Posts
Molly
Arizona
676 Posts |
Posted - Apr 09 2008 : 09:13:57 AM
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On Lehman's website there's a self composting toilet. Not sure how it works, but....
I don't know that I could do it.
"There is a Happy Dale far, far away. . ." -Arsenic and Old Lace |
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lisamarie508
True Blue Farmgirl
2648 Posts
Lisa
Idaho City
ID
USA
2648 Posts |
Posted - Apr 09 2008 : 2:12:59 PM
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Well, it was just an idea I got while cleaning up the winter's worth of dog doo as the snow melts in the back yard.
I have many flower beds and grass that could use it. I'm with you, Karin, on the "ew factor" of using it on edible crops. But, somehow, this company in Boise is able to do it and BIG food producers in this country are using it!
Thanks, Jonni. Rose gets Mother Earth and I'll borrow her copy.
Farmgirl Sister #35
"If you can not do great things, do small things in a great way." Napoleon Hill (1883-1970)
my blog: http://lisamariesbasketry.blogspot.com/
My Website:
http://www.freewebs.com/lisamariesbasketry/index.htm |
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MsCwick
True Blue Farmgirl
775 Posts
Cristine
Farmville
Virginia
USA
775 Posts |
Posted - Apr 27 2008 : 08:05:53 AM
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They spread "sludge" as we call it down here on the fields, and it is awful. Most counties here are protesting it because it is soo overly chemical treated that it takes a long time before it's safe to be arouind the area they spread it. It gets put on about 6 inches thick and it's like black gel/muck. There are a lot of people who have peacocks, and guineas and they have found them with chemical burns and feathers missing when they find them dead and covered in poo. It's disgusting and should be illegal. I personally, with chemically treated poo or not, would not poo in my garden and then eat the vegs. blech :p
Organic gardening had a dog doo article and info on where to get one.
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Peanut
True Blue Farmgirl
603 Posts
Jennifer
Waverly
Virginia
USA
603 Posts |
Posted - Apr 27 2008 : 08:44:38 AM
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There are lots of people here protesting the use of sludge, Cristine (we're about an hour and a half from each other). Smithfield Foods (or whatever they're calling themselves now) also spreads hog manure on fields here.
Personally, I don't see where human waste is any different than using animal waste (chemical additives aside, of course). We don't use manure of any sort though, but we aren't organic either.
My blog: http://thecottonwife.wordpress.com/
"John Deere. We stand behind everything we sell. Except the manure spreader." |
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MsCwick
True Blue Farmgirl
775 Posts
Cristine
Farmville
Virginia
USA
775 Posts |
Posted - Apr 27 2008 : 10:40:05 AM
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Well, when you think about blood and other human bodily fluids being in that stuff, chemicals or not, who is to say that we should be consuming even the tiniest speck of human____, or ____,____ hepatitis, aids, other blood borne pathogens. People flush tampons, and then they end of in the ground where we grow potatos? thats just not right. If it were something that someone were to do at home in private, then its ok, because it's ok with them, but putting it on fields and then raising commercial crops on it just seems questionable. If you had a choice, would you eat veggies raised in soil enriched with horse manure or people? I dont want this to get argumentative, but it's just a current event I guess.
Dog Doo- Composting dog waste in your backyard pile is not an option, because dog waste may contain pathogens and parasites that are not killed in the composting process. So what's a green minded owner to do? You can bury it in an 8inch deep hole in your garden away from food crops, flush it, where it's processed w/ human waste.
A far more appealing and practical option it to dispose of dog waste in a special dog waste digester. These simple systems act like mini septic tanks. You just dump dog waste, water and enzymes into a burried container and the wast eventually turns into a liquid that seeps into the ground. Digesters do not work well in heavy clay soils, and should be located away from wells, and vegetable gardens. Also availabe are biodegradabel dog waste bags that break down in a digester but not in a landfill. These items are available from composters.com
- Organic Gardening May 2008 Page 15
Hope this helps |
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nubidane
True Blue Farmgirl
2881 Posts
Lisa
Georgetown
OH
2881 Posts |
Posted - Apr 27 2008 : 11:20:26 AM
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| I think it is gross too, but the whole trick here is to get the compost to a high enough temperature to kill any germs. It also has to compost for at least 2 years. I was thinking of having a separate area to try & compsot my dog doo just to see. I'm with the rest of you though, I would not use it on my edible crops, but if it was odorless & the consistency of my other gorgeous compost(thanks to goats), I would not hesitate to use it on flowers or my lawn area. I am a bit of a compostaholic, so if I can put the doo of my 5 dogs to a good use, I'm in! |
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MsCwick
True Blue Farmgirl
775 Posts
Cristine
Farmville
Virginia
USA
775 Posts |
Posted - Apr 27 2008 : 12:10:09 PM
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another thing that keeps me leary of dog or human doo, is....that they are omnivores. Goats(for the most part), horses, cows, even chickens are herbivores, and their doo is also usually mixed in real well with sawdust bedding, straw bedding, etc. I think that the decomposition of digested grasses, bark, bugs, weeds, etc. is very different from digested meats. Maybe this human doo concept would work differently with vegans? Although the ingredients in doog food are mostly cornmeal when you get to the chicken meal part, that is not chicken meat, it's legs, feathers, heads, and other parts not saleable for human consumption, ground up into powder, and used as an filler in pet food.(dad used to raise chickens commercially, and we toured several plants before he found the one he would grow for) Even some commercial pig feed has been known to have chicken meal in it.
THat's just my doo cents worth ;)
Cristine |
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willowtreecreek
True Blue Farmgirl
4813 Posts
Julie
Russell
AR
USA
4813 Posts |
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GaiasRose
True Blue Farmgirl
2552 Posts
Tasha-Rose
St. Paul
Minnesota
2552 Posts |
Posted - Apr 27 2008 : 1:18:59 PM
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humanure is actually not a harmful thing one bit. The composting toilets are a wonderful way to reduce all manner of toilet waste. I wouldn't hesitate to use it on my garden in the least except for on leafy greens. It's also excellent for flower beds. IF your worries regard being a meat eater, consider becoming a vegetarian. Or if you already are a veg, then really, what's the trouble?
I have some friends moving into their tipi this week and they are starting humanure. I have been trying to convince Rob to make the change too, but it's more the expense than the "gross" factor.
Before coming to a conclusion about how gross it is or isn't you shoudl really do the research about it.
The reason one would have concern over veggies as someone said "from Mexico" is because of lack of handwashing. One humanure is treated is is perfectly useable-but then I also wouldn't use it on leafy greens.
there's my bit.
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Tasha-Rose
Farmgirl Sister #88
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"Joyful chaos, working in tune with the seasons, telling itme by the sun, variety, change and self-direction; all this wwas replaced with a brutal, standardized work culture, the effects of which we are still suffering from today." - Tom Hodgkinson in 'How To Be Idle' |
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GaiasRose
True Blue Farmgirl
2552 Posts
Tasha-Rose
St. Paul
Minnesota
2552 Posts |
Posted - Apr 27 2008 : 1:24:15 PM
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oh and to add: one would not be spraying raw fecal matter right on their plants. it's compost. it's treated like your kitchen compost but with a few variations. it's worked into your soil after being made into compost. It's really no different than using menstrual blood to feed tomatos and roses.
[size=1]
~*~Brightest Blessings~*~
Tasha-Rose
Farmgirl Sister #88
Blogs: http://gaiarose.wordpress.com
http://womonandsprout.wordpress.com
http://youtube.com/profile?user=GaiasRose
Homepage:
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"Joyful chaos, working in tune with the seasons, telling itme by the sun, variety, change and self-direction; all this wwas replaced with a brutal, standardized work culture, the effects of which we are still suffering from today." - Tom Hodgkinson in 'How To Be Idle' |
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MsCwick
True Blue Farmgirl
775 Posts
Cristine
Farmville
Virginia
USA
775 Posts |
Posted - Apr 27 2008 : 3:33:50 PM
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| To some people, that's just really not appetizing though. |
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jpbluesky
True Blue Farmgirl
6066 Posts
Jeannie
Florida
USA
6066 Posts |
Posted - Apr 27 2008 : 3:52:59 PM
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Here in our county we have wastewater sprayfields. They use waste that comes through the sewer system to spray as fertilizer on certain fields. However, it has now been found that this wastewater spraying is seeping into our aquifer and polluting our fresh water sources. Hmm......not good.
Farmgirl Sister # 31
www.blueskyjeannie.blogspot.com
Psalm 51: 10-13 |
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willowtreecreek
True Blue Farmgirl
4813 Posts
Julie
Russell
AR
USA
4813 Posts |
Posted - Apr 27 2008 : 4:44:55 PM
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Its not a vegetarian issue it is the fact that meat contains tons of bacteria that can't possibly be gotten rid of through composting. If we aren't supposed to put meat into our compost piles than why compost waste that contains it. Also if this human waste is so chemically treated making it "safe" to use in thegarden are we really helping anything? Chemicals are still involved. Research has shown that even treated waste water that goes back into rivers and lakes contains allarminv amounts of antibiotics, hormones and other things from undigested medications humans take. If they can't get that out of the water how can they get that out of the " sludge" ? And we want to put that on our food supply? Why? I just don't get it.
I've done research and I still thinks its gross. I am not making an uneducated judgement.
Farmgirl Sister #17
Blog
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Felt and Fabric Crafts
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Tina Michelle
True Blue Farmgirl
6948 Posts
Tina
sunshine state
FL
USA
6948 Posts |
Posted - Apr 27 2008 : 9:56:45 PM
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I can't imagine how anything "chemically treated" would equate out to a "pure organics" approach/concept to gardening?? seems like the chemical treatment sort of blows that concept away and defeats the purpose.
I want to personally do some reasearch on how our forebears gardened succesfully. I have a feeling I will learn quite a bit along the way.
I have always been interested in planting by the moon phases and so forth..and want to learn how to garden organically..as chemical free as possible.I cannot imagine using humanure on my garden though..or even doggy doo.
I would much prefer grass fed manures like cow manure, chicken manure, duck manure..and horse manure.
I can definitely attest to the fact that chicken manure works wonders for a garden..as does duck manure..we had an area along our fence line where we would spray the duck and chicken cage manure into the ground while cleaning the cages..and we planted some tomato and squash plants there this year..oh my goodness! It looks like those plants have been given a super big dose of miracle gro or something! They are lush big green plants..all ready to start blooming and producing..they are nearly three times the size of the plants that were planted in just normal manure free soil.
Anyhow...I'm going to do some research on how our pioneer forebears grew crops.
Thanks for sparking my curiosity even more..but..somehow..I cannot imagine using human blood or humanure on my garden..or doggy doo either.
just can't "go there"
it just sounds gross to me too.
~Seize the Day! Live, Love, Laugh~
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Peanut
True Blue Farmgirl
603 Posts
Jennifer
Waverly
Virginia
USA
603 Posts |
Posted - Apr 28 2008 : 05:37:56 AM
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I was discussing this topic with my husband and he just sort of shrugged off the whole meat-eating thing. His reply, "How are you going to keep a racoon from pooping in your garden?" Or for that matter a possum, bear, mice, crows or skunks.
Of course, he shrugs off a lot of things! It takes a whole lot to get him worked up! 
My blog: http://thecottonwife.wordpress.com/
"John Deere. We stand behind everything we sell. Except the manure spreader." |
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MsCwick
True Blue Farmgirl
775 Posts
Cristine
Farmville
Virginia
USA
775 Posts |
Posted - Apr 28 2008 : 11:36:22 AM
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Tina, along with finding out who our forbears farmed, I bet you will come acorss what they did with the bedpans and such. I dont believe I've ever heard of them emptying out the outhouse hole ;) just something to think about.
Cristine
jennifer, accidentally pooping in the garden and encouraging them to do it are two different things. I can see his point, and it is a good one, but one poo compared to buckets of poo is a big difference. If i knew where a raccoon pooed I would scoop it out and toss it out of the garden. lol good point though. |
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DaisyFarm
True Blue Farmgirl
1646 Posts
Diane
Victoria
BC
Canada
1646 Posts |
Posted - Apr 28 2008 : 12:31:36 PM
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I totally agree with you Tina...no humanure or anything even remotely close in my gardens. I hope you'll share the research you come up with, I'd join you in researching the topic if I had an extra five minutes to spare this time of year!!
I also agree about the chicken/duck manure. That stuff when used right grows science experiments! I had 13 ft high sunflowers last year, amazing!
Di |
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brightmeadow
True Blue Farmgirl
2045 Posts
Brenda
Lucas
Ohio
USA
2045 Posts |
Posted - Apr 28 2008 : 6:04:42 PM
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I think that in the old days, when people had outhouses instead of indoor plumbing, they would move the outhouse to a new "pit" every 10 years or so. Eventually they would use the waste from the oldest "pit" for fertilizer. I don't think they would try to say that it was fully processed until many years had gone by, though. I know that usually we think compost is finished in a year, and probably diseases would not break down in one year, but after 7 years? Maybe?
Your chances of disease would probably be more limited if you used your own family's waste rather than wastes from the general public, too.
You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands - You shall be happy and it shall be well with you. -Psalm 128.2
Visit my blog at http://brightmeadowfarms.blogspot.com ,web site store at http://www.watkinsonline.com/fish or my homepage at http://home.earthlink.net/~brightmeadow |
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lisamarie508
True Blue Farmgirl
2648 Posts
Lisa
Idaho City
ID
USA
2648 Posts |
Posted - May 09 2008 : 08:03:10 AM
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Well, I sure stirred the pot, didn't I? I had no idea... Composting dog doo apparently isn't a smart way to go.
I can't dig a hole to bury it in on my property as the water table is only about 6 feet down - less in the spring. So, that would only contaminate the water for my neighbors down hill from me who have shallow wells as well as possibly my own shallow well (I'm on city water but to save on the water bill and get away from the chlorine we dug a shallow well in the back yard for irrigation purposes). Of course, they had outhouses here way back when, but folks weren't too concerned about water contamination then, either (mining practices were HIGHLY toxic!).
To bring it in the house to flush down the toilet and just use our city sewer system would use up a lot of water so, that's not really an option either.
It appears I just have to continue to bag it up and send it to the landfill :(
Farmgirl Sister #35
"If you can not do great things, do small things in a great way." Napoleon Hill (1883-1970)
my blog: http://lisamariesbasketry.blogspot.com/
My Website:
http://www.freewebs.com/lisamariesbasketry/index.htm |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
Posted - May 09 2008 : 08:06:21 AM
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Lisa- perhaps you could do this-
Get a paper bag- like a grocery bag and designate it your "poo" bag. When you clean up your yard- fill it up and then put it in your garbage. That way you are sending it along in a biodegradable container?
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
www.awarmheart.com
Please come visit Nora and me on our new blog:
www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com |
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CountryBorn
True Blue Farmgirl
1545 Posts
Mary Jane
New York
USA
1545 Posts |
Posted - May 09 2008 : 08:19:24 AM
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The Mexican veggie fields were actually found to have raw human sewage in the fields. That was a big No No. Very dangerous. I am sure that report didn't stop it though. As far as the outhouses, I know a lot of them were treated with lime. There were other things too. We had outhouses in Canada and a chemical toilet in the house for night time use now this was a lot of years ago. I know that my Dad was always putting lime and other things in the outhouses. Personally, I wouldn't use any kind of human waste. We have used horse manure and cow manure and my flower beds sure loved it! In the farm fields we used bagged fertilizers also.
MJ
There can be no happiness if the things we believe in are different from the things we do. Freya Stark |
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lisamarie508
True Blue Farmgirl
2648 Posts
Lisa
Idaho City
ID
USA
2648 Posts |
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handyam
True Blue Farmgirl
394 Posts
Ada Mae
Greensburg
KY.
USA
394 Posts |
Posted - May 11 2008 : 2:53:38 PM
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My husband spread human waste in pellet form on some of the hay and tobacco fields last fall. It was studied and OKed by the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture. I don't know how long they studied it or the tests they did. It did have an ODD odor for a couple of weeks. You can really tell a difference in the fields that got it and the ones that didn't.
www.adasadorableaprons.blogspot.com
This is the day that the Lord has made. |
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Make It Easy: Composting human waste |
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Composting human waste
