Humanure compost

[Guest guest]

WWW: Bhakti Yoga Dasa (Toronto - CAN) wrote:

 

> [Text 2023192 from COM]

>

> On 15 Jan 1999, Gunamani dd wrote:

>

> > Well I had a brahmacari-one in my greenhouse, do you think we could use

> > his dumps to grow tomatoes, or they would be unofferable because of his low

> > birth?

>

> It's better to use cow dung.

 

*****************************

 

Hare Krsna dasi responds:

 

If you look up Srila Prabhupada's "Kick out the West" quote in the VedaBase,

you'll find that he thought it was a good idea to use human manure for growing

food crops. However, there are many pathogens in human manure, so it is very

important to make sure that it is composted with vegetable matter for a long

period of time (a year) to make sure that it reaches high enough temperatures

to

kill the pathogens. After that, it can be used.

 

I have written about this many times before, and I trust many devotees are

tired

of hearing about the reference book for this process, the Humanure Handbook by

J.C. Jenkins. To use the human manure, it must be composted with a high ratio

of

plant material. Jenkins suggests using a plastic bucket filled with sawdust,

which is emptied onto the outdoor compost pile every few days. If this method

is

properly done, there should be no odor. (If there is odor, its being done

wrong

and the important nitrogen content is being lost rather than composted.)

 

Naturally, this is an interesting option to consider for Y2K, that could be

used

not only in rural areas, but also in city temples, in the event of a sewage

breakdown caused by failure of the city to adequately upgrade its computer

operated sewage system. Temples could simply stock several plastic bags full

of

sawdust and a supply of plastic buckets. As the sawdust is used up, it could

be

taken to the dumpster, or stored outside to transport to a nearby rural

community.

 

I can repost some of the information if you are interested.

 

your servant,

 

Hare Krsna dasi