The Humanure Handbook - 255 pages of crap

What exactly is Humanure?

I'm sure you can guess exactly what it is. Your poop (and other stuff) turning into fertilizer. But details are necessary as to what's involved in order for someone to even think of doing this. I've done the dirty work on this book. Is it unsafe, messy, smelly, what? Well it could be if you wanted, but it doesn't have to be that way.

Joseph Jenkins is the author of The Humanure Handbook. He is a down to earth guy and this book is actually pretty hilarious. I mean it almost has to be when it's a book about poop. He has composted not just his but his families dumps for twenty-eight years now. Seriously. He has had an organic garden using this compost for about as long. It takes around two years to fully compost.

Humanure composting is safe, easy, and totally scalable. The author has lectured around the world about it. He's got nuns doin' it! If you have a backyard, you can do this. If you like to garden this is totally for you.

If you think about it, why do we relieve ourselves into clean water we paid the city to clean, just to foul it up again? Couldn't some of that water go into agriculture, or god forbid, be left in our streams, rivers, and lakes? Why are we the only land animals that routinely takes a poop in water? A lot of sewage is actually dumped into waterways untreated. 1/3 of household water is used to flush. We are smarter than that! or should be...

Imagine if everyone did this, if municipalities did this. Our topsoil could be what it once was and agriculture could be less about chemicals and more about sustainability. Our waterways would not be polluted by sewage. We could help control desertification in the Gobi and Sahara with the basest of our bodies functions combined with some intellect. Something to work for I guess...

Here are the basics.

With two or more 5 gallon buckets and sawdust, newspaper, or junk mail you can start making Humanure. He has instructions for adapting lids to these buckets. These can be in your house. When you #1 or #2, you have a rubbermaid container of material nearby to put over it. You put the lid back on and there you have it. Everyone trying it has had no problems with smell using this method. Depending on the material there might be an earthy smell at most. The bucket will probably last for two weeks. At that time you take it out to one of three compost bins. Cover it with a bit more leaves or kitchen scraps and there you go. After two years you will have safe and fully composted manure ready for whatever you want. This time lapse is for both safety and quality. Harmful bacteria in our waste is converted into good bacteria by natural methods as discussed more extensively in the book.

More detail and history is explained in The Humanure Handbook that is generously hosted by a number of websites, including the author's. This is probably one of the greenest things you can do. Then you can show off to your green friends. One of the funniest parts in the book is about when he has parties. He finds it funny the guests are actually paying him when they take a bathroom break!

Unfortunately I will have to wait to experience this, but to you readers with houses and an earth-conscious spirit, please give it a shot. The book is a funny and insightful look into one the things humans do but rarely talk about. Unless you are one of my friends who seem to talk about it a lot.

Joseph Jenkins' Humanure HQ: http://jenkinspublishing.com/humanure.html

The weather is making me think green. More info is to come...