What's the Stink All About Anyway?

closing the loop .... at the end of the day to be truly sustainable we have to close the loop.  can take a while to get there .... but we have to try. 

huh?  you've lost me .... what do you mean?  well .... what i means is that if we grow things in this wonderful rich soil in our back yards, and then eat it .... well, hmmm .... it has to come out somewhere!  and we all know where that is!  but the ironic bit is that poo and wee is just about the most exciting stuff you could ever put on your compost .... which, of course is what you use to grow veggies in.

eeeewwwwwww!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

well .... that was my first response.... i'm honest to admit it!  but i have been reading and learning and thinking (a really terrible thing to give me the time to do, btw) ... and guess what?  the phosphates and phospherus from our toilet time is just what we need to make our compost gorgeous rich and healthy.  hey .... we use our chook poo to liven up the decomposition process .... we even buy bags of cow manure to put on our compost .... so why not keep our own stuff?  i read an article that said would you rather it go into your sustainable garden to be used to make rich earth or into the oceans you swim in.  pretty frank observation.

my friends at Milkwood Permaculture are years beyond in taking up the challenge.  and what about Alice Griffin, who has just come back from a tour of looking at all the amazing recycling toilets!

i have to admit .... i don't know if i am up to a complete conversion to this system.  with three small children and a husband who is a closet hygiene freak (love you sweetie!) there are some hurdles in the way.  but i do envision one small way of making it work .... as my compost heap grows up the side of the house ... when the boys are outside they can pee on it .... and watch the magic of transforming our waste into that golden hummus begin!