A video introduction to the Humanure Hacienda (below):
Post
holes were dug and 3''x4'' black locust posts were set
in a mixture of dry concrete and soil, moistened and
packed down.
With
the posts set and braced, black locust boards are screwed
to the posts to provide the bin's walls.
The
bins take shape as more boards are added to the sides
(above). Rafters, made of recycled hemlock, are cut by
Joe Jenkins and step-son Brent Ulisky and notched with
a bird's mouth to rest on the horizontal beams (below).
Salvaged
boards from a demolished barn serve as sheathing for
the roof (above). Note the 20 year old humanure compost
bin in the background, built for nothing out of recycled
materials, but now getting a bit dilapidated.
The
sheltered middle bin, used to store cover materials,
is roofed with reclaimed slate. You can just see the
top of a sawdust pile behind the Hacienda (left side
of photo). The sawdust is used in the toilet system.
Gutters
and downspouts route rainwater into a collection barrel
(above). The rainwater is used to clean compost buckets.
The rinse water is deposited on the compost pile.
The
Humanure Hacienda, newly built (below), with Joe, Jeanine,
and Phoebe Jenkins.
The
Hacienda after 2 years of use (below). Note location
of house and garden in left photo. House is behind
the compost bins and to the right, garden is behind
and to the left. Chicken house slate roof is visible
at edge of garden (far left of photo, in back). Despite
the fact that the compost bins are filled with toilet
material, there is no odor whatsoever emanating from
this composting system. Temperature in the active bin,
which is the one on the left side of the left photo,
is 112 degrees F on November 22, 2001 (down from 124
degrees a week earlier). The temperature will drop
steadily at this time of year and the compost may even
freeze during the cold Pennsylvania winter. Toilet
and kitchen material continues to be added to the bin
nevertheless, and in spring, usually late March, it
heats up again. The right bin contains aging compost
from the prior year. It will be used in the following
spring and the active (left) bin will then be put to
rest for a year (becoming the aging bin). The cycle
continues in this way indefinitely. You can read more
about it in the Humanure Handbook.
Steaming compost pile (below). This pile was being dug and videotaped by the same person at the same time - shovel in one hand and camera in the other, so it's a little shaky.
Emptying the toilet:
Center
bin is used for storage of cover materials (above); in
this case, hay bales for the winter.
