When I say "yucky" I do mean yucky... I went out this morning and moved out humanure pile around a bit as it was getting, as "piles" get a little high. So I took my garden rake and raked it flat making use I used all the space we have set aside for this. I then went and got out cat box and dumped the soiled clay litter in it, now before people go yelling about that not being the right thing to do. I doubt once in a while adding some clay into the mix will hurt it any. Yes, cat urine is a little more concentrated than human but; that just means it has more minerals in it. Then I went and got oh.. 3 cups of powdered lime and spread it over the top. Again yes I know that's not "normal" but I think for here it is a nessecity(sp?).
While on the subject of humanure, which most major "green" homesteaders think is black gold. I do have one thing to point out on using it in a food bed. I do not plan on it, if I am using a particular bed/tree/etc for food purposes I'm not using my humanure in it. Why? Silver is a diabetic and takes meds for blood sugar control. He also has an inactive thyroid and takes meds for that, not to mention the blood pressure meds, the pain meds.... I don't want to risk those chemicals in the meds to transfer to my food. Yes, the process of making humanure into compost kills bacteria and parasites... have you ever seen them mention it gets rid of chemicals not "normal" to the human body? I haven't so I'm not risking putting "unknown" chemicals into my food.
the other concern on it is commercial crops, you know the ones that use Roundup to "control" weeds... it does transfer to what you eat so unless you are completely off the "food grid" which means no eating out; you might have herbicides in your system. Also growth hormone from store bought milk, I don't want to take a chance at those being in the foods I grow so any humanure I get composted will be going into pure ornamental beds.
Now I finally managed to get a picture of the potato plant hieght!:
That is 2 3/4ft tall! It took us a few minutes to find a way to get the stick and measure into all the thick straw but we noticed one plant was close enough to the side of the "bed" for us to take a picture. Now here is my problem.. I'm out of straw! Totally! The plants are about 6in above the top of the straw and I have to wait till the 1st to get more! I do hope they will do OK until then. I just have to remember to get 2 bales this time instead of 1.
Now another "yucky" thing... As i have said I am "trying" to have this a "green" homestead, but that sometimes our methods won't be; case in point.
GARBAGE!
Yep garbage, I have long pondered garbage and what to do with it. Around here many people either dump it into a trench, get a "trash service" that uses a landfill, or burn it. Well considering we cannot afford the "trash service" right now we have been burning our garbage, which I know is not considered "green". However I'd like to point out a few things:
#1 Landfills:
Landfills take your garbage and dump them on the ground and cover them (sometimes) with dirt. Hoping that eventually it's compost down into nothing.
#2 Personal "garbage dumps"
This is a "country" thing where someone with a large amount of property either digs a big trench, or has on on property and they "dump" their garbage there. Again hoping that eventually it will just "go away".
#3 Burning Garbage
Taking your garbage that you have and.. well... burning it till it's gone.
Now the first 2 are in my opinion -NOT- good ideas, I don't want to add to the rest of the world's garbage problems. The last one yes, burning things like plastics releases nasty chemicals into the air and leach into the ground. Well... so does just dumping it, because as thing break down their "chemicals" leach away over time.
So I have not really seen a "good way" to deal with my garbage until I am producing everything I use on a daily basis myself. Once I can do that I will no longer have the "nasty" waste that come with living in the modern world. I'm going to start up trying to compost things again, once I get a new garden bed dug (for next year). The plan is to "sheet compost" that bed then in mid winter or verrrry early spring burning the extras to add potash to the soil there.
OK now this is today's book:
"Raising Poultry the Modern Way"
By: Leonard S. Mercia
Published by: Garden Way
Copyright 1975
My copy: 11th printing - June 1982
ISBN # 0-88266-058-6
Again this is an older book so it might not have tons of info useful now, but then again that might not be the case. It might have tons of info that would be useful to know about raising chickens but as things change over the years gets "lost" in the shuffle of modern life. In my opinion.. any information you take in from something means you did learn -SOMETHING-, even if it seems minor now.
And now a cute moment:
This little guy is going to be my son's new cat as his "disappeared" over the winter. We found him sleeping in this nail box (which still had nails in it) over the weekend. He fit completely in the box and slept there at least an hour! I would think it would be uncomfortable.
Be Well and Blessed Be ...
I would think the things you are doing with your humanure would be ok since you're only using them on the ornamentals.
ReplyDeleteSeems there are plusses and minuses to everything. We are in town, so burning trash and humanure are out, but I'm sure my husband would have no problem peeing on the garden if he thought he could get away with it. ;)
BTW...cute cat! But aren't they all?
I think you're making wise choices. I can't see paying someone to haul your garbage to a landfill to dump it and let it sit for years. Burning your trash is much better than dumping it in a corner of the property and letting it either get carried away by animals or blow away. There is no perfect solution but you're making the best effort you can. The humanure will be good for growing trees or bushes for a windbreak as well as growing ornamentals.
ReplyDeleteThat poor little kitten is lucky to have found a good home. He's so tiny he probably did't feel the nails.