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  • From: "Michelle Maggiore" <mmaggior@mindspring.com>
  • To: <permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [permaculture] Compost potties
  • Date: Tue, 17 Oct 2006 12:44:38 -0400

This may be a bit off-topic, but since there has been discussion about using
pee and poop, I would like to describe a public bathroom I saw last year in
the Catoctins in Maryland. Thorpewood is the name of the environmental
center, and they have two public restrooms; I saw the womens', but I cannot
describe the men's. (I do not think my husband used their restroom when he
was there)>
Anyhow, there were three or four stalls, and the seats were nice dark wood
and looked like regular public bathrooms with wood doors instead of metal or
melamine or whatever, but pretty normal looking overall. There was a set of
instructions on the door and on the wall behind the seat. The had nice full
buckets of sawdust, and suggested adding a cup or two (depending on your
contribution) after you did your business. I think my mom might have even
used these if she went there, they were done very well for the purpose of
showing the public that composting was respectable, and clean, and I think
they achieved that.
Then, in the basement, where the stalls led (there were about 6-8 total),
all were connected to a central chute that led to a pretty large lidded
container. It was maybe 200 gallons? They opened it for us to see, and it
was not gross. All food from the kitchen was also emptied into this, and
apparently, redworms had been added shortly after the bathrooms first were
in operation. The redworms were prolific, but in good proportion.
Their report was that they have never had to empty the system (and it had
been in use about five years at that point)- they drain off liquid after it
goes to a second bin for compost tea, and harvest redworms regularly. The
worms digest all the food, and it all seems to stay at about mid-level.
I really like Thorpewood, but I was a bit disappointed to see that the
vegetable garden was FAR away, so that may be why they only use the compost
from this system on the native plants garden out front, and do not cart it
to the food garden which is about half a mile away.
I know this is a bit much over homestead level, but I thought it was pretty
cool, and I was also glad to hear that they were able to harvest worms and
compost tea withoiut having to haul any heavy loads out of it, which seems
like a lazy composter's dream.
My three girls get a bit upset with me that I cannot seem to have a
conversation without mentioning compost or manure, and I guess I am proving
them right, once more. Good Day!
Michelle in Scottsville, VA





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